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Vanderbilt is a unique combination of a connected campus community that is still in the heart of Nashville with access to all of its resources and opportunities. This intersection affects many aspects of student life, including student employment. Vanderbilt creates many opportunities for campus employment while also providing easy access to job openings in the greater Nashville area through Vanderbilt’s student employment portal “Hire a Dore.” With the multitude of possibilities to consider, breaking down the pros and cons of on- and off-campus employment can help prospective student workers navigate the process.
Off-Campus Jobs:
When considering off-campus jobs, the first thing to note is that Vanderbilt Student Employment acts only as a referral service for off-campus jobs, and students are pushed to take responsibility for their employment themselves. This points to one factor in the decision: the degree of responsibility students are looking to take on. Off-campus jobs require more independent communication, time management, and organizational skills. Students will need to coordinate their work schedule themselves, working around their campus life and commitments with an external employer. However, this experience may be useful practice for later employment opportunities. Additionally, most off-campus jobs seem to provide higher wages ($12.5 to $15 per hour and some slightly higher) than on-campus jobs. Off-campus jobs also do not hold students to the limitation of 19 hours per work week. While 19 hours of work on top of school seems like a very large amount to begin with, removing the limit gives students complete flexibility to work as much as they would like. Finally, off-campus jobs provide a lot more variety in terms of type of work, location of employment, and coworkers.
Working off campus also comes with challenges to navigate. While the extra independence and responsibility is a valuable skill, it might also be more overwhelming and add extra stress to students’ lives. Off-campus employers, even while knowing someone is a student, are far less likely to understand all of their commitments on campus. Additionally, when other applicants have more flexibility, requiring hours to flex around class and club schedule can make a student’s application less enticing. Students working off campus may also need to figure out transportation which adds costs that detract from what they are making.
On-Campus Jobs:
There are many pros to on-campus job opportunities. One benefit is that transportation is not a factor, and students can walk to their jobs just as they would walk to their classes. Another benefit is that on-campus employers are much more aware of the fact that students have packed schedules, busy lives, and can easily work with students to coordinate hours. Working on campus can also provide valuable connections with Vanderbilt community members, which enhances students’ campus network.
There are still some drawbacks to institutional employment. Because the environment is narrower, campus jobs are not as variable as off-campus employment opportunities. Additionally students are limited to a maximum amount of working hours, and in some cases, lower wages than other possibilities in Nashville.
Ultimately, whether students want to work on or off campus depends on personal preference. Vanderbilt students have the luxury of choosing from a plethora of job opportunities both on and off campus that provide unique, valuable experiences.
