USA Work-Study Opportunities for International Students: Because of the high cost of education, many choose to work while studying to cater for their financial needs. Sometimes, however, students choose to work for non-economic reasons such as gaining real world experience and developing vital skills.
Getting an on-campus job at an institute or department you are passionate about and even an off-campus job while studying, can be beneficial for your future career. Before we talk about getting a job, at a glance, let’s find out how to get a good resume for a job as a student, looking for work in the United States of America.
WHAT YOUR RESUME SHOULD INCLUDE
You know how it is, after you have written a wonderful resume, only for you to send it out to several places and wonder if it was lost in the mail because you never got feedback.
While writing an employer’s catchy resume is not just solely about being grammatically correct, there are basic, but important information that should be in your resume as a student seeking work in the USA.
* Name and contact information.
* Educational background.
* Achievements.
* Leadership experiences.
* Customer service experiences.
* Technical skills (computer skills, if any).
* Internship experience.
* Work experience.
* Project experience (if you have some).
While studying overseas in the US, a job can help pay bills, fund your leisure, and travel. It would certainly expand your budget. Many international students look for paid extra-curricular work while they are studying.
Part-time jobs are considered important by international students once they go abroad to study. There are various ways to earn extra cash and interact with students from all over the world.
VISA GUIDELINES
According to the American students’ visa guidelines, you are allowed to work only 20 hours a week and can work only on campus. It is not that difficult to find jobs on-campus at American universities because most jobs are customized in such a manner that they will adhere to all the visa guidelines.
Before you take that step to look for a job you must be able to answer the following questions;
* will it assist me in integrating more quickly into this new culture?
* Will this job fit with my student lifestyle?
* will it help me develop enhanced language skills?
* will it leave me enough time for my course and studying?
* will it help me meet new friends?
* will the work experience be beneficial and open up future opportunities for me?
If your answer to these questions or at least to some of these questions is yes, why don’t we hit the bricks and get going?
See Also: USA Skilled Worker Visa 2023 (EB3 Visa) | Requirements, Costs and Benefits
10+ USA Work Study Opportunities for International Students
LIBRARY MONITOR
Average Salary: $15-$24/hr
A library monitor’s responsibilities include maintaining the decorum and quiet atmosphere in the college library and supervision of study places. This is a job that will offer you a lot of quiet time to catch up on your own studies or to prepare for an upcoming exam. So along with making some extra cash, you will be making time for your academics too, or if you’re an ardent reader like I am, this job offers you a great opportunity to explore new worlds.
BARISTA
Average Salary: $15.23/hr
Most college students live off coffee as they consider sleep to be a luxury. With so many exciting things happening in their lives, coffee is the most in-demand drink on campuses. If you love coffee yourself, work as a barista and you will learn a lot about coffee, espresso, tea, and other drinks. You will be given employee discounts that will save a lot of your money on coffee cravings.
There are many jobs offered at restaurants, bars, and cafes on campus, and this could be the easiest way for you to find a job. Cafes are invariably looking for help, so the chances are that you can find a job with relative ease. You could work waiting, as a member of the bar staff, or even as a porter in the kitchen, depending on the experience and skills you can demonstrate. A big drawback to working in a cafe is the hours because most work is based around mealtimes.
BABYSITTER
Average Salary: $13.93-$21.71/hr
For some reason, this seems to be my favorite, maybe it has something to do with my love for babies.
Yes, this can be an on-campus job too! University employees, including professors and administrative staff, usually favor college students when choosing a babysitter, so if you like working with kids, check with your student employment office for openings available. Babysitters make good money and your hours will be used up differently on different days, depending on what age of kids you babysit.
TEACHING ASSISTANT
Average Salary: $15.66/hr
If you are devoted to your academics, you can apply for these academic positions. There are two types of profiles “teaching fellows” are usually graduate students, whereas, “teaching assistants” could be graduates too and they have less formal responsibilities like handing out and collecting assignments. There are almost no formal openings for this post, so ask your professor if you can help them out through your freshman year.
TOUR GUIDE
Average Salary: $15.64/hr
Campus tours are a popular campus activity in the US among prospective students and applicants along with their parents. Since the American campuses are huge in size with a lot of historic architecture of importance, guided and paid tours are just a way to know the campus better. You can take up this job in the second, third, or fourth year when you are well acquainted with your campus.
In this job, you will be directly reporting to the admissions department of your college. This job requires you to be outgoing and friendly in order to give group tours, personal tours, and talk to potential students about all that the college has to offer.
PEER TUTOR
Average Salary: $20,347
This entails that you tutor your classmates or juniors to help them with challenging courses. You can choose your own hours. If your university has an educational resource centre, there may be a formal tutoring position you can apply for. Colleges who place a lot of importance on athletic programs usually recruit tutors to work with athletes who don’t get enough time to devote to studies. So keep an eye out for an opening.
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT
Average Salary: $41,709
This is primarily a clerical job where you will have to deal with paperwork sorting and filing. Ask your head of department for the opportunities available. Departments generally give priority to students within the field. If you work within your own department, it’s a good chance to make connections and network with professors, along with understanding the functioning of your department.
CAMPUS TECH SUPPORT
Average Salary: $16.10/hr
Check with your computer support department for assistant on job openings. If you have knowledge of computers or majoring in a technical field, look for a job at your college’s computer center. All US universities offer tech-support to libraries, classrooms, and laboratories so it becomes an important job position to hold. Plus you will be required to work only in case of emergencies, so during the downtime, you can focus on your academics.
Some international students find employment at computer centers. Computer center jobs don’t tend to be physically demanding, so they can be a good choice for those of you who prefer or need an office environment. On the other hand, working in a computer center can be demanding.
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Average Salary: $13.81/ hr
American universities are known for the importance they place on extra-curricular activities like dances, concerts, comedy shows, and plays. All these events require a lot of backstage and technical work. So if you are interested in cultural performances, this is a great job which will get you paid and you will get to watch performances free of cost while you work.
UNIVERSITY BOOK STORE ASSISTANT
Average Salary: $57,805
All universities have a bookstore on campus which sells course books, reference books, works of fiction, along with school supplies. Not only does it come with the convenience of being on campus, but you may even get really useful employee discounts on books, stationery, or other supplies. You can contact the bookstore manager directly to inquire about job openings.
CALL CENTRES
Average Salary: $28,499 /Yr.
Working at a customer support center requires excellent knowledge of the products, services, and the company you work for, where training about such services and products are provided during your training at work.
Some international students find employment at call centers. This is a good choice for those who are communicative, friendly, and confident in their language and/or computer skills. Also, call center jobs are not physically demanding, so they are a good choice if you prefer or need an office environment.
On the other hand, working at a call center can be demanding, you need to possess excellent communication skills and above-average language skills. The difficulty of call center positions varies dramatically, for example, tele-sales positions are amongst the most difficult and pressured opportunities but they often bring commission with each sale, further boosting your income.
The list is endless, but we hope the few listed here can help you get started.