
How to Find a Job &
Work On-Campus
Campus jobs form an integral part of students’ career development and prepares them for the competitive job markets of today. Get started with your campus job journey with this step-by-step guide to navigating on-campus employment.
Questions? Email campusemployment@wesleyan.edu, drop by the Gordon Career Center, or schedule an On-Campus Employment advising appointment for individualized support.
Before Your First Day of Work
To set up payroll for on-campus jobs, you are required to present your original, hard copies of your identification documents in person to Human Resources after completing your Form I-9 on Workday. See this list for acceptable identification documents (page 2) for reference on what documents to securely bring with you to campus.
Bring original hard copies of your ID(s) to campus!

Get Started on Handshake
On-campus and off-campus employment opportunities are posted on Handshake, Wesleyan’s career management platform and job board for undergraduates, graduates, and alumni.
Before applying to positions, build your Handshake Profile to indicate your career interest areas, showcase your skills and accomplishments, and stand out to potential employers. Completing your Handshake Profile improves the relevance of the jobs and other content you see on Handshake.
Search for Campus Jobs
Campus jobs are posted to Handshake based on the hiring manager’s openings, so the hiring timeline, the roles themselves, and how many students need to be hired will vary. To browse campus jobs that are currently hiring:
Visit the Jobs tab on Handshake > Under the Wesleyan Collections dropdown, select On-Campus Jobs.
Save positions you’re interested in and set up saved searches to be notified of new opportunities that match your search criteria.
- Check your Wesleyan email for the Gordon Career Center’s weekly newsletter for highlighted opportunities.
- Attend the Campus Job Fair and other career events listed under the Events tab on Handshake.
- Curious about what types of campus jobs exist? View the 15 Most Common Campus Jobs article on the Student Employees webpage.
- Schedule an On-Campus Employment advising appointment to learn more about opportunities that fit your interests and needs.

Apply to Campus Jobs
Even if you’re not sure you meet every qualification in the job description – apply anyway! Most campus jobs are entry-level and provide training.
- Apply to a variety of positions – not just desk jobs. These tend to be the most competitive positions.
- Aim to apply to 8-10 positions during the busiest hiring times. Most campus jobs are posted on Handshake for an average of two weeks. Some positions stay posted on Handshake for multiple months and conduct rolling hires, accepting and reviewing applications continuously.
- Receive individualized feedback about your applications through Document Review advising appointments.
- Schedule an On-Campus Employment advising appointment for support with your campus job search.
How-to Articles:
If a job requires work-study eligibility, this will be stated in the job description. Most campus jobs do not require work-study, but all campus jobs accept work-study. Learn more about work-study.

Resume Approval
Resume approval is required for jobs that request a resume submission. About half of all campus job applications require a resume. Before uploading your document on Handshake:
- Review our Resume Guide & Samples
- Schedule a resume review appointment for personalized feedback
Resumes uploaded to Handshake are reviewed within 3 business days, based on the criteria outlined in the GCC’s resume approval checklist. Most documents require some revisions before being approved, so plan ahead and allow at least a week for the review and approval process.
Once your resume is approved, all future uploaded resumes will be automatically approved and you will not have to wait through the review process. Be sure to check your document status before the application deadline.
Handshake will withdraw your application if your resume isn’t approved before the deadline!
Network & Interview with Hiring Managers
In addition to applying for a campus job on Handshake, it can be helpful to express your interest in the role directly to the hiring manager via email.
Check Handshake messages and your Wesleyan email regularly for updates from employers. Haven’t heard back in 2 weeks? Reach out to the employer listed on the job posting.
Most campus jobs require an interview before they move forward with hiring decisions. Review our interview resources to learn how to prepare. Practice and hone your interview skills online with Big Interview, free for Wesleyan students. Schedule an Interview Prep or Mock Interview appointment for support from our career advisors.

You’re Hired! Next Steps: Onboarding
Hiring decisions will be shared in writing via Handshake messages or your Wesleyan email. Be sure to communicate with hiring managers promptly to accept or decline their job offer.
Once you accept an offer, the manager will formally hire you on Workday, Wesleyan’s system for finances, human resources, and payroll processes. Then, you will receive an email notification from Campus Employment (campusemployment@wesleyan.edu) prompting you to complete the onboarding process and sharing the below instructions.
Before you start working, within 3 business days of your start date:
- Log in to Workday with your wesleyan.edu email address and select “My Tasks” to get started.
- Complete the onboarding forms, including your W-4 and I-9 forms. For questions about onboarding forms, email the Payroll Office at payrollhelp@wesleyan.edu or schedule an online meeting with Payroll staff.
- Schedule a time to present the original, hard copies of your identification documents in person to Human Resources via this Bookings page. See this list for acceptable identification documents (page 2).
You may not begin working until you complete the onboarding process. This is required by federal law. Failure to complete your onboarding forms and verify your IDs with Human Resources in person within 3 business days of your start date will result in automatic termination from the position. To regain employment, the hiring manager must opt to re-hire you in the Workday system and restart the onboarding process.

NOTE: Due to stricter I-9 compliance requirements and Wesleyan University’s transition to Workday, student employees who completed the onboarding process prior to the launch of Workday in Fall 2024 may have to complete new employment authorization forms. Students will receive an email notification from Campus Employment (campusemployment@wesleyan.edu) prompting them to complete their onboarding.
Work & Earn
Record all hours you work in WesPortal > Workforce Time (WFT). Submit your timesheets by the end of each week, Sunday at 11:59 pm. All hourly campus jobs pay students via direct deposit weekly on Fridays, for work conducted on the Monday – Sunday of the week prior.
For assistance with Workforce Time and timesheets, email the Payroll Office at payrollhelp@wesleyan.edu.
Use these resources as you navigate on-campus employment:
- View your job description: Handshake > click your profile icon > My Jobs.
- Check out the Campus Employment Handbook to learn more about essential laws and best practices for on-campus employment, including legal protections for student employees and the responsibilities of both student employees and campus employers/supervisors.
- Use the Campus Job Worklog to keep track of your campus job responsibilities, projects, events, tasks, and achievements. Your experience with campus jobs will launch you into a lifetime of meaningful work!
- Additional resources are continuously added to the Student Employees webpage.

No matter where you are in your campus employment journey, email campusemployment@wesleyan.edu
or schedule an On-Campus Employment advising appointment for support.
Last Updated June 18, 2025