Time to make some extra cash. The Pepperdine Career Center offers students several employment and internship opportunities throughout the year, and now is the time to get ahead and apply. When working 10 to 12 hours a week at $8 per hour, students can make around $80 a week.
Getting an on-campus or off-campus job or internship does not only bring in extra money, it also provides the student invaluable experience. “Employers looking to hire new graduates do expect students to have two to three work experiences under their belt by the time they apply for their first entry-level job,” Career Center Director Amy Adams said.
According to Adams, it is never too early to look for jobs or internships.
“Students should start gaining work experience through both student employment and internships, as early as they can,” Adams said.
Paid or unpaid internships are great ways to explore a field and gain experience. The internship does not have to be related to one’s major, but can be a way to explore one’s interests. “Many employers seek liberal arts students in general and not specific majors, though each employer determines which majors they plan to hire,” said Nancy Shatzer, internship coordinator.
There is also an opportunity for students to gain academic credit for their internships and research. However, academic internships must be registered by the second week of the semester.
Of course, some jobs are more popular than others. However, the final decision “depends on the student’s interest,” student employment employee JoEllen Sturgeon said. The more popular jobs on campus include working for admissions, Payson Library, Athletics, Center for the Arts, campus recreation and Jumpstart. The vast variety of on-campus jobs as well as the connections to off campus jobs gives students a plethora of choices.
There are also many popular internships.
“The most popular internships are with high profile companies. Some Southern California entertainment organizations hire as many as many as 25 to 50 interns each term,” Shatzer said.
Not only do students get a hands-on experience, “students state that they feel they made a contribution to the company, and they liked learning in a professional work setting,” Shatzer said.
To emphasize the importance of internships, Adams adds, “among the graduates in the Class of 2012, 72 percent of those who had secured jobs on graduation day both worked while they were in college and did one or more internships.”
If interested in applying for an on-campus job, all student employment paperwork must be turned in to the student employment office.