Having a job during the academic year or during summer and winter breaks is an excellent way to earn extra money, build a professional network, and gain valuable work experience to help you achieve your career goals. Whether you are eligible and looking for a Federal Work-Study position, regular student employment, a graduate assistantship, or another type of employment, numerous opportunities are available both on and off campus. Take the time to explore your options and determine what is best for you.
Both work-study and regular student-employee positions are posted below and on Handshake throughout the year. All students are added to Handshake automatically upon registering for classes, but it’s up to the students to complete their profiles and upload their required application documents (e.g., resume and work availability). Students can log into Handshake using their WVU login credentials.
Students are eligible for work-study positions if they see a federal work-study award on their financial aid award letter. If in-person students did not apply for financial aid or they do not have a work-study award on their award letter, they are eligible to apply to non-work-study positions on campus. For questions about eligibility, please submit a ticket with the WVU Hub at https://hub.wvu.edu/contact#ticket.
Student employment jobs are posted on Handshake. Handshake is WVU’s career management platform for students and alumni where available on and off campus positions are posted. Not every on-campus role is advertised via Handshake, you should also explore the websites of on-campus employers that generally hire large numbers of students every year.
Every student automatically has a Handshake account using WVU login credentials. Handshake allows WVU to be compliant with federal hiring guidelines and ensures Federal Work-Study dollars are used prior to institutional funds when funding positions
When searching for positions, filter for “Work Study” to find all on- and off-campus work-study positions, filter by “On-Campus” for Graduate Assistantships, work-study and non-work study on-campus positions, and filter by “Work Study” and “On-Campus” to find work-study-eligible positions on campus. Most positions will have you submit application materials through Handshake, and some will have you email or complete a separate application.
Need help navigating Handshake? Career Services is your go-to resource. Call us at 304-293-2221 or email us at studentemployment@mail.wvu.edu.
After you’ve applied, supervisors interested in interviewing you will be in touch to schedule a meeting time. It is generally advisable for students to dress up to some extent, but you likely won’t need to wear a suit. Most students wear slacks, dark jeans, or a skirt with a button-down shirt, blouse, or sweater to an on-campus job interview. After your interview, your interviewer will let you know whether or not they will offer you a position. Keep applying and interviewing until you find a position.
Once you have secured a position, your hiring department will submit a new hire form, and you will be prompted to complete Payroll Processing , where you will submit your direct deposit information and Identification to present for Form I-9 at one of Shared Services Storefront locations or via email.
Student workers, graduate assistants, work-study students, adjuncts, and all other employees should have received an email from Shared Services titled “Employee Requisition”. You must have received this email prior to completing payroll processing. Please contact your hiring supervisor to obtain this form if needed.
Once you receive an email with your start date and have agreed on a work schedule with your supervisor, you can begin working.
Student employees will need access Applaud through the WVU Portal’s Web Clock to clock in and out. Here’s an article on How to Record Time. Paychecks will be direct deposited into bank accounts every two weeks. If you have questions about your pay, you should speak with your supervisor.
Always talk to your supervisor in advance if you have any scheduling issues or other conflicts at work.
WVU Departmental Work-Study Supervisors are directly responsible for tracking their work-study students’ time worked and remaining work-study allocation.
Every other week, timecards are due on Applaud, and Departmental Supervisors are responsible for ensuring their student employees’ hours are reported properly prior to the due date. Hours are automatically approved on Applaud unless there are timecard errors, such as a missed punch out.
For a payroll schedule, see Pay Schedules.
International students studying in the US on an F-1 or J-1 student visa are eligible for on-campus employment. For more information, please contact the International Students & Scholars Services.
Please note that U.S. Immigration Regulations (8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(9)(i) state that on-campus employment must not exceed 20 hours a week while school is in session. It is a serious violation of F-1 or J-1 status to work more than the approved hours. More information can be found here – https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/working-in-the-united-states.
Graduate Assistantships are part-time employment opportunities for enrolled graduate students at the University. Available in many offices across campus, they offer an opportunity to work closely with faculty and undergraduate students in teaching, research, administration and more.
The specific duties of Graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) vary across disciplines and departments. Within a department, the particular assignment depends on the department’s needs and the TA’s experience and academic qualifications. All graduate TAs serving in any capacity are under the direction and close supervision of a faculty member.
The specific duties of Graduate Research Assistants (RAs) vary according to the nature of the research project in which they participate and the source of the funding. RAs may occasionally be asked to conduct some work at home, or to do their research at times when classes are not officially in session. The duties of RAs are also performed under the close direction and supervision of a member of the faculty.
Several academic and non-academic units employ Graduate Service Assistants (GSA’s), generally to perform administrative support functions in an office setting. Such positions are expected to have a research or professional development component. Some administrative appointments are for less than one academic year.
Benefits of a graduate assistantship include, but are not limited to:
Graduate Assistantships can be found on Handshake; however, not all Graduate Assistantships are required to be posted to the system so it’s important contact departments directly to see if they are hiring.
For more information about Graduate Assistantships, please visit https://graduateeducation.wvu.edu/.
All student positions, including Federal Work-Study eligible jobs, are posted in Handshake.
For Regular Student Employment questions, please contact us at studentemployment@mail.wvu.edu or call us at 304-293-2221.
For Federal Work Study questions, go to https://financialaid.wvu.edu/fws or submit a ticket with the WVU Hub at https://hub.wvu.edu/contact#ticket.
Enhance your job search with our industry-specific resume templates! By downloading the Word document version, you’ll have the flexibility to edit and customize it to perfectly match your unique qualifications and career goals.
