Syracuse University launched an online resource in January to provide employment opportunities to students.

’Cuse Works is a rebranding of the Student Employment Office, said Camille Donabella, director of student employment operations and strategy within the Student Employment Office. The resource aims to connect students to federal work-study and non-federal, work-study jobs both on and off campus.

“It’s an opportunity for us to build our job opportunities on campus and give students a meaningful experience in just about any job they can select,” Donabella said. “So, it’s not just a paycheck. It’s more than that.”

The online resource will also add job and opportunity listings on Handshake, SU’s career database, that fit with ’Cuse Work’s six university shared competencies and 10 professional skills.

The shared competencies are learning goals or traits that “transcend the academic requirements” of typical classes, according to the ’Cuse Works website. The University Senate approved these shared competencies, which include creative and critical thinking and civic and global responsibility, in 2018.

Professional skills should enhance students’ roles in the workplace, according to the website. ’Cuse Works aims to help students develop conflict management, leadership and problem-solving skills.

Previously offered jobs in departments such as Food Services, SU Libraries and the SU Bookstore are now listed on Handshake as ’Cuse Works jobs. Students may also find on-campus positions relevant to fields such as marketing, research and graphic design, Donabella said.

After students are hired, they’ll meet with their supervisors to outline lists of personal goals for their new positions, she said. Students receive feedback from their supervisors and performance reports at the end of the academic year.

“What I really like about the ’Cuse Works program is the focus on professional development,” said Kristen Aust, director of career advising in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Working in positions on or off campus helps students develop critical thinking, communication and intercultural fluency skills that employers value when hiring college graduates, Aust said.

Looking ahead, Donabella said she plans to expand ’Cuse Works to include more off-campus jobs. The Student Employment Office currently has partnerships with external agencies such as SUNY Upstate Medical University and Mayor Ben Walsh’s office, she said.

’Cuse Works will also host training sessions and programs such as the Financial Literacy Dinner series, Donabella said. The sessions will teach students financial skills such as banking, budgeting, paying taxes and direct depositing.

The program may also include career readiness certificates for courses that students can include on a resume, Donabella said

“Our real goal is to be the best student employment office that we could possibly be, and hopefully we will be looked at by other institutions as a model about how student employment should work,” Donabella said.

Published on February 9, 2020 at 8:03 pm

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