Paid positions available for qualified students
Students can learn more about the part-time job opportunities available for the upcoming academic year at the Campus Student Employment Fair on Friday.
Participating on a leadership team for the Women in STEM organization at her high school brought Elisabeth Wasserman such satisfaction that she knew she wanted to continue supporting her peers once she arrived at Virginia Tech.
The university provided her with that opportunity.
Wasserman, a senior from Springfield, Virginia, has spent the past two years working in differing positions for Virginia Tech Women Connect, a program housed in the Women’s Center at Virginia Tech that serves to "forge relationships, develop supportive networks, and share ideas and information.”
Wasserman found her start with Virginia Tech Women Connect two summers ago when browsing Handshake, an online education technology platform that Virginia Tech uses to advertise for internships, co-ops, part-time jobs, and other career-related opportunities.
For Wasserman, the experience was just as valuable as the money.
“The work that I did with Virginia Tech Women Connect, that’s not necessarily the work that I’m going to be doing in the future, but there were things having to do with professional development that I think I got better at over time,” she said. “For example, communicating was a big one. Communicating constantly with my supervisor on projects and on things that I needed help with, I think that’s something that I had a lot of time to practice.
“I would say organization, too. It was helpful to learn how to juggle a part-time job. Being a full-time student can be challenging, but learning time management and then learning how to be able to shift your focus from different things, such as shifting my focus from schoolwork to what I was doing at work, was a skill that I think is useful and is going to be applicable for the rest of my life.”
Now, the leaders in the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid and the Office of Career and Professional Development plan on offering and expanding those paid opportunities for the upcoming academic year, including Federal Work-Study positions. Students interested should attend the Campus Student Employment Fair on Friday, Aug. 29.
“The Campus Student Employment Fair is an exciting chance for students to explore a wide variety of on-campus jobs and internships, along with opportunities in the community,” Tatiana Balasenowich, program coordinator in the Office of Career and Professional Development, said. “These positions are incredibly valuable as they offer flexible schedules that fit around classes, helping students maintain a healthy balance between school, work, and life, and these opportunities let students explore different areas and discover new interests.
“Many find passions they never expected, while others discover that what they thought they wanted to do isn’t quite what they expected, giving them the chance to learn, explore, and grow. Either way, these experiences provide hands-on skills and insights that set students up for success in their future careers.”
“Our office [University Scholarships and Financial Aid] administers Federal Work-Study, a program that allows eligible students to earn money by working a part-time job,” Elissa Waybright, assistant director of Federal Work-Study and compliance, said. “There is a myth that makes students believe that the only work-study jobs available are ones making copies for a department or serving food in a dining hall. By partnering with Career and Professional Development, we have been able to get Federal Work-Study students working as social media interns, event planning interns, tutors, and more.
“I don’t think that students are aware of what great job opportunities exist right at their fingertips while they are here at school, and the Campus Student Employment Fair gives them a chance to see what is available.”
Wasserman, who is pursuing a degree in computational modeling and data analytics within the College of Science, helped set up and took photos of events for Virginia Tech Women Connect during her sophomore year. Last year, in a different role, she attended committee planning meetings for the Virginia Network, a statewide group that is part of the American Council on Education and seeks to “identify, develop, advance, and support women in higher education at the national, state, and local levels. She also ran the social media pages for Virginia Tech Women Connect; designed graphics, flyers, and posters; and oversaw the satisfaction survey conducted among faculty members at Virginia Tech.
The skills she learned while working at Virginia Tech helped her with her internship, and she encourages students to take advantage of the opportunities available.
“I think that it’s a really great opportunity to kind of get your footing in the professional world, and the programs at Virginia Tech inherently understand that you’re a student, too,” she said. “I do think that it can provide you with the opportunity to get that professional development and get that experience, but also not take too much away from the time you’re dedicating to school.”
