Gain Experience and Insight: Part Time Assistantships in Graduate School
When you're in graduate school, you may discover that it's hard to find a job that relates to your field of study. In some circumstances, you can't get a job directly related until you have your degree because you must have the proper certification. In order to not waste your time, you should look for a part-time job within your masters program.
Every university and almost every department will offer several graduate assistantships. In exchange for working for the department, you may receive tuition deductions, minimum wage pay, and other miscellaneous benefits. The greatest benefit to working within your program, though, is that you'll constantly be learning about your program even when you're not in class. Knowing how teachers test, what they think about certain issues, and the pitfalls of previous students can be a great advantage as you attempt to maneuver your way through graduate school. If you want to get a grad assistantship while in a Master's program, you may need to carefully choose which department you are officially connected with. Many times these jobs go directly to Ph.D students if it's a situation where they could not have a better job outside the school. So, try to focus on programs that are run independently of the Ph.D. program or whose professors do not completely overlap. Before starting a job within your Masters program, be sure that the position will really help you. Are there other types of jobs that may be related to your field of study that would pay more? What are the stipulations of the assistantship? Can you lose the assistantship because of your grades or because another student is considered more needy? Have all the facts before you say "Yes" to any job. Make sure you get your role and benefits in writing so that you will have a record of the agreement. If possible, talk to the previous job holder to get their opinion of the job - sometimes the person you'll be working for or the types of work given to you will make the job more of a hassle than a help. Keys to Finding an Assistantship: Choose Program Carefully Get All the Facts Talk to Previous Worker Make Sure Everything is in Writing |
