"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." — Theodore Roosevelt
At George Williams, we want you to graduate with a resume not just a diploma. This means endowing students with professional experience, references, and workplace savvy.
Our Work Experience Program accomplishes this mission and keeps college affordable, reducing students’ annual tuition by $2,800 in exchange for 160 hours of work per semester (10 hours per week).
Who can participate?
The Work Experience Program is open to all first-year resident and
commuter students and is renewable annually. Students who participate in
the program all four years may receive $11,200 off their total tuition.
What’s for hire?
A variety of professional, on-campus positions are available from
assisting the admissions office as a student recruiter to serving as a
campus event planner to landscaping as part of the facilities and
grounds crews.
How are positions assigned?
Students fill out a job application prior to their arrival on campus.
The director of student life and the executive director of conferencing
and campus operations review applications and suggest placement
according to college needs and students’ class schedules and job
qualifications. Effort is made to meet students’ preferences whenever
possible.
How are students paid?
Payment is received in the form of reduced tuition—individual paychecks
are not awarded to students for their 160 hours of work per semester.
Supervisors may request extra paid hours for specific student employees.
If approved, these students will receive the current federal or state
minimum wage rate (whichever is greater).
Participants may also be approved by the program directors to work extra hours over breaks and "bank" them to carry over into the next semester and apply toward their 160 hours.
How is performance evaluated?
Participants are evaluated each semester by their faculty or staff
supervisors. Evaluations are based on reliability, quality and quantity
of work, initiative, and attitude. High-performing students may be
selected for Employee of the Month and awarded a Certificate of
Appreciation and recognition at the annual Employee Appreciation
Banquet.
Are there additional responsibilities?
In addition to working 160 hours per semester, Work Experience students
attend a series of career-related workshops, including professionalism
in the workplace, responsible use of social and other types of media,
and how to navigate negotiations, health care and benefits, and
networking. They also receive personal instruction on how to craft a
compelling resume and cover letter among other skills.
What are the benefits?
Through the Work Experience Program, students will:
- Recognize and gain confidence in their skills and passions
- Build a professional support system on campus and beyond
- Contribute to their education and to the essential workings of the college
- Build self-efficacy and accountability
- Navigate workplace challenges with maturity
- Learn how to effectively communicate their professional experience to potential employers
- Gain references and key skills for their resumes
- Craft compelling resumes and cover letters that help them stand out from the competition
- Learn how to brand themselves on social and other types of media
- Understand the benefits of working for an employer and how to fully utilize them
- Feel prepared to enter and find success within their chosen career fields
