Student Employment: What It’s Like to Work on Campus

Author Ava Zajczenko ’27 is a Nonprofit Management major with a focus on food insecurity and works as a student assistant at JWU, contributing to JWU News.

Whether you’re in the Harborside library, Starbucks, Wildcat Fitness Center or residence halls, these places all have one thing in common: student workers. Whether it’s behind the scenes or at a reception desk, you’ll find students across campus leading tours, providing customer service or interviewing others for their jobs at Johnson & Wales University.

With plenty of jobs to apply for, resources to simplify the process and support from student employment, applying for on-campus jobs becomes a manageable task.    

Writer's Point of View

I am currently a junior with an associate degree in Baking & Pastry and am completing my bachelor’s degree in Nonprofit Management. I work as a marketing assistant on the Providence Campus for the University Marketing & Communications team.

I found my job through my connections on campus. As an avid writer for the school newspaper, I was contacted by a member of the content team, who thought I’d be a good fit for a newswriter position. Next, I applied on Handshake and had an interview with some of the marketing staff. About a week after that, I was offered the job, and could start right away.

My day-to-day consists of emailing JWU community members to schedule interviews, interviewing people, and writing and editing drafts to be posted on our website. I connect with a lot of people on both campuses and do a lot of writing and editing.

Since a big part of nonprofit work is about advocacy and reaching out to your community, being able to meet new people within my community across JWU has been very rewarding. Not only have I been able to see what so many people do on this campus, but I’ve also been able to learn more about my community and the people within it.

My JWU job has given me the opportunity to become a more experienced writer and interviewer. Although I’ve written a lot in my free time and for JWU’s Campus Herald, this is my first time writing with a marketing focus. It has been an amazing opportunity to experience more of that and to get better at that aspect. I also feel more connected to JWU, as I get to write a lot of interesting stories about the university.

One of my favorite things about my job is my team. Everyone on the marketing team is passionate about what they do and eager to help you, even if ;it’s a very small task. They make everything enjoyable and create a great learning environment.

Hearing people share how JWU has been a second home to them and a place that they love has made me grow even fonder of the place I love, too!

Providing Connection at the Library

Isabella Suchite ’26 is majoring in Criminal Justice and minoring in Psychology at the Providence Campus. She says that her job is a “community service work-study position with JWU; I’m an assistant with the youth library services at Knight Memorial. It’s a part of the community libraries here in Providence.”

When asked about the process — whether learning of the job through a professor, Handshake or job fair — Suchite said it was a simple matter of applying on Handshake, sharing “I spoke with the youth library coordinator, and we talked about a few different locations and what the job entailed. I thought it was a good fit for me and chose the library closest to me.”

Day-to-day at Suchite’s job involves setting up programs, helping students with homework and connecting with the community. “I come in and I speak with my supervisor and the librarian, and see what’s going to happen that day, such as daily programs,” she says. “I’ll either help set up the program, which include arts and crafts, or I’ll see who needs homework help, aiding students from kindergarten to high school.”

By working at the library, Suchite has gained many skills that connect with the degree she is studying in college. “I found it helpful to learn how to connect with different ages and adults in different situations. It strengthens the rapport I have with other people. It’s allowed me to make different professional connections and be knowledgeable about events in my community,” said Suchite. “I feel also with my psychology minor, just being able to connect with people of all different ages has helped me with my communication skills and developing those connections.”

Working at the library has given Suchite many opportunities, all which strengthen her sense of belonging and connection. “The library has provided me with a sense of belonging. I’m actively helping students, and it can have an impact on their overall social and emotional state. I really like that aspect.”

Out of all the aspects of her job, Suchite’s favorite thing is “getting to create a relationship and friendship with the students.” She notes: “A lot of people, especially in that age range, just need someone to talk to, and, in a sense, need someone they can relate to. It just builds that connection for me when I do speak with different students.”

Building Relationships on Campus

Makenna Seymour ’28 is earning a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Nutrition at JWU Charlotte. She works on the Collegiate Ambassador Team (or CAT) as a JWU tour guide.

Seymour initially heard about her job JWU’s Student Involvement Fest, hosted at the start of each semester, helps connect students to clubs, organizations and other opportunities on campus, explaining, “I officially applied at the Admissions table.”

