My experience as a UAF student worker

December 3, 2019

Tori Tragis

— by Rosalee Bertram, engineering major

Looking for a student job? Becoming a UAF student worker is a great way to prepare yourself for joining the workforce after graduation. Working at UAF provides you with structured job experience that can help you become confident in customer-service interactions, learn workplace etiquette and undergo professional development to acquire resume-worthy skills. The on-campus location is convenient for rushing to work before and after classes, and it also gives you a unique opportunity to interact with fellow Nanooks and build relationships with a diverse range of students.

Additionally, taking on a job as a student worker will provide you with a place in the close-knit community of other student workers and staff members at UAF. Student workers are valued for the support that they provide to UAF departments and programs. Supervisors make sure that student workers feel welcomed in their workplace, and are willing to collaborate with students to set up flexible work schedules around their class schedules. They are also open to taking on mentor relationships, and seek to help you learn the skills that will help you succeed in the workforce. Supervisors and other UAF staff employees also serve as excellent references for future career opportunities.

Last spring, I was looking for a job that was located close to campus, and I applied to multiple places. UAF was the first organization to contact me about job interviews. I was very impressed by how professional the interviews were, and was encouraged by how eager each department was about hiring student workers.

I accepted a student processing assistant position at the UAF Office of Admissions, and it has been an all-around positive experience for me. Working at the office has given me an opportunity to develop professionally and learn crucial office skills such as communicating with supervisors, planning meeting agendas and balancing processing tasks with on-the-fly customer service. The office community is very welcoming and supportive, and the staff always treats their student workers as equal coworkers. The student workers are incorporated into the office’s everyday functions as valuable team members, and we are invited to take part in regular meetings and professional development opportunities.

My job has also given me a unique opportunity to make friends with fellow student workers and other Nanooks I have met through working at the Office of Admissions. I have enjoyed working as a student worker so much that I encourage other students to apply to positions at UAF. There are many diverse employment opportunities open to UAF students right now! You can go online to explore available student positions today.

Rosalee Bertram is studying electrical engineering. She graduated from West Valley High School in Fairbanks.