Last year I had a lot of trouble finding a job on-campus since I had Non-work study status. I looked early at the start of the year, I even applied to a couple of places, but I guess I just wasn't lucky enough. Some of my friends who applied for jobs after me were able to find one, but not me. Still I managed to find a job as a Teacher Assistant (TA) in the Foreign Languages Department.
As a TA I was responsible for leading a 1hr discussion session every week with students of a determined class (I taught Span 106 and 127). I was hired with no requirements, no further questions, just the fact that I was a native Spanish speaker was enough.
Looking back I wish there were more requirements to becoming a TA in this department. I knew a lot of the other TA's and I was not always certain that just because Spanish was their native language, they would speak it correctly and have a thorough knowledge of grammar and its rules. I knew that I was qualified to do the job so I went ahead and did my best at it.
Being a Languages TA is a simple job that does not require proficient skills and thus was not paid as highly as TA's were paid in the other departments, like Science for example. I understand that the pay should be lower, but truth to be told my job even though simple is not always easy to perform. Therefore I think the pay should have been higher.
Because of this I am going to continue to look for a job next year hoping to have better luck. I am still keeping my job as aTA because it is after all a job I can put in my resume and I want to show continuance by working as a TA for the rest of my years in college. After all being a TA has not only allowed me to help students improve their speaking and writing skills, but has allowed me to contribute with my knowledge of Latin American lifestyle and cultures. I find it rewarding to be able to make a small difference in my job.
I recommend that if you speak a Language that is taught at your university and specially if you are having a hard time finding an on-campus job, try applying for a position as a TA. It is a good start and it will open more doors for you in the long run.
