When you’ve Ubered all over the city of Boston, you’ve bought all the clothes, you’ve seen every show, have eaten out every meal, and your wallet is crammed full of receipts, that’s when you know. It’s time to get a job. Finding an on-campus job is within reach, and so are the physical jobs themselves! Actually. It is so nice to go to work and then class with a minimal commute.
This list provides some options for those on the job hunt. It’s a compilation of some on-campus jobs my friends and I have held, and I hope you enjoy!
- COM Ambassador
This job rocks. The job of a COM ambassador is to be the face of the college. CAs are the first people you meet as a prospective student on a tour, the answers to your questions at Open House, and the best point of contact during your first few weeks as a freshman.
If it wasn’t already obvious, I’m a COM ambassador—it’s why I’m writing this blog —and my personal favorite part of the job is Open House. On two Saturdays every April, we welcome accepted students to give them a taste of what COM is all about. Each time we host an Open House, we’re reminded of why we chose COM and BU, and it’s our chance to tell why. We’re also great company to chat with and keep you entertained throughout the day.
“I love meeting prospective students and helping them with such an important decision – choosing a college. When freshmen who took your tour tell you that you’re the reason they chose COM, it’s the greatest feeling.”
Stacy Schoonover, COM’17
- Orientation Student Advisor
Remember Orientation? Remember the crazy kids who carried oversized signs and got down on the dance floor for Rhett’s Night Our? (If you’re not yet a BU student, you’ll meet them during the summer before your freshman year, don’t worry.)
I was one of those kids, the Student Advisors. I lived and worked with a group of people who in a few short months became some of my best friends, all while meeting a quarter of the COM Class of 2019 and registering them for classes. I don’t think I will ever laugh, dance or take ridiculous pictures on the job so much as I did as an SA. I had a stake in the success of the university for the first time as a student advisor: we worked hard as a group to pull off each session for BU and its students. We saw it what meant for BU to count on us, and I’m a different student because of it. If you came to Orientation last summer (S/O to anyone in group 42), I hope you enjoyed your session as much as I did. Apologies to anyone who witnessed me attempt the whip and nae nae.
“Being an SA allowed me to connect to incoming students, current students, and administrators in a way that made me feel more connected to BU. It made me realize that a ton of people at this university care a lot.”
Tim Green, COM’17
- Office assistant
Many offices on campus—the number is myriad—are in need of student employees to handle administrative tasks, such as replying to emails and answering phone calls. It’s a gig that often allows for time for homework or reading, so you can read enough to expand your vocabulary to use fancy words like myriad. 😉
This job also provides an opportunity to learn about something outside your interests or become an expert about an academic department, such as your major. In this type of job, the people you work with most often is the student population, while scheduling appointments and answering questions.
“I was an office assistant at Marsh Chapel my freshman year; it was a work-study job. It was interesting because I never realized how popular Marsh Chapel was because of the legacy Martin Luther King, Jr., and Howard Thurman left until one of my responsibilities was to track where everyone came from at servcie. And every Sunday, there were people from all over the country. I think the farthest I recorded was Wyoming, and people from Maine and New Hampshire would use it as their regular service.”
Monica Nunez, SHA’16
“I love working at the CCD because I get to help younger students utilize all of the services that BU has to offer that will aid them in getting the most value out of their time here.”
Nika Witczak, Questrom’16
- Student Activities (SAO) Event consultant
If your dream is to plan events, this is the closest you’ll get at BU. Every on-campus event needs an event consultant to help organizations take care of the details. Student employees in the SAO know everything that needs to get done in order for events to go off without a hitch.
“Being an event consultant can be stressful, but I absolutely love meeting new people (and I love my coworkers)! Plus we get to know in advance about all the cool events happening on campus – it’s pretty awesome to see how student groups are so motivated and I’m glad to help troubleshoot the problems they may come across. In general, the job is great because it’s a really fast-paced environment and I feel like I’m being helpful and productive while I’m there.”
Adrienne, CAS’17
- Howard Thurman Center (HTC) ambassador
A lesser-known corner of campus, the HTC is a great place to meet new people and engage in conversations that challenge your perspective. Join the HTC for discussions about difficult topics and finding common ground with students of all backgrounds.
The HTC is a place for students to learn more about themselves and their place in the world, break down previous notions about social issues, and develop a strong sense of self.
“College presents a rare space where you are surrounded by vastly different perspectives and ideas. The HTC recognizes the importance of bringing those people together and having them engage in meaningful conversations. I’m really excited to be a part of the center and promote their mission.”
Naamit Tubul, CAS’17
