On-Campus Job Opportunities

For students, college means many things.

It means classes and meetings with professors. It means extracurricular activities, hanging out with your friends and somehow finding time for dinner before a group meeting.

All of that just about provides a full schedule, but for many students finding a job that is reasonably well paying, convenient and worth the time is also important. After all, it is great to gain some experience (and some extra cash) before stepping out into the post-collegiate world.

Luckily, you don’t have to look any further than our own Concordia campus to find employment. Concordia is not short on student job opportunities on campus; it is just a matter of finding the right fit for you and your schedule. Listed below are a few examples of current Cobbers who are gaining great experiences from their on-campus jobs. As you’ll see, there’s almost no limit to what you can do.

Dining Services

In addition to providing us with delicious, wonderful food, Dining Services also provides many jobs for student workers. Students of all different class years and majors work in for Dining Services, and new workers are hired in a variety of positions throughout the year.

To give you an example, political science and global studies double major Sage Thornbrugh '17 has a position in Dining Services as a student manager. He works in both The Maize and Anderson Commons, making sure orders are completed in a timely manner, food stations are refilled, and everything is clean and pristine. Thornbrugh also supervises and trains other student employees and is second-in-command to the manager on duty during shifts.

His job gives him experience working with all kinds of people, something that will be valuable anywhere he goes. One of the most important lessons he has learned has been figuring out how to manage people of all different personalities. However, the people are also his favorite part about the job.

“I get to meet a whole host of people each semester,” he says, “and I’ve made some pretty cool friends throughout the process.”

The Writing Center

The Writing Center is a place many Cobbers (myself included) have gone for help and encouragement when those big (or little) class papers come up. The Writing Center employs writing tutors – students who have a talent for writing and editing. As a writing tutor, multimedia journalism and communication double major Katie Beedy '18 spends her evenings helping her peers brainstorm, outline and edit papers.

“As a writing tutor, I can assist students at any point in the writing process. … My job is really to be an editor, a teacher and a cheerleader at the same time,” Beedy says.

She loves finding out she has helped a peer become more confident in their writing ability.

My job is really to be an editor, a teacher and a cheerleader at the same time. – Katie Beedy '18

During her freshman year, Beedy was nominated by her IWC (Inquiry Written Communication) professor to work in the Writing Center. She applied, interviewed for a position and got the job. During her time as a tutor, she’s learned some valuable lessons, especially when it comes to differing opinions.

“I have had students come in and refuse to accept any of the advice or critiques I offer them,” she says.“In these cases, I have learned the best I can do is give them my opinion, tell them why I think it is grammatically or stylistically right, and then just let them decide whether or not to make the change.”

She knows she’ll be able to transfer this skill to any workplace.

The Archives

On the fourth floor of the Carl B. Ylvisaker Library, there is a treasure trove of history. The college archives are where much of Concordia’s history is housed in documents, photographs and other objects that can connect us to our past as an institution. Concordia has a rich history, and the students who work there are getting an equally rich experience.

Corinne Burrell '18 is double majoring in heritage and museum studies and communication with a history minor, and she works in the college archives as a public relations intern. Her duties include creating bulletin boards for the library and writing blog posts. She is helping research and curate the college’s 125th anniversary exhibit. She also manages the archives' Facebook and Twitter accounts, posting content for students, alumni and friends of the college to see.

“Managing social media and outreach for a group or organization is very different from updating one’s personal accounts,” she says. “In a world that’s quickly becoming dependent on social media, this is definitely a transferable skill.”

Posting content on social media allows Burrell to see the comments of alumni and that has turned into one of her favorite parts about her job.

“I love witnessing Cobbers connect and reminisce with each other in our comments section,” she says.

^{Published May 2016}