Giving you the lowdown on Campus Jobs: What it’s like working at Campus Jobs and some tips for applying!
You always see us smiling and laughing in our TikToks and Boomerangs, but why is it that we love working for Campus Jobs? As we will soon be advertising for two new helpdesk assistants, we thought you might like to know a bit more about what it’s like working in the Campus Jobs Team and some tips on how to apply – but also, some of the good things about working a job on campus in general. I started working on the helpdesk this year, so it has been a bit different to normal, but I’ve still really enjoyed meeting the team and I’ve learnt loads of new things already.
The Perks of the Job:
Flexible work that is close by – As with any job on campus, the location is perfect, and the employers are more considerate of the fact that you are a student – fitting around your timetable and giving you time off if you go home over the holidays.
A team that is friendly and encouraging – I’ve had other jobs where I have been too scared to ask questions, but at Campus Jobs I have felt like I can ask when I’m not sure. It’s been lovely to have social zoom calls to meet everyone – hopefully by next year we can meet at Park bar instead! Any job on campus is a great way to meet people other than the ones on your course.
Improve your Confidence – having to talk to lots of different people every shift has really boosted my confidence. I was nervous at first but have now got used to it!
Improve your knowledge of careers – through writing blog posts and infographics about how to apply for jobs etc. it has made me learn a lot more about what employers are looking for. Campus Jobs work closely with the careers service, so you get to know more about different careers and application advice.
Follow your interests – because I enjoy the more creative side of things, I get to design social media posts and write blogs – which will be great for my CV and portfolio for the future. Other people are more into data, so they do more of the spreadsheet organising etc. It is nice to be part of a team that takes into account what you are interested in and lets you pursue that. The team are keen to help you work towards your future career goals and improve skills that will help you achieve them. Other off campus employers may not have this same understanding that your current part-time job may just be a stepping-stone towards a future career.
What the rest of the Campus Jobs team has to say:
“The best thing about working for campusjobs is the flexibility of the hours as well as the central location on campus which meant that it was the perfect job to do alongside my studies.” – Tom, CJ helpdesk assistant
“It also gives me the chance to keep working on my marketing skills whilst helping students out!” – Melissa, CJ Helpdesk assistant
“I love my job because of the variety, each day is different! I also enjoy mentoring and developing my team of Campus Jobs Help Desk Assistants and watching them graduate and go on to do amazing things” – Rachel, CJ Deputy Manager
“I actually remember visiting the helpdesk in my first year to do my RTW checks and thinking I would love to work at Campus Jobs because the team were always so friendly and helpful” – Ellie, CJ Helpdesk assistant
“I love the flexibility and variety of tasks that we can do!” – Sasha, CJ Helpdesk assistant
“I love having a student help desk team and I enjoy getting to know them all.” – Dayna, CJ Administrator
“Universities are great places to work, ultimately they are trying to make the world a better place and are filled with dedicated and interesting staff and students.” – Jay, CJ Manager
Tips for applying to work as part of our team:
Friendliness goes a long way – The best thing about working at Campus Jobs is the friendly team. It is important that you can be calm and patient with the students who come to our desk with queries, as well as being able to chat with the rest of the team! We are passionate about making Campus Jobs inclusive, so it is important that you are kind and understanding of everyone – for example, LGBT+ people, disabled people, people of colour.
Demonstrate good communication/customer service skills – whether that’s through previous experience working in a shop or through volunteering – at the desk you will have to help lots of different people, so it would be useful if you had some customer service type experience. Can you think of examples of when you’ve had to help someone or deal with a complaint?
Give examples that back-up your skills – It’s important that if you say you have a certain skill, you think of times that you have proven this. Have you got any experience of social media, e.g. advertising events for a society? Have you got any experience of handling data, e.g. as part of a research project? These are both things you might do at Campus Jobs.
What makes you stand out? – Think about what makes you different from other candidates. Have you had any unique experiences? Could you provide a different perspective on things?
Prove that you’re enthusiastic – why do you think is it so important for universities to employ students? Are you passionate about student’s needs? Also, take extra care with your application, if your application looks rushed and there are lots of mistakes it shows a lack of care. Check it through or even book an appointment with the careers service (via MyJobsOnline).
Most importantly, make sure you like cups of tea (or can learn to tolerate them like I have) and be prepared to have your choice of meal deal rated out of 10!!!
Look out for job alerts on our social media pages and on our portal: campusjobs.reading.ac.uk
The advert for our Help Desk Team goes live on 1st February!