‘Jobs For Aggies’ Opens Doors To Extra Income, Valuable Work Experience

During her sophomore year at Texas A&M University, Vy Tran said she was looking for some “wiggle room” in her budget when she came across Jobs for Aggies, the university’s online job board which has helped Texas A&M students find employment for more than two decades.

Tran spent her first year at A&M living in the dorms, so there wasn’t much need for extra spending money, but when she transitioned out of on-campus living, she saw the need for added income.

“I started exploring my options through the financial aid portal and page, where I came across Jobs for Aggies,” said the marketing senior from Houston. “Thanks to the job board, I am currently a social media marketing student assistant for the Department of Scholarships and Financial Aid here at Texas A&M.”

Jobs for Aggies is easy to navigate and user-friendly for both employers and students, says Hannah O’Hara, student employment specialist in the Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness (HROE). “Working part-time while pursuing a degree allows a student to grow both personally and professionally,” O’Hara said. “It provides financial stability and instills a sense of independence and personal responsibility.”

Damon Slaydon, HROE vice president, said the division is proud to maintain this connection between the community and university.

“We take great pride in our role of continuing to assist Texas A&M undergraduate and graduate students in achieving their educational, professional and personal goals by granting them access to a variety of employment opportunities,” he said. “Jobs for Aggies serves as a mutually beneficial conduit to connect talent with employers while fostering opportunities for career growth and honing talents, skills and abilities. We’re helping to build the workforce of tomorrow with individuals who embrace the Aggie Core Values.”

What Is Jobs For Aggies?

Jobs for Aggies is a free, 24-hour, job board that helps students find part-time employment opportunities both on-campus and in the local community. The first version was launched in the fall of 2002 and transitioned to its current platform in 2020.

Who Is It For?

This resource is available to students attending the flagship campus in College Station, Texas A&M University at Galveston, the Texas A&M Health Science Center and the Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen. Students will find posts for part-time positions, work study eligible positions, graduate assistantships and internships.

For employers, both A&M-affiliated and off campus, posting positions on the Jobs for Aggies Job Board is an efficient and effective way to reach Aggie students looking for work, O’Hara said. Members of the Bryan-College Station community may also create an account on Jobs for Aggies for their household, which allows them to post positions pertaining to areas such as childcare, yard work or house sitting.

How Many People Use The Site?

According to O’Hara, there have been just over 100,000 applications submitted in the last 12 months, and around 2,000 employers are currently registered. She says student engagement tends to be highest in January and August in conjunction with the start of the fall and spring semesters.

How Does It Work?

 For students:

• Sign in with your NetID and password to search hundreds of active postings.
• Set filters such as industry, work study eligibility and whether the position is on or off campus. Students can also search by keyword, job ID or employing department.
• Upload a resume to your profile with the option of building out a public profile with further information about experience and skillsets.
• Apply to one or more jobs. If it’s a good match, you’ll be contacted for an interview.

For employers:

• Submit a New Employer Registration form to be reviewed by HROE. Once approved, employers are able to post their open positions for students to view and apply for.
• Employers can customize positions and tailor to hiring needs.
• Utilize options such as setting statuses, ranking applicants and sending batch email communications; this makes it simple to review and track applicant data.

What About Full-time Employment?

Students on Jobs for Aggies who are seeking full-time employment will be routed to Hire Aggies, which is managed by the Career Center. Once students graduate, they continue to have access to the Hire Aggies board.

“Aggies tend to make for reliable, highly trainable and enthusiastic employees,” O’Hara said. “Additionally, employing a student gives the employer an opportunity to provide support and valuable learning experiences to that employee while oftentimes recruiting individuals that might continue to work for them in a full-time capacity after graduation. By helping a student develop professional skills while in school, employers can really set them up for success post-graduation career in their prospective field.”

Tran, who plans to graduate next May, says she wants to work in social media marketing in tech.

“I have the pleasure of interning at a tech company this summer and absolutely love the atmosphere,” she said. “I’ve also picked up UI (user interface design), so maybe that would be interesting.”

Learn more about job seeking and posting with Jobs for Aggies at jobsforaggies.tamu.edu.