raduate students to improve their skills in teaching, research, and other activities while pursuing their graduate education. Graduate students seeking assistantships should present themselves in the most favorable light to get the attention of campus units offering assistantships. Following is a list of tips recommended by several units on campus that offer excellent advice for those seeking graduate employment.
Know what a campus unit does before applying for an assistantship there. Check the campus unit’s website or promotional materials and make sure you have the necessary skills to contribute to that campus unit.
Before visiting a campus unit, contact its main office and find out if it has assistantships available, and if so, whom to contact about the assistantship and how to submit your application. Avoid walking in to an office without an appointment or going door to door individually or in groups to find this information.
Know that academic departments are different from support units when it comes to assistantship positions. In an academic department, individual faculty may have research assistantships available, but in a support unit, the head of that unit usually hires all graduate assistants. Some campus units may also advertise its assistantship openings by direct mailings to campus units or through Human Resource Services.
Before applying for an assistantship, know all the requirements related to graduate assistantships. This may include course load, GPA, working hours and immigration authorization (if you are an international student) requirements. You may be able to find these requirements from your academic department or from the Graduate School, International Student and Faculty Office and Human Resource Services.
Prepare your application materials to suit the assistantships available from a particular campus unit. Your resume should contain up-to-date information and should be spell-checked and carefully proofread. Be certain all the information in your resume, including your GPA, is accurate and current.
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