Gaining Experience
When it comes to career and personal development, experience is the key. Through experience and engaging with others, you learn about yourself and the world around you, gain skills and confidence, and demonstrate your passion to employers and graduate schools.
To explore jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities in the area, in other states, or internationally, visit Wolflink through your Portal!
Gaining Experience On Campus
- On-campus employment (part-time)
- On-campus internships (WOU CIP)
- Undergraduate Research (PURE)
- Volunteer
- Join one of the MANY clubs/organizations
Gaining Experience Off Campus
- Part-time jobs
- Internships
- Volunteer
- Study Away
On-Campus Employment
On-campus employment offers great flexibility and convenience for WOU students. On average, 1,385 students are employed at WOU during the school year, so your chances of finding a position are great. Virtually every department on campus employs students in some capacity. Students can typically find on-campus positions in the following ways:
- WolfLink/Handshake is updated regularly with student jobs on-campus. Each department posts and hires for their own positions so make sure you check postings weekly.
- Human Resources also maintains the WOU Jobs/Careers page. This page is used for faculty and staff positions but also includes part-time staff positions which students can sometimes qualify for.
- It is common for students to connect directly with supervisors and hiring managers who hire student workers in a given department. If there is a specific person or department on campus whose work interests you, we encourage you to reach out to those individuals to inquire about current or upcoming hiring needs.
- We regularly post and promote both on-campus and off-campus opportunities – follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop!
Part-Time Jobs (off-campus)
Students who work up to 15 hours/week do better in college, gain skills and real world experience, and help finance their education. Regardless of industry, students who work part-time jobs during college are more attractive to employers compared to their classmates who do not work. There are many opportunities in the local Monmouth/Independence/Salem/Corvallis area.
Internships
Wondering how you’re going to gain the experience you need to land that full-time job/career after your graduate? Or maybe you’re curious about a specific profession/industry and want to learn more about what it’s really like? Internships are one great way for students to gain experience, test drive a potential career path, make connections and connect what they are learning in the classroom to what they could potentially do as a career.
Learn more about internships.
The Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences (PURE)
The mission of the Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences (PURE) is to promote undergraduate research, in its broadest sense, at Western Oregon University. PURE strives to build and sustain a culture of support for student scholarly endeavors through the development of a campus-wide infrastructure that enhances dissemination, fosters communication, and provides funding for this initiative. PURE’s efforts foster additional opportunities for meaningful and sustainable faculty-student collaboration in research, scholarship, and creative activities at Western Oregon University.
For personal assistance with exploring and choosing majors and careers, schedule an appointment with one of our career counselors. Call 503-838-8432, or schedule online here.
Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.
