The best jobs at IU

Bolstering your resume with a part time job that you took in college is really great. Employers like to see that you can handle your personal life, your school work and take on the responsibility of a job. While it may seem that you only want to get a part time job related to your field of study, that's not necessarily always the case. Don't get me wrong, it's great experience to be working in a place that can give you skills to move on and get a full time job, but just committing yourself to a job and showing that you can work hard and stick to it will look good no matter what.

I've had a few part time jobs in college. I'll admit that I'm a bit of a workaholic, and I love to keep my schedule packed and busy--so, getting a job was crucial for me. My freshman year, and a little into my junior year I worked at the IU Foundation Telefund. My freshman, sophomore and junior year I worked at Charlotte Russe in the mall as a manager. And for a short time during my junior year I also worked for TCC in the library until I got an internship with UITS IT Training a couple months after. I've had a lot of experience with getting jobs while in Bloomington, and I wanted to share some of the best places that I know of for students to work.

Before I begin, I should mention that deciding whether you are going to stay in Bloomington during the summer is a big factor in getting a job. There are some places that are totally okay with you stepping away for the summer and then hiring you back when school starts again. When I worked at Charlotte Russe, we gave girls the option to transfer to other stores near their hometown if they were moving away. But, some places just won't allow you to leave for a summer. So, consider this before you begin applying.

Claire worked at RPS and she talks a bit more about it here. RPS stands for Residential Programs and Services, and if you get hired on with them then you will most likely be working in a dorm or food court. RPS is a great place to work because you get the opportunity to stay on campus and take buses wherever you need. RPS is also really flexible with student schedules and needs, so if you're in a rough semester they'll keep that in mind when making your schedule. 

The Indiana University Police Department isn't just for criminal justice majors. Anyone can work for IUPD! It's a really good resume booster because it shows businesses that you can handle situations on the fly, you can be a leader and you can show responsibility. 

I'm part of the School of Informatics and Computing, so I wanted to spend a lot of my days in this building studying anyways. Why not make this my job also? All different schools are looking for eager students to help them out in the office. Whether you're running errands, manning a desk, or assisting students, helping out with your school is a great way to get familiar with the area and get a leg up on what's going on.

Like I mentioned earlier, I used to work at the mall for almost two years. I really loved it! There are so many places to work at the mall and the opportunities are endless. One concern that some people have expressed to me is transportation, but don't fret, because there is a bus that goes right to the mall. You can take the Bloomington 9 bus to and from the mall, and it stops at all the major points of campus.

SRSC is the gym on campus. If you work here you're probably going to be swiping students in, handing out balls and monitoring people using the equipment. This is a great place to work because, like RPS, it's run by the school and is very flexible for students. 

I worked for TCC  for a very short time. I really liked my time here. I don't know everything there is to know about computers, but this job gave me the opportunity to learn more--and what better way to learn than to teach and help others. Technology Consultant Center is what TCC stands for, and they were very flexible and patient with my schedule. I worked nights with them, so it was a great way for me to get my school work done, and get paid at the same time.

Check out these tips for finding a job at IU.