Find Campus Jobs (Student Employment)

The campus hires thousands of students each year for part-time positions in many departments on the campus core (Davis), at the UC Davis Health System, and other satellite locations (e.g., Bodega Bay Marine Lab, Tahoe Research Center, etc.).

If you are actively looking for a part-time position (i.e., submitting several applications a week), keep in mind that it can take up to three months to find a position and start your new job.

International Students

International students should check with Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) for employment guidelines and eligibility based on your visa type. International students with F1 and J1 visas at UC Davis already have work authorization and are eligible to work on-campus (this does not apply to off-campus positions). If you are eligible for on-campus employment, follow the steps below to find a position. Once you have an offer connect with the SISS for next steps while you are being onboarded.

Apply for a campus job

Applying for a job starts with finding an open position and preparing application materials like your resume and cover letter. The UC Davis Career Center is available to support you through your application process. You can attend workshops, review sample materials in the Career Resource Manual, have your document reviewed virtually and meet with an advisor.

Student positions are posted on Handshake, an online platform where UC Davis students can connect with employers. A quick way to search for campus positions is to use "STDT" in the keyword search. Review the Career Center’s Handshake profile checklist before applying.

The STDT series is includes three categories of jobs

STDT 2 (starting at $16.00/hr): The Assistant II level includes positions that require commonly available knowledge, skills, and abilities, or do not require extensive training and experience. Typical kinds of work include general clerical duties, basic record keeping, filing, reception, receptionist phone and drop-in, key entry into database programs, manual labor involving light maintenance and repair, custodial tasks, food service and routine preparation, and more.

STDT 3 (starting at $16.25/hr): The Assistant III level includes positions that require specialized knowledge and independent judgment in performing duties that support academic research projects, student activities, and advising programs including sophisticated research/analytical functions. These positions often require skills usually acquired through specialized upper division coursework or rudimentary graduate level training. Duties may include laboratory work requiring a moderate level of scientific knowledge, technical duties requiring specialized skills, recreational instructional support, peer advising and peer counseling, direction of student-managed activities or programs, operation of automotive equipment requiring specialized licenses, and more.

STDT 4 ($16:50-22.75/hr): The Assistant IV level includes positions that require extensive knowledge, skills and abilities generally obtained through advanced level training or coursework in the performance of a variety of complex or specialized assignments working with minimal direction. The work is normally within the student’s course of study at the upper division coursework level. Under general or job-related specific supervision, students complete highly complex assignments requiring specialized knowledge and previous experience. Duties at this level may include performance of a variety of complex laboratory or field experimental procedures, directing the work of others, consulting with others on- and off-campus, being responsible for projects/assignments from conception through implementation and evaluation, and more.

As you apply for jobs, also consider gathering hiring documents that are required once you are hired and need to be onboarded.

Don't get discouraged

It often takes multiple applications and interviews to land a position which means it could be up to three months. Use the application materials and interview section of the Career Center website to help you prepare documents that best display how your skills and abilities align with the position. The Career Center peer advisors and career advisors are available to review your materials. You can also use the Resume Review+ service as well.

Utilize work-study awards

If you have been awarded work-study as part of your financial aid package, the federal government pays 75% of your salary, thus making you highly attractive to employers. All on-campus jobs qualify for work-study, and some actively seek work-study recipients. We recommend that you attach your Work-Study Eligibility Certificate (found on MyAwards) or mention that you are work-study eligible on your cover letter or resume. The department that hires you will need to work with the work-study manager within the Financial Aid office to set up the position. More information can be found on the work study section of the Financial Aid website, which also has an excellent work-study checklist.

Interview for a campus job

Interviewing is an important part of the process in obtaining a job. The Career Center has several interviewing resources to support you. You can learn more about what to expect, how to prepare, what to wear, how to write a thank you email and more.

Accept an offer

If offered a position and you choose to accept it, be sure to communicate with the department that you are accepting the job offer. The next step after accepting the offer is to schedule your onboarding appointment with the department who hired you or the service channel used by the department. While waiting for someone to contact you with the onboarding instructions, you may want to start gathering hiring documents required to complete Form I-9.

Complete onboarding before you can start working

Once you have accepted an offer, the person or department offering you the job should provide you information about next steps. This will include verifying employment eligibility, filling out paperwork/DocuSign, getting you set-up with payroll and your timesheet, and other tasks before you are able to start working. A step you can take while waiting for onboarding is to gather hiring documents required to complete a Form I-9.

You will be assigned to another person/team who will guide you through a process called onboarding to get new hires into the campus system. The person onboarding you will communicate with you and your supervisor about scheduling your first day of work. The hiring department will need to tell you the onboarding group (a.k.a., service channel) you will be working with. Each onboarding group has their own process:

• Shared Services Organization (SSO)
• Academic Unit Shared Services Center (AUSSC)
• Distributed Shared Services Center (DiSSC)
• Health Service Channel

If you don't know which group you should be working with, check your offer letter or reach out to the hiring department.

Communicate with your supervisor about your start date

You can work with your supervisor to determine your first day of work once you have completed the onboarding process.