I have a few questions in regards to earning money at USC.
1.) I was awarded $2,500 in Work-Study for the year. This doesn’t seem like enough to cover my rent and other expenses, but since I won’t be bringing a car to campus, I would obviously strongly prefer to get a job on campus. Are jobs on campus almost always limited to Work Study students? How hard is it to find one if I don’t go on Work Study?
2.) I also run a small business already, selling sunglasses. Would I possibly be able to sell on the USC campus? For instance, if I drove a pedicab around with the sunglasses for sale on the back, or something similar.
3.) Does anyone here know if I’d be able to sell sunglasses at the USC Farmers’ Market? When I go to their website, all I see is a place for student clubs to sign up to be featured.
Any information on any of these topics would be appreciated!
I can’t answer questions two or three, other than to say USC is a private institution, so I’m guessing there are rules about soliciting on campus. My gut says you probably won’t be able to sell your sunglasses, at least not publicly. The Farmer’s Market is pretty much only for grocers and food vendors. You’re not going to be able to peddle non-food items there. There’s usually one student club doing promotion.
But yes, there are jobs for students who are not work-study. I think the bookstore takes in non-work study students. And there’s always job listings online. You also might want to look at places on the perimeter of the campus, but still walkable, like Starbucks, Pizza Studio, etc. And if you don’t mind the hours, the Campus Cruiser program always needs student drivers (and it also pays the best).
Thanks for the reply, RandomNewGuy!
I guess I’m wondering how competitive those non-work-study jobs are though, and how frequently they appear. Do you know if it is possible to accept the Work-Study and also get a non-work-study job? Or accept it, get a non-work-study job if I can, and not -use- the Work Study?
Your $2,500 in work study will be divided into two semesters. $1,250 doesn’t go too far so it is more for food items, toiletries, and incidentals. You will get about $9.00- $10.00 per hour for on-campus jobs. Keep an eye out for postings in the USC Career site. Try to get on campus several days before school starts so you are available for interviews. Many students are applying for positions that are not under the umbrella of work study. I would concentrate on getting a work study position first. There are positions that ONLY work study students can apply for so they will be easier to get. A side note: If you are “working the floor” at the bookstore they need you to be available for a shift on football game days. Those are HUGE days for sales. It doesn’t mean you cannot go to the game but you will be getting off work probably 1/2 hour before the game. At least that is what it was when my daughter worked the floor in the bookstore. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. Keep you eye on job postings through the summer to submit your resume. Some jobs that come up are for 10 hours a week and some are for 20 hours a week. Some positions are flexible work hours and some are not. Hopefully it all will work out for you 
Regarding the sunglasses question: I just Googled “USC Permit to sell on campus”. It has information that said you have to have a permit. Not only from the state (resale) but for campus as well. Who knows, it could be worth it. Good luck!
Thanks for the reply, casadelewis! Yeah, $2,500 for for the entire year is so limiting. So I’m wondering if it’s really worth it to accept the work study or not. But do you know if I could get both a work study job -and- a non-work-study job? Or, if I accept the work study and end up not needing it or getting another job, what would happen? Thanks again for the response!
Work study is part of your financial aid package. You have to make your own decision but I don’t think you should pass it up. It works out to be about 9-10 hours of work per week (depending on WHEN you begin and end working for the semester and if you get $9 or $10 an hour). You could try to supplement with a small side-job as well. I do not think it is a problem to have both, just don’t spread yourself too thin. I think it will be easier for you to get a work study job because it IS part of your financial aid package.
I would certainly try the bookstore. Keep an eye out on the Career Center postings. Campus Cruiser is an option depending on if you want to drive. I heard you have to pull two “middle-of-the-night” shifts a month with that. When my daughter applied for a job she saw the listing on the Career Center site, sent in her resume and had her interview 5 days before school started. As I said before, get to school as soon as you can so you are available. You can apply to make killer shakes at Ground Zero, or try some of the fast food places that surround campus. Maybe you can do bookstore and then get Sunday or evening hours at another place? But (being a MOM here) make school a priority, okay? I wish you a wonderful experience at USC!
You can get a work-study job and a regular $9 per hour gig. I’ve done it, so it’s possible.
You don’t need work study to get a job on campus. My kid had skill that was needed at USC. I don’t remember if it was minimum wage but I think she had jobs that paid a lot higher than minimum wage.
https://jobs.usc.edu/ This should lead you to the jobs site…
Thanks, everyone! I appreciate all the replies!
http://careers.usc.edu/connectsc will get you to student jobs when you log in. This is better than what I gave you before. Or just do an internet search for Career Center USC.
You did not state your major, but this is college. Do allow plenty of time for study and class assignments. You might want to try one job only at first until you adjust to college academic requirements.
My student has a work study job and loves it. It’s part of financial aid and if you don’t use it, you lose it. One thing to think about - classes will be tough if you are taking a full load, so trying to work two jobs (which I did in college) can be pretty tough.
Another question: are there any other jobs like JumpStart, ReadersPlus, that sort of thing? Those are the two I’ve found so far that are on-campus/close to campus and are teaching-related. Any others I should look at? Thanks!
I’ve been looking at the “student jobs” tab in my.usc.edu, but when I click on a job to view its details, it prevents me from signing in to the career center. It says “I’m not showing up as a current student.” It says to make sure that if I’m a new student, I should make sure I have signed up for classes in the upcoming term. But I can’t sign up for classes until one week before school starts, and many jobs are already being posted at this time. Does anyone know if there’s a way to fix this?
Once you are registered for classes, you will be able to sign in. Most departments hire CWSP awardees, but you’ll rip through that in no time. The minimum wage in CA is $9/hr, so with $1250 per semester, you’re looking at less than 10 hours a week for the 15 week semester (plus two weeks of finals), just for CWSP.
Students can work up to 20 hours per week, no more than 8 hours in any day. Look at bulletin boards in classroom buildings for fliers with CWSP jobs. Most departments hire 3-4 each semester, and don’t bother posting the jobs online. Places that hire non-CWSP student workers in large numbers are Campus Cruiser, Leavey Library, Athletics (from weight rooms, to video editing, to tutoring, and more), and the various computer centers – Viterbi, ITS, Psychology, Foreign Language Lab and so on.