<p>I have been applying to work-study jobs like mad, but I am not hearing replies. Is there anything that I should be doing to appeal to employers more? I think it is a setback that I have no work experience, but it that is what is putting employers off, how am i supposed to get a job without having had a job? Also, what is the easiest work study job to get (not necessarily easy work, just easy hire)?</p>
<p>I need some insight too. I’ve never had a job either. Are you just emailing a bunch of the listings or do they need a resume too? I haven’t really checked yet</p>
<p>ya, I’ve been emailing my resume. It is so tough tho, because it is like a vicious cycle: no previous work experience= no job, and no job= cant get the work experience. . .</p>
<p>I’ve been checking the listings too and I haven’t seem that many jobs being posted. From what I understand they should be posting hundrends of jobs so that everyone who has work study can get them. </p>
<p>@materhammy
Yes, you should have a resume and a cover letter for each job. Check your calmail; everyone who has workstudy should have gotten 3 emails regarding jobs and how to get them.</p>
<p>Some of those that are hiring (like my boss) haven’t started emailing those who applied yet. Some people are waiting for school to start to begin scheduling interviews. </p>
<p>As for the work study job climate, many jobs are being cut. Therefore it’s going to be even more competitive this year for jobs. If you don’t have any prior work experience, tough luck. People with work experience are competing against you. If anything, bring in high school experiences like running club events if you’re a freshman. </p>
<p>The easier jobs to get are working at the Dining Commons (serving food, swiping in people,etc) and maybe the library. I have friends with no previous work experience who got hired through these ways.</p>
<p>I’m gonna go ahead and get a resume done. Even though it’s a little tough when you have no prior job experience. And I’ll start applying. Are all jobs pretty lenient on hours?</p>
<p>It depends on the job. But for the most part, with the jobs I’ve had and experiences I’ve heard about from friends, most bosses understand that they are hiring students who need flexible hours.</p>
<p>Thanks for answering some of my questions. I’ve been sending in my resume with a cover letter since back in June. I got one reply! I shoulda took it…</p>
<p>I don’t have any prior work experience either, so…Im in the cycle.</p>
<p>Oh boy, I should start on this…</p>
<p>Don’t give up hope if you haven’t heard back from anyone yet! Many employers won’t begin the hiring process for the fall until the week that classes start, since that’s when they know for certain how many positions they’ll need to fill. Most work study jobs are predominantly student positions, so everyone is scrambling to finalize class schedules and then providing employers with work availability. Only after the employer knows how many hours they need to cover will they start turning to new applications.</p>
<p>Regarding the paradox of not having worked before and thus not being able to compete with other applicants who have prior work experience translating into not being able to receive work experience, please don’t get discouraged. I hire student clerks at one of the residence halls on campus (sorry, we don’t have any spots available for this fall 
) and I’ve hired first-year students who had no paying jobs on their resumes,so rest assured it does happen! Prior work experience, while nice, isn’t the silver bullet when it comes to hiring decisions. Involvement and dedication to activities or clubs can display qualities that mesh well with your prospective job and often work just as well as paid positions. For example, being the editor of your high school yearbook staff is a great way to show that you are a responsible and organized person, and when applying for a clerical position it’s at least as impressive as a job in retail.</p>
<p>In that vein, try to use your application as a way to present yourself. Show, don’t tell. It’s a fundamental theme in writing instruction, and it’s just as important in resume construction. Things like spelling, proper grammar, page layout, and even using too many words all matter. Employers have dozens of applications to sift through; you’d be surprised just what might end up setting yours apart from the rest of the crowd!</p>
<p>Others have already touched on these questions, but yes hours are flexible (some jobs more than others) and I agree with sparetire that the easiest positions to obtain are probably in the DCs (they pay well and you get free food too!) and the many libraries on campus. Housing offices, parking and transportation, and department administrative offices are also good bets for finding student jobs. For those in the job hunt, it wouldn’t hurt to physically visit a few potential employers so you can hand in your application in person. Many people email their resumes to as many job listings as they can find, so employers are probably more likely to receive a response back if they contact the students who submitted applications in person first.</p>
<p>While I agree that many jobs are being cut and the job market is getting more competitive, I would argue that this actually benefits students who are on work study. Many campus jobs cannot be cut due to desks that have to be manned, booths that have to be occupied, etc. Since employers can’t simply eliminate the position, the next best option they have is to hire a student who has work study instead of a non-work study student (since they only have to pay half of the work study student’s wages).</p>
<p>Sorry if I sound like I’m rambling. Since I’m in the slightly unusual position of a student in an employer’s role, I feel like I can offer insight into what they’re/we’re looking for in applicants while still vividly remembering how nervous I was when I arrived for an interview during my first semester at Cal. :)</p>
<p>Matt</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info, Matt!</p>
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<p>So I have my resume and everything done, the only reason I’m waiting to send it in to jobs is because I don’t know my Berkeley address and phone number. Should I just use my home address? Does my residence hall address not matter much?</p>
<p>No problem. :)</p>
<p>Go ahead and just send out your resume with your email address, cell number, and home address (the first two are the most important). You only need to provide your address in the event that someone needs to send physical documents to you, since now virtually all communication is done via email and phone. If your employer needs you to fill out some forms after you’re hired, they can either have you pick them up in person or mail it to your dorm address (you can update your address after you move in).</p>
<p>Matt</p>
<p>The best thing to do, is to keep emailing your resume and coversheet. However, many other people are doing this as well. The best strategy to make you application standout is by making your coversheet specific to the job your applying for. This means that even though you may be looking for a customer service job, don’t simply make a coversheet that is very general for customer service jobs. You have to get specific about the job, its responsibilities, and research some things about the company or organization itself. This will take time, but taking the time to do this besides hitting a few buttons and sending an email makes you stand out. I found a job in already, but my vast work experience helped.</p>