Welcome & FAQs
Dear Students and Parents,
Loyola University Chicago's Student Employment Program seeks to provide a truly transformational experience for current and prospective student employees! At Loyola, Student Employment includes on-campus employment, work-study, and Community Work-Study. EVERY job is an opportunity for students to learn...
- Employability skills
-
Career-relevant transferrable skills
-
Job search skills
I believe that Student Employment (including work-study) should leave a student better prepared to successfully attain internships and post-graduate jobs! If there are any questions, don't hesitate to contact me, Kathryn A. Jackson, the Student Employment Program Manager at kjackson9@luc.edu.
Yours in Service,
Kathryn A. Jackson, M.Ed.
Assistant Director, Student Employment
- What is the process for obtaining a student job?
Student positions are posted by individual departments (on-campus jobs), not for profit agencies (off campus work-study) or external employers (for-profit companies, government, etc.) on Loyola's Career Development Center's RamblerLink database. All student's receive a Free account on RamblerLink which they use to search for part-time jobs, internships, volunteer positions, and eventually, full-time jobs. Students must submit competitive resumes, cover letters, and, at times, references, writing samples and/or an ePortfolio link in order to be offered an interview for a position. Students may receive assistance in the application process, i.e. writing a resume, mock interviews, etc. from the Career Development Center.
- How many hours per week are students allowed to work?
Research indicates that students should work between 10 and 20 hours per week in order to balance their academic and work responsibilities successfully. Students at Loyola University Chicago are limited to working a maximum of 19.5 per week but are encouraged to maintain a weekly work schedule closer to 15 hours per week.
- What if I forgot my RamblerLink login or password information?
RamblerLink is the on-line system that lists jobs, internships, volunteer positions, service-learning sites and is maintained primarily by the Career Development Center. Your login information for RamblerLink is the same as your LOCUS login information and should not be changed to something different, as it will always default back to your LOCUS login information. If you forgot what your universal ID and Password are, please contact the Career Development Center at 773.508.7716 to have your account reset.
- What is the typical work-study award amount?
UNDERGRAD: This varies based on the student’s economic need per the FAFSA. The typical award range is $1,000-$3,000 with the average being $2,000 (for the year).
GRADUATE: Graduate students have to contact Financial Aid to determine Federal Work-Study eligibility and potential award amounts.
LAW: Law school students should contact the Law School's Dean's Office for information on work-study opportunities.
- What is the "Work Authorization Form" & when is it needed?
The Work Authorization form is a document that is ONLY needed when applying to a job in the (off-campus) Community-based Federal Work-Study program. This form, available at either the HUB or the Financial Aid Office, tells the potential employer the amount of the student's Federal Work-Study award. This is NOT required for on-campus positions. TIP ----> When preparing for your job search, obtain one copy of this letter then scan it into a PDF and upload it in your RamblerLink account for ease of sharing with prospective CBFWS employers.
- How do student workers dress for work?
Each student position is different so the dress requirements are also different! Always dress up for an interview and then ASK during the interview what the dress expectations are for that position. Attire across the University and our CBFWS partners varies from very casual (i.e. work out attire) to business casual (i.e. polo shirt and chinos). Managers should provide each student employee with basic attire expectations during or just after the hiring process.
- How many jobs should I apply for at once?
First, if you see more than one job that appeals to you, go ahead and apply to each! Loyola's Student Employment is competitive so submitting multiple applications is generally a good idea! Second, while numerous, simultaneous applications are a good idea, submitting "form"/template/identical cover letters is not. Be sure to customize a short cover letter (or email) with each application. For help writing a cover letter, download the Career Development Center's Resume and Cover Letter Writing Guide.
- What is the difference between a Work-Study Job and a non Work-Study job?
The only difference between a Work-Study and a non Work-Study job is the way the position is funded and some small differences in what the student can and cannot do within the position (which managers are aware of). Both are real jobs with responsibilities and most of the time neither allow the student to study while working, a common misconception based on the language of "work-study".
- What do I do if I am having an interpersonal conflict with a co-worker or my manager?
The first strategy should always be to set aside time with that person and discuss the situation. If that does not improve the situation, all student employees can make an appointment with the Student Employment Manager at 773.508.7716 to discuss other solution strategies. If a situation is an emergency always call 911 first.
- Are the off-campus work-study sites safe?
The Community Partners who host work-study students are heath, human service, education, and community-development organizations who care deeply for Loyola students. They are invested in your safety. Additionally, members of the Center for Experiential Learning Staff visit Community Partner sites annually to check for safety and to get a sense of the commute. The CEL takes very seriously it's charge of being stewards of the student experience and works hard to ensure that our students are safe.
Students also have to participate in the management of their own safety. The CEL recommends that each student, regardless of which program they are considering, should consider that working in a large, urban area is going to require a certain level of alertness. We also recommend that every student review our Personal Safety Guide before beginning each semester.