<p>I'm completing my 2nd year of community college and planning on attending UIC next year.</p>
<p>I have never held an actual job though. Will this hurt my chances of getting a job at the school with the Federal Work Study Program even if my EFC is low enough to qualify for the aid? I'm sure they'd most likely take the low EFC students who actually have work experience first but after that do you think they'd accept me?</p>
<p>Yes, I know I probably sound like a bum getting financial aid while not even having a job... Believe me, I've been trying over the last 6 months or so but no one will hire someone with no work experience. Before that though... no excuses, I was a bum, lol.</p>
<p>As far as I understand it, work-study programs are one of the surest ways of getting a job: you’ll be in no worse of a boat than any incoming freshman with work-study who’ve never held jobs. I don’t know how it is at UIC, but I know at my school and a few others I looked at, if you have work-study as part of your aid package, so long as you actively look for a few jobs, you’re almost guaranteed to get one.</p>
<p>And I know how you feel: I tried to get a job (before going to college) and it was really hard as no one seemed to be hiring, especially as I wasn’t interested in a long-term job. However, once I got on campus things got a lot easier to find.</p>
<p>UIC has plenty of work study options. You’ll just have to head over to the employment office at SSB to get the full list. I know the library and the bookstore have work-study positions.</p>
<p>Believe me, I’ve been trying over the last 6 months or so but no one will hire someone with no work experience.</p>
<p>You may have to lower your sights to get that “first job.” For my younger son’s first job, he was hired on the spot to work at McDonalds. Those jobs (while they may not be “desirable”), rarely expect you to have experience. My son got his “experience,” and now works elsewhere. </p>
<p>You should try to get a job in your area now, so that you can work over the summer to earn some school money and some pocket money. There’s no guarantee that you’ll actually get a W/S job, even if it’s in your FA package.</p>
<p>But…as to your question…W/S jobs don’t usually demand experience. And, don’t wait to get a W/S job. Inquire about them shortly after receiving your FA package. The best ones go first.</p>