Hello. I’m asking writing this on behalf of a friend attending a state school.
As far as we are aware, many universities prohibit you from having work study in the same department that you will graduate from. My friend was in desperation for a job, and the department was desperate for an employee, effectively bypassing this policy that is applied in the school.
My friend has been in this same department through work-study for 3 semesters and is now in his junior year taking his core courses. The issue that exists is whether or not my friend bypassing this policy will have any consequential effects.
My question to you guys is, would it look suspicious to work and graduate from the same department? If so, how problematic is it? What effect would this have on obtaining an entry level job? Thank you.
Thank you.
I’ve had many jobs and many more interviews. Even though employers do vary a lot, I can’t imagine any of them being troubled by that. Why is there even such a rule? Is it perceived that students in the department will have an advantage in getting work-study over those who are outside it? Employers wouldn’t care about that.
I’ve never heard of a rule where a student cannot work for the same department that they are a student in, and I know several students who work for their major’s department at several different schools (including myself and I also went to a state school). Provided your friend isn’t the TA for a class that she is also taking or some other obvious conflict like that, I see no issue.
Is this actually a rule at your school, or is it just something you or your friend thought was true but never actually confirmed? Check what the actual rules are to see if it’s even an issue. If it is against the rules, then your friend never should have heen hired in the first place. They should discuss the issue with their employer.
I don’t see how it would be an issue for future employers. It was her employer’s responsibility to male sure she could be hired for the position, not your friend’s, as long as your friend didn’t lie to get the job. But again, I’ve never heard of a rule like this, so it might not be as widespread as you think. Check tk make sure it’s actually a rule before you worry about it.
I have never heard of that not being allowed either. In fact, there are many campus jobs that have to go to someone majoring in that area, or at least there is a high likelihood of that happening. For example, at my university, we have student graders for certain classes who usually grade the hw for the professor (I am one for CS. Granted Im not on work-study, but the positions are available to both categories of students). You must have taken the classes you will be grading in order to get this position and it makes sense for them to also choose students who are majoring (or at least minoring) because they will have the background needed to accurately grade.
At my university, most people work for the department they are majoring in (if they are working for a department and not, say, dining), even if it’s for work-study. This includes jobs as simple as being office assistants.
Maybe some universities have privacy concerns with it? Other than that, I see no reason for this rule. I would not think it would be a very common rule.
Seems like you’d be better off working in the same department as your major, if anything.
This is bizarre—utterly bizarre—and I say that as someone who’s been in higher education at a number of different types of schools for quite a while now. I have never, ever heard of such a rule—not saying it doesn’t exist anywhere, just that wherever it might exist, it doesn’t exist at “many universities”.
If it really is a rule at your institution and not just something you’ve thought is a rule, your friend should ask the registrar’s office for clarification on whether it will create an issue for graduation. Aside from that, I can’t imagine it being an issue anywhere for any purpose.