Parent Information

How parents can help their student

Nationally, nearly 80% of all students are employed while completing their undergraduate education. Some students begin employment immediately, while others start working later. As your student makes the important decision, this page has some helpful information to questions your student may have.

Student Employment encourages parents to remain engaged in their student’s life while attending UWG. Parents should support their student and encourage their growth academically and professionally. As you send your son or daughter off to the University of West Georgia, please know that their ultimate success and career satisfaction depend on a careful, systematic exploration of who they are, what they want to do and how they will get there. The time for them to do this exploration is now. Working together, we can help them achieve their career dreams. Here are some answers to questions that can help your son or daughter get on track to their Career path.

The involvement of parents in their student’s career development is vital! Many students’ career goals are shaped by their family upbringing. Parents who want to learn more about UWG’s Student Employment a division of the Office of Career and Graduate School Connections resources, events, and services can follow the links from this page. Parents should note, however, that while behind the scene help and advice is valuable, active involvement in students’ job searches, such as contacting employers directly, accompanying students to interviews and attempting to conduct salary negotiations directly with employers, will likely create barriers rather than opportunities for job-seeking students, who need to be perceived by employers as competent, independent adults.

FAQs

• How can my student get a job on campus?

   Students can look for on-campus and off-campus positions on the Student Employment website. They will need to click the Handshake icon on the right hand side and create a profile and upload a resume for review and approval.

• How involved should I be with my student's job search?

  Get involved… but not too involved. You mean well, but employers rarely experience parental involvement in a job search in a positive light. Please offer your student guidance and support, but the best support you can offer is to encourage your student to utilize our services and to lead his or her own job search.

• Who is qualified to participate in Student Employment?

  Students must have an accumulative G.P.A. of 2.5, must be attending UWG, and the student must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours for each semester they are wanting to work. During the Summer Semester students must be enrolled in the upcoming fall semester. 

• My student was awarded Federal Work Study (FWS) will Student Employment find my student a job?

  Student Employment cannot find your student a job or place them in FWS position. Students awarded FWS must search and apply for FWS positions themselves. Students can look for FWS positions, on-campus and off-campus by visiting the Handshake website. They will need to create a profile and upload a resume for review and approval.

• Why isn't the Federal Work Study award listed on my student's bill?

  Federal Work Study (FWS) must be earned by your student.

  For more information contact Student Solutions and you can also visit the Student Employment: Federal Work Study Page. 

• How many hours can my student work?

  Student Employees are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week. This is to help with their academic success.

• What kind of earnings should my student expect?

  Pay for Student Employment positions do vary. At a minimum your student will earn $7.25 per hour which is the Federal Minimum Wage.

• How often do students receive payment for hours worked?

  Student Employees are paid bi-weekly.

• What does my student need to bring with them to complete new hire paperwork?

  Students must provide a VOIDED check to set up direct deposit OR they can provide a document from their bank with the bank logo, routing number, and account number.
  The Department of Homeland Security requires documentation verification of the identity and employment authorization of each new employee. In order to satisfy this requirement the most common documents that are presented when completing the Form I-9 are:
  Original, unexpired passport
  OR
  Original Social Security Card and Unexpired Picture ID
  OR
  Original or certified copy of birth certificate and Unexpired Picture ID
  To see a full list of acceptable documents please view page 9 of the Form I-9.
  Parents - you can help your student by making sure they have the above listed documents or additional documents listed on page 9 for the Form I-9. Often times, parents have the required identification for their student and this delays the student being able to begin work.

  Please note, the student has to present the original document(s). NO COPIES OF DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED

• Does my student need his/her own car?

  Student Employment strives to provide as many jobs as possible on campus. However, we do get positions off campus for which students are required to provide their own transportation.

• What should my student do with their Facebook page or other Social Media Accounts?

  Using a Social Network is a great way to connect with friends. However, if you have never seen your student's social media profiles and pages, ask your student if their pages are appropriate for a potential employer to view. An increasing number of employers check social networking sites before the interviewing process. 

• What does my student need to do before starting work on campus?

  In order to begin working, all student employees must complete at a minimum a Form I-9, Direct Deposit Information, and Federal and State Tax Withholdings. Discuss with your students how they may want to complete the Federal and State Tax Withholding forms as we cannot guide them as to what they can and cannot claim.
  *Students will need to show identification to complete the Form I-9. Please click here and review pg 9 to see what documents we will need.
  Often times, parents have the additional required identification and this delays the student being able to begin work.

• In general, how can my student become more competitive for the job market or graduate school?

  To become competitive for the job market or graduate school, students should focus on three areas.

  Academics: Grades show intellectual competence, self-discipline, and the ability to learn new material. Students should be able to articulate what they learn in their coursework in terms of specific intellectual skills.

  Leadership Experience: Employers value well-rounded graduates. Students should be able to show examples of strong leadership, communication, organizational and teamwork skills. Participation in student organizations, as well as athletics, can provide excellent opportunities for development in these areas.

  Experiential Learning: Internships, co-ops, community service projects, campus involvement, and part-time jobs are all important opportunities to gain hands-on experience in a variety of career fields. Students can identify and confirm their areas of interest as well as develop industry-specific skills needed for a full-time job or graduate school. Additionally, employers often use their internship or volunteer programs as recruiting tools to identify potential entry-level employees. 

• Why should my student use the Office of Career and Graduate School Connections their freshman year?

  Most students start college unsure of their major and/or career path. Therefore, it is important for all freshmen to work with a career counselor who can help them learn more about how their interests, skills, personality, values and passions fit into a potential career. All student employment jobs require an approved resume from the Office of Career and Graduate School Connections in order to apply as well. It is important to begin developing that relationship with us during your student’s freshman year. 

• What is the Office of Career and Graduate School Connections' role in finding students a job after graduation?

  The Office of Career and Graduate School Connections offers extensive services geared toward helping students secure jobs upon graduation. Through one-on-one advising and workshops we help students learn how to network and search for jobs, create resumes and cover letters, and prepare for interviews. Our office sponsors several job fairs annually and hosts employers who recruit directly on campus. We also offer Mock Interviews to help prepare students for upcoming interviews. In addition, many employers market their job opportunities directly to UWG students through Handshake.