A part-time job helps pay tuition, living expenses, books, contributes to paying the family’s expenses, and for many students, is as much a part of their college experience as their academic studies. For example, at Queens College in New York City, 58% of students work part-time. And many part-time jobs, such as biology majors working in research labs, can lead to careers.

Of course, for undergraduates, balancing part-time work with scholastic responsibilities requires considerable juggling.

But what are the best ways to secure a part-time job? What role do work-study programs play? What advantages do Latino students have in their pursuit of a part-time job?

Hispanic Outlook asked Jeanette Morales, San Antonio, Texas-based executive director for Student & PK-12 Services at the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU), Jeannie Burlowksi, who wrote Launch: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterwards and Zavi Gunn, director of Queens College’s Center for Career Engagement and Internship, which is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), for tips on how undergraduates can best secure part-time jobs.

Tip #1: Start with Career Services or the Financial Aid Office

Career services is one place to start the part-time job search on most campuses, points out HACU’s Jeanette Morales. They have the staff to review your resume, fill in the gaps, and explain how to strengthen it. They often offer videotaping where students can sharpen their skills and eliminate “the ‘ahs’ and ‘ums’, and ‘you know’, when being interviewed,” she says. For example, if you’re an engineering student looking for a part-time job in your future field, the career services specialist explains how you need to add the computer languages you know to your resume to secure a position. But Burlowski also recommends starting with the Financial Aid office, which has your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) information and can determine if you qualify for work-study jobs (more about that later).

Tip #2: Identify What Kind of Job You Want to Pursue

Identifying whether you want to work in a library, lab or restaurant, and whether the job is linked to your career, is also a place to jump-start the job search, Burlowski suggests.  Most library science majors, for example, might pursue working in the library, and a psychology major might look at a center for autistic children near their home or dorm.

Tip #3: Get Your Resume in Order

To ensure that the applicant is fit and experienced for the job, most larger companies these days use computer programming to search out certain words and phrases. Draft your resume in a way that keeps that in mind. One college student left a two-year gap in her resume, which made the company wonder what had happened to her. It turns out that she was working part-time as a bartender; Morales told her to include this in her resume and explain what she learned about delivering customer service rather than leaving that gap.

Tip #4: Look for Part-time Jobs that Fit Your Career

If you’re majoring in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) areas, look for research lab jobs at the college. If you’re majoring in education, look for tutoring jobs. These part-time jobs can be stepping-stones to make connections, strengthen your resume, and build up experience in your future career, Morales suggests.

Tip #5: Apply for Work-Study Programs

Many financial aid programs pay for part-time jobs at universities that are part of work-study programs. Some jobs are general and can include working in a library or department office, and some are more closely related to a major and can involve research labs or studies. “It’s another form of financial aid, but paid directly to the university,” Morales cites.

Tip #6: Look on Campus in Various Ways

Gunn urges students to search their own college’s website, find a department that most interests them, and submit their resumes to see if a part-time job is available. For example, at Queens College, the athletic department runs summer camps that are often in search of athletes to work there.

Tip #7: Consider Jobs Close to Campus

Many businesses outside of a college campus, but located in proximity to the university, are experienced in hiring undergraduates as part-time workers. “They’re often flexible with schedules and understand that during midterms and end terms, students may need a little time off,” Morales says.

Tip #8: Apply as Juniors and Seniors for Internships and Externships

After students declare their major in their junior and senior years and decide on a career, internships and externships are made available, both on campus and off.  “Students get valuable knowledge, and they’re working on specific projects that will help them in their career,” Morales says. The only caveat is that too many internships are unpaid, a system that HACU has objected to and has been fighting to change.

Tip #9: Tap Your Bilingual Skills

Many Latino students are bilingual, hailing from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and elsewhere, and this provides an edge in gaining many jobs. “Being bilingual, being able to think in another culture, broadens a person’s marketability when applying for certain jobs,” Morales notes. Some jobs specifically ask for Spanish-speaking students.

Tip #10: Take Advantage of Your Hispanic Background

Since social justice came up in numerous conversations in 2019, many Fortune 500 companies are looking to enhance the diversity of their staff. “They are increasingly open to students coming from under-represented minorities such as Hispanics, African Americans and Asian Americans,” Morales says. She recommends studying the company profile and researching its culture to see which company best fits your skills and career pursuits.

Tip #11: Use Your Entire Network, Including Faculty

Making connections is critical to finding a part-time job. Tap your entire network - which covers peers in your classroom, and faculty members on campus - to gain referrals for  finding a job, Gunn suggests. Many professors have professional contacts or are employed part-time in their respective specialties. Look for mentors you can work with who can later recommend their connections for part-time work.

Tip #12: Strengthen Your Soft Skills

Yes, math and science skills are increasingly in demand, and knowing how to write clearly and logically are necessary skills. At the same time, Morales urges students to develop soft skills that cover interpersonal relationships, knowing how to negotiate, learning how to speak up without being negative, overcoming the “imposter” syndrome (where you feel as if you don’t fit in), and creating an “executive presence”.”

Tip #13: Be Assertive and Persistent

Morales recalls one Texas A&M student who participated in the Adelante Leadership Institute, who took the tools he learned at the workshop to apply for and earn a part-time job in the president’s office at his college. He then worked hard and was named liaison to HACU, and upon graduation, used his leadership skills to earn a job at the Hispanic Congressional Caucus. “Sometimes you have to hustle,” Morales points out.

Tip #14: Maintain a Calendar To Balance Your Academic Life and Part-time Job

Burlowski recommends keeping a calendar, and jotting down all your due dates for papers and exams every Monday morning and then writing down your work shifts. “When you sit down and look ahead at the week, you know what’s coming for school responsibilities, and what blocks you need to set aside for your part-time work,” she says.

Tip #15: Be Sure to Set Boundaries

At a fast-food eatery, employees are often asked to work additional hours or shifts. But Burlowski emphasizes that students must set boundaries and decide that, for example, 15 hours or 18 hours are the limit, which shouldn’t be crossed.

Tip #16: Look for Jobs with Tuition Reimbursement

At Queens College, Amazon is participating in a job fair that offers part-time jobs in logistics, packing, and shipping at Amazon Grocery and its Fulfillment Centers, which include some tuition reimbursement after spending 90 days on the job, Gunn notes.  Many large corporations offer tuition reimbursement, including for part-time jobs.

Tip #17: Recognize that the Benefits of a Part-Time Job Exceed a Paycheck

Students who work part-time while they’re in college tend to get better-paying jobs than students who don’t, say several research studies. It boosts their self-esteem and prepares them for future careers, Burlowski notes.