When most students think of getting a part-time job during the school year, they picture themselves serving coffee, folding clothes or answering phones.
If that’s your jam, then great! But those jobs aren’t for everybody. The precious time you have left after classes, homework and extra-curricular activities should be spent doing something that’s worth your while. Part-time jobs can be more than just a paycheque.
What if we told you there was a job out there, ripe for the picking, that lets you spend your days with amazing people, develops quality transferable skills and has you making a difference in the world?
Public Outreach, an international face-to-face fundraising agency, gives students and recent grads the opportunity to raise money for some of the world’s most powerful and well respected non-profit organizations. Learn more about how Public Outreach fundraises.
Getting started and getting comfortable
Tiara Bebi, an English student at Ryerson University, started working as a Public Outreach fundraiser in July 2011, after learning about the company through some canvassers she met on the street.
Following a 15 minute phone interview and later, a group interview, she began the training program for her non-profit of choice – the “Because I am a Girl” campaign for Plan Canada. There, she learned more about the organization, how to approach people on the street (insider tip: you “have to be energetic”), and was given her sponsorship goals for the week.
The idea of talking to strangers may seem intimidating at first, as it was for Tiara, but she says she quickly adapted to her new role. “I got to work with amazing people. My supervisor was a huge part of why I got comfortable with this job. At first I was very shy and couldn’t even say hello to people, but I got used to it. I was very intimidated at first, but by the end of the day I got the hang of it.”
A bevy of benefits
Once she was on the job, Tiara soon realized it had a lot of benefits, which is why she’s been working with Public Outreach for over a year now.
Getting to talk to all different kinds of people she otherwise may never have met, promoting a cause she cares about, and getting to have fun with her colleagues are just a few. Not to mention, the pay is good and the hours are incredibly flexible – something we all know is important to students with limited free time.
“When I’m in school, I work part-time, and when I’m out of school, I work full-time. You work a minimum of three days per week, which is typical for a part-time job. This job is very flexible.” During our interview with Tiara, she was on Reading Week, so she was working every day to fill her time and make some extra money.
The great outdoors
Of course, some TalentEgg–ers may be wondering if they can hack standing outside for hours at a time. Not to worry! Tiara says Public Outreach wants you to feel comfortable and motivated on your shifts, and makes sure you’re nice and cool, toasty warm, or whatever the season calls for.
With winter approaching, resources like heating packs are provided to each team. And every employee gets money to spend on winter clothing. If you’re dressed properly, Tiara says, it’s “not really a big deal”.
Ready for “the real world”
Tiara describes working as a Public Outreach fundraiser as the ideal student job. Not only because she genuinely enjoys the role, but because the work she’s doing is opening doors, building skills and preparing her for a career once she’s done doing the student thing.
Being an employee of Public Outreach gives her access to a diverse range of non-profit organizations and people she may want to work with later. And the confidence, communication skills, and teamwork skills that she’s developed on the job will come in handy when she hits the job market once she graduates.