For many first-year students, finding a part-time job can feel like a separate job in itself. Between learning how to get around campus, balancing coursework, and joining clubs, the idea of applying for a job during the school year can get easily pushed aside. However, many students do not realize how many opportunities are already available around them, sometimes in the same buildings they pass through everyday. From food services to athletics and recreation, there are several on-campus roles designed with students in mind.
Why on-campus jobs?
On-campus jobs offer students the convenience of working between classes, before tutorials, or after labs without losing time to a long commute. Additionally, campus employers often understand student schedules and may be more accommodating around classes and exams.
Food Services
If you have ever walked through the Student Life Centre between classes, you have probably seen the long lines at Subway, Tim Hortons, and several other food spots. What many students don’t realize is that several of these spaces, along with most other eateries across campus, are part of UW Food Services, which actively hires part-time students to help run operations.
Food Services roles can be a good fit for students who enjoy fast-paced environments and do not mind being on their feet. Responsibilities may include preparing food, taking orders, helping customers, restocking items, and keeping areas clean, with increased demand during peak hour rushes.
Isra Selcuk, a second-year health sciences student who previously worked with UW Food Services, said she first heard about the job through a friend. She began working there while still in high school, before starting university, which she said “surprises many people who assume the job is only open to current university students.” After starting at UW, she continued because of how convenient it was to get to work after classes.
Selcuk said the day-to-day work depends on the location, as Food Services includes everything from SLC Tim Hortons to residence cafeterias. In her residence cafeteria role, she rotated between stations such as cash and pizza, with training provided for each task. She said the hours were one of the biggest benefits of the job. “This is actually what I love about Food Services because you get to balance work and studies especially during busy times.” She usually worked around 10 to 15 hours a week, with flexibility to book off time for exams or other commitments.
To apply, UW Food Services directs students to complete an online form and upload both a resume and an availability form. Students are asked to submit only one application, and a supervisor will contact applicants selected for an interview.
Athletics and Recreation
For students who enjoy sports and fitness, Athletics and Recreation is one of the largest student employers on campus. Some roles they hire for include intramural referee, facilities associates, fitness instructors, varsity game staff, and even social media content creators!
This means students do not have to be varsity athletes to work with Athletics. Some roles are sport-specific, but others involve facility supervision, event support, and basic customer service.
The Warrior Recreation website highlights open staff roles, and students can easily view the qualifications needed, tasks and responsibilities, and an email address to which they can send their resume, cover letter, and availability.
Asiyah Osman, a 2026 graduate from the kinesiology program who has previously worked with Athletics and Recreation as a basketball scorekeeper, said she found the application herself and applied to several opportunities on the website. As a scorekeeper, her role involved taking minutes, noting fouls, and keeping referees informed of the time during games.
For students worried about balancing work with school, Asiyah described the role as “super flexible,” adding that it did not exceed 10 to 12 hours per week. Beyond the manageable schedule, she said she “really enjoyed the experience” and that it helped open opportunities for physiotherapy assistant roles.
Work Study program
For many students, UW’s Work Study program can be another path into on-campus employment. The Work Study program specifically offers part-time, on-campus jobs for full-time students who demonstrate financial need.
For this program, eligibility depends on the student’s situation. The Centre lists pathways for students approved for OSAP, students approved for out-of-province financial aid, and international students who meet certain criteria, such as being enrolled in the current term, fees arranged, in year 1B or higher, and enrolled in a full-time course load. Those who meet the eligibility requirements can log into WaterlooWorks and apply for Work Study jobs, but fees must be arranged before applying. Students can earn a maximum of $2,000 in a work study term.
WUSA
The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) offers various on-campus jobs for students interested in getting involved. There are part-time opportunities, co-op positions, service coordinator positions, operations staff, and special events team members.
Working in student-run services and centers involves being a part of student-led initiatives. At Radical Advocacy for Inclusion, Solidarity, and Equity (RAISE), for example, students can apply for positions ranging from roles in leadership to event planning. Other student-led groups on campus like Glow, the Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity, also actively hire students to work part-time throughout the term.
Additionally, WUSA regularly hires students to help run operations and businesses, such as retail and food services (i.e., event staff, front desk assistants, or special events team members).
Imprint, UW’s very own student magazine run by WUSA, is another way to get hired on campus. Imprint offers paid and volunteer opportunities for staff writers, magazine contributors, copyeditors, graphic designers, videographers, and photographers. Especially for those interested in journalism, design, and social media, Imprint can be a way to build experience while staying connected to student issues. For instance, writers may pitch ideas, interview students or faculty, fact-check sources, and write stories that help inform the campus community. Imprint job openings are posted on WUSA’s webpage at the end of the term for the next term, so keep an eye out for those openings!
Campus ambassador programs
Campus ambassador programs are another on-campus opportunity for students who enjoy meeting new people, public speaking, and representing the university. Waterloo student ambassadors provide virtual and in-person campus tours, support major recruitment events, such as the Fall Open House, and share their personal experiences with prospective students.
Waterloo’s central student ambassador role is listed at $18 per hour, with ambassadors averaging 5 to 10 hours per week. Students interested in applying should check Waterloo’s Student Ambassadors page, where applications open during specific hiring periods. If applications are closed, students can also submit their information through the website to be notified about the next round of openings.
Campus Housing
Jobs within campus housing are another on-campus opportunity for students who enjoy supporting others, building community, and being involved in student life. Campus Housing offers a variety of paid student roles, including Residence Ambassadors, Front Desk Assistants, and Dons. These roles can involve giving residence tours, helping students and families at front desks, and mentoring first-years, while helping students build on their communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Students interested in applying should check the “Campus Housing Jobs & Leadership” page regularly, as applications open during specific hiring cycles and available positions change by term.
Tarandeep Panwar is a second-year health sciences student who worked as a Residence Life Don at Mackenzie King Village (MKV) during the fall term, after spending his first year living there. He said his own Don helped make the transition away from home feel easier: “My own Don was the catalyst who inspired me to apply.”
As a Don, he supported approximately 40 first-year students through one-on-one check-ins, community meetings, weekly events, resource referrals, and duty shifts that involved responding to concerns such as noise complaints, parties, or students requiring assistance. The role required flexibility, as students could book meetings or approach him for support throughout the week.
He said the experience involved trial and error, but helped him become better at managing academics, residence life responsibilities, personal time, and social life. Beyond the practical responsibilities, the role helped him strengthen his leadership, communication, and peer-support skills, while helping first-year students feel “welcomed, supported, and more connected to the Waterloo community.”
Resources
Apply to Food Services: https://uwaterloo.ca/food-services/work-us
Apply to Athletics and Recreation: https://athletics.uwaterloo.ca/sports/2010/7/13/Employment_and_Volunteering.aspx
Apply to the Work-Study program: Work-Study option on the WaterlooWorks Dashboard
Apply to work with WUSA: https://wusa.ca/jobs-opportunities/
Apply to be a campus ambassador: https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/student-ambassador
Apply to Campus Housing: https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-housing/jobs-leadership
