Looking for a job on campus?

According to the Department of Human Resources, “it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.”

When each student opened their financial aid package they read over the total amount of money they would be able to make through on-campus employment. With parents breathing down their necks, loans that will need to be paid off in the back of their minds, and the obvious need for snacks, this amount of money no matter how high or low looks extremely promising.

And when starting out, it seems just as easy as they say. Make your resume, find what fits into your schedule, fill out the application and there you go. But, when looking at the listed options, it is extremely limited.

With just over 1,600 students, one can only imagine how many are looking for a work study position.

It seems as if this opportunity is advertised so frequently and right from the start before some have even stepped foot on the campus, that it can be misleading. Reading how much money they can make and finding out about how “easy” it is to find a position that fits them, often leads students to think that they are bound to get a job.

The part that is left out of this process is the ratio of students to positions.

As week three of school comes to an end, there are just a handful left.

Upperclassmen have jobs nailed down from the past, students who don’t need to make changes to their schedules are able to reserve their spots quicker than those who are still trying to figure it out. And let’s face it, many of us still haven’t figured it out.

Words have gone around saying that the number of work study positions this school year are looking much smaller than the listings from last year.

What does this mean for students who have yet to find a job or for those who are waiting until next year?

Don’t get me wrong. The idea of a work study job is wonderful.

Not only is working here on campus convenient, but it provides so many chances to learn and grow. Valuable lessons can be taken from the work that is being done and the faculty that students will be alongside. Students are told that this is one of the best ways to make connections for their futures and get prepared for what is to come. Linfield students are all in all pretty lucky to have this opportunity.

But are they being told something that may not happen?

The high expectations students have when applying for work study could very well be coming from how painless they are being told it is.

So watch out, Wildcats. If the rumors about less work study being available in the future are true then it might be harder to get a job that works for you, no matter how easy they say it is.