Working While You Study

Grad school isn’t cheap, and unfortunately, the cost of living isn’t exactly going down. Looking to supplement your stipend? We’ve got some resources listed below to start you off on your job hunt!

If you’re starting off your job hunt, you’ll want to hit up Career Services.

If you’re looking for help exploring career options, finding community-engaged learning opportunities, need work search tips, are looking for inclusive employers or accessibility tips, want to attend a career workshop or networking event, or would benefit from drop-in career support or a meeting with a career educator, they’re the place to go. 

They have Indigenous career programs and a dedicated Indigenous Coordinator, offer Mock Multiple Mini Interviews, and more. They’ve also launched a career exploration podcast to help share career advice from UVic students and alumni. Career Services is a great resource to make use of during your time at UVic.

The Work Study program provides financial assistance through part-time employment opportunities for students with documented financial need. The program typically runs from September to April. This is an amazing program that provides UVic students with opportunities for work in their field, or in areas with excellent skill development, for good compensation.

For grad students, to be eligible for work study, you must:

  • Be a full-time student
  • Demonstrate financial need
  • Have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)
     

Once you’ve completed a work study application, you will receive the status of application for eligibility, and once authorized, you will receive an email informing you of your eligible hours and study period. 

Once you’re authorized, you’ll have access to the work study job board, where all current postings on campus are listed by department. 

If you’re an international student, visit the Social Insurance Number section of the ICS Working in Canada webpage for info on how to apply for a SIN.

Grad students are welcome to participate in UVic’s co-op program. Co-op, or co-operative education, allows you to gain paid work experience in your field.

Usually students alternate terms of classes / research with paid work terms. As a grad student, talk with your supervisor and graduate advisor before signing up for co-op, as it will most likely extend your program, and you may need your supervisor’s permission to do a co-op term. It’s also a good idea to connect with Co-Op directly to make sure it will work for you.

Find average salaries and salary estimates for all programs on co-op.

Some programs have co-op terms built into them, like the Master of Global Business. There is also some funding available to help support you in community-based learning opportunities, including a wage subsidy for not-for-profit employers on co-op.

Even if you’re not on co-op, students and alumni can view job postings, book appointments with Co-op and Career staff, check out events, and more on the Co-op + Career Portal.

Working as a Teaching Assistant is one of the best ways to gain teaching experience while you complete your studies, and is probably one of the best-paid positions most grad students may find on campus.

TA and RA work opportunities vary department to department. For some grad students, it’s expected, and/or its how students are expected to finance their studies as opposed to a stipend. For others, their department doesn’t offer TA positions. Some departments have formal application processes for TA positions, and others don’t. Either way, reach out to your Graduate Advisor and let them know you’re interested in working as a TA in advance of the next term, and they can let you know how you should proceed.

Some courses can accommodate a TA working remotely — off-campus students are regularly employed for grading or as TAs for online courses.

If your department doesn’t have available TA or RA positions, if you speak with your Graduate Advisor, they may be able to reach out to other departments on your behalf — there are often TA positions left open, which are circulated around faculties, looking for someone to fill the gap. Many required skills are transferable between departments within a faculty.

RA work usually involves working closely with a member of faculty. Many grad students are recruited as an RA by their own supervisor, or another faculty member they interact with regularly. If you’re curious about RA work, reach out to your Grad Advisor, or just wait for the emails that are usually sent out with postings. TA and RA positions are also often posted on a department’s webpage, so check there for openings.

Teaching Assistants are unionized and are part of CUPE 4163 (Component 1), but Research Assistants are not unionized at UVic. Among other things, this means that TA work is more regular and regulated, and RA work can look very different depending on your department and your faculty supervisor. If you have questions about TA work, contact your Graduate Advisor, or reach out to CUPE4163 if you have questions about your rights and protections. 

If your department is signed up for the TAC program, you can apply for the TAC position (Teaching Assistant Consultant) and help support and provide training opportunities for your fellow TA’s. The TAC gets a stipend across the Fall and Spring terms. Learn more about the program here.

UVic tip: If you’re looking for some support or guidance for working as a TA / RA, particularly if you’re running tutorials or looking for grading help, resources are available through the LTSI, and they often run regular workshops throughout the year, in addition to their pre-term TA Conferences. If your department has a TAC, they will also be an invaluable resource for you.

If you’re not necessarily looking for work in your field, you don’t qualify for the Work Study program, and you’re looking to pick up a few shifts here and there to help with rent/groceries/etc, there are opportunities across campus to keep an eye out for. 

  • Naturally, the GSS generally prefers to hire current graduate students when we have postings available.

  • Check out the Job Board in the Student Union Building. Pay can vary, but positions at some of the Student Associations can be rewarding and provide cool experiences and are a great way to connect with campus culture.

  • If you’re looking for restaurant work, apply to the Grad House by emailing our Operations & Services Manager, or submit an application at Felicita’s.

  • UVic is the largest employer in Victoria, so their Job Board is always worth a look. Full-time and part-time positions are usually available, and range from customer service to mechanics, administrative assistants