Read this article to get more information on student job opportunities, what types of jobs are good for students, and some basics on where to start looking for a job if you are a student.

Whether for high schoolers or for those studying at a college or university, student jobs can have a variety of benefits. Read on for more about the advantages of student jobs and how to find them.

Intro to Student Jobs

Whether as a necessity or a bit of an extra lift, student jobs have helped students economically for many years. But student jobs can provide other benefits as well:

• Student jobs can introduce students to life as a member of the workforce. Students with jobs can learn about office hierarchy, employee relations, the mechanics of running an office from the coffee machine to weekly paychecks to fiscal planning, as well as the actual work that they're involved in.

• Student jobs can put students in a position in which they can begin to do their own financial planning. A job may help a student save for college or a vehicle, and in either case, provide an opportunity to consider such topics as investment, savings, credit, paying over time, loans, etc.��"not as abstract concepts, but as matters of real import.

• Student jobs can help students learn to plan and prioritize, as they juggle school work and the work of their employment.

• Students jobs can help further a student's interests and hobbies. The teen who rides horses and works part-time at the stable learns more about horses and the work of the establishment as s/he earns money.

• Student jobs can help young people afford items that may not be in the family budget. It can also give them some autonomy as they approach adulthood.

• Student jobs may help with college admissions. In fact, some teens use an employer for one of their college recommendations.

• Student jobs at a college or university are sometimes part of the Federal Work Study program. In these cases, in response to the student's financial need, the Federal government subsidizes the student's income, so that the employer has less to pay - benefiting the employer - while making sure that the student can cover expenses with fewer loans: a win-win situation.

Finding a Job

Most, if not all, colleges and universities depend on students as part of their workforce, so the Student Job Center is a good place to go. Even some high schools, like Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, have a student job center. Newspapers, including neighborhood publications, job notice boards, word of mouth, and online job notice boards such as Craig's List can be helpful.

A word of warning - particularly with online job notices, check out the official company website of the business to a) make sure it is a legitimate business and b) get a feel for what it is. If there is no website, that's a danger sign, too.

If the business is not one that you know or recognize, always check on the business, for example with the Better Business Bureau or your State's Attorney's office to verify. And never answer a job offer from a business that uses hotmail or yahoo mail accounts - a legitimate business will have a “real” email address.

It is also worth looking in the windows of retail establishments. And if there's some place that you'd really like to work, simply asking can sometimes lead to an employment opportunity.

If you're away at school, and hoping to have a job at home during the winter or summer break, make sure you plan well in advance. In this case, phone, email, snailmail or instant message contact may be useful in securing the position.

Typical Student Jobs

Typical entry level jobs include:

• Baby sitting: neighbors, teachers, professors, grad students - anyone who has children is someone worth approaching. You may get a better response if you take a baby-sitting course (often offered by local park and recreation departments) and/or an emergency medical course that trains you in CPR. This is the first job for many people.

• Neighborhood chores: from lawn care to snow shoveling to housework to dog-walking, your neighbors may be happy to pay you for helping them out with these tasks.

• Restaurant work: waiters, waitresses, and dishwashers - these jobs can usually accommodate part-time involvement, and can even involve earning tips.

• Sales clerk: from grocery stores to bridal shops, somebody's got to take people's money when they make a purchase. Stocking shelves and assisting shoppers are other possibilities. These jobs can also often accommodate a part-time schedule.

Sources

Moon Valley High School: Student Job Center: - moonvalleyguhsdaz.sharpschool.com