Hillcrest entrance with benches and students walking near the stone sign that contains the text 'Hillcrest'

Why work on campus?

Real-world experience

There are many reasons to work on campus as a student. Working on campus helps students connect with students, faculty, and staff that might be outside of their field of study. Learning how to balance a work life with school is a very valuable tool that many students here learn. Campus jobs can help students build portfolios and work skills to help them find jobs and succeed after graduation.

Flexibility

Most university jobs have built-in flexibility, with the understanding that studies come first. Creating a schedule that allows students to have time to study is easy with a campus job. Most jobs are also close to or on campus, making transportation simple.

Connect with the classroom: Iowa GROW®

Iowa GROW is our way of helping students connect what they learn in the classroom to experiences at work. Iowa GROW (Guided Reflection on Work) focuses on making student employment a "high-impact activity." Talking with a supervisor helps students connect the skills and knowledge that you as a student are gaining in the classroom with the work that you are doing, and vice versa. While work is a great place to learn "real world" work skills, such as time management, conflict resolution, and balancing priorities it can help to talk over the less obvious skills you are learning with your supervisor in order to make the most out of your education and your job.

Learn more about Iowa Grow

Testimonials

“Working as a student employee has had an incredible impact on my college experience. For one, it helped me find my passion and helped me get on track for my future. As with most students, I was completely unsure of what I was planning to study and eventually pursue as a career. Working as a personal trainer helped me find my love for fitness and really helped me direct my studies and future toward my passion.”
Christian Sorpassa, Recreational Services
“Working at Student Health and Wellness has provided me with opportunities to connect the information I am learning in class to work settings, such as performing fitness tests. It has helped me learn more about different career options and graduate programs available at the university. It has also provided me with opportunities to work with amazingly talented individuals who truly care about students, and are always striving to positively influence students’ health.”
Olu Osayemi, Student Health and Wellness
"Working for University Catering has allowed me to step into a leadership role that I never thought I’d achieve as a sophomore in college. I’ve learned some incredible leadership skills that will be crucial to my academic life now and my career later in life. This job has taught me real-life skills that tie in with exactly what I’ve been learning in my classes. It’s great to see my work life and academic life come together.”
Olivia Harmon, University Housing and Dining
Olivia Harmon
Shelby Cain
“A large part of what I am learning at Student Life Communications is communication. This includes leading meetings, effective email communication, and speaking with people in various fields of expertise. Developing my communication skills here at work helps me communicate better with my professors as well as my classmates when working on class projects.”
Shelby Cain, Iowa Memorial Union