Seymour shares what happened after the interview: “I met the team, and once I got the job, we had several days of training where we went through leading an actual tour. We went through all the information for each college and would then lead our bosses on a tour to make sure we were ready.”

Once she completed training, Seymour started giving tours to interested students and their families, including being the “designated person in the admissions office to talk about the honor’s program since I am one of the few people in that program.” Her other responsibilities include organizing paperwork and the backroom of the office and putting away props from events.

“For the upcoming tours, I also call families to provide a reminder for the tour and confirm they are still attending,” she adds.

Majoring in Culinary Nutrition and being an admissions tour guide are different experiences, but Seymour shares that the communication aspect of her job complements her major. “There’s a lot of communication happening within the labs while also understanding how to talk to people, and my job has taught me how to do that.”

Seymour has also gained confidence in herself through this position. “Learning how to think quickly on my feet and be more confident when I speak has helped me with this job, including in the kitchen,”she says. Seymour also found an unexpected opportunity in her JWU job: “Never in a million years did I think I’d be a part of the social media. Participating in TikToks and takeovers puts me out there a lot. It’s weird because I never thought I would do that, but it’s so much fun.”

With Seymour starring in the CAT team’s social media, students now recognize her and ask her questions, with some just saying hello due to her involvement on campus. “It kind of opens more doors. Students feel more comfortable asking me questions and communicating with me.”

Seymour also enjoys interacting with a wide variety of students on the tours she leads. “I know it’s cliché, but there are so many amazing students that come visit JWU, and even if they don’t attend JWU, it’s awesome to know that I was able to impact them in some kind of way.”

With tours, meeting new students and social media opportunities, there are a lot of fun and impactful aspects to Seymour’s job, but her favorite thing about her job is her coworkers: “It’s fun working with them, and some of them have become my closest friends.”

Seymour’s job is a full circle moment. “I started my journey at JWU with a tour, and now I’m continuing my JWU journey by giving them,” she says. “I remember being at Accepted Students Day and meeting all these people — and now I get to be one of the workers that are helping people find those connections.”

She now helps students find their dream school and enjoys being part of that process. She connects not only with incoming students, but also with students who are already on campus. 

“A lot of students ask me for help, and I like helping people in general. Getting to do that for both future and current JWU students is so much fun for me,” she says.

Helping Students Find Jobs on Campus

Diane Bonin, director of student employment on the Providence Campus, helps students find jobs on campus. “For me, I’ve been doing this job for 30 years; this is something I’ve helped students with for a long time,” she says. “I would say the opportunities, past and present, we have given the students at the university make me proud.”

“All of the positions we offer have an opportunity,” she elaborates. “It may not be right on the surface, but some of the underlying opportunities on campus, such as developing your soft and professional skills, are the types of opportunities that students should absolutely take advantage of on campus.”

The main part of Bonin’s job is working with students to seek, apply and get a job on campus, which she finds very rewarding. “Watching them grow professionally, gain confidence and secure those job opportunities you can see they’re so proud to get really makes me feel good and validates the work I do daily,” she says.

Bonin shares advice for students who want to find a job on campus.

“First, be patient with your job search — I often see students getting frustrated when they don’t get the job they first applied for, but it’s about being ready and prepared for those job opportunities. Use the university’s tools that we have, such as Handshake, to help you reach out to employers.”

Second, people on campus want to help students grow professionally. “Once you do find a position, take advantage of the coaching that staff and managers can give you. We’re here as coaches, and we’re here to help you grow,” she states.   

Bonin also reflects how impactful it is to witness and help students flourish. “When I see a student come in as a first-year, not really knowing where they fall in the scheme of things, and then they get their first job and I watch them grow, you just see the growth. It’s just a wonderful thing to witness and be a part of,” she says.

On both JWU campuses, staff and faculty are committed to helping connect students to part-time jobs, both on and off campus. Resources such as Handshake, résumé workshops, and mock interview sessions help students find and prepare for different opportunities. Whether it's a more visible position, such as being a tour guide, or something behind-the-scenes, such as helping students with homework, there’s a job for you at JWU.

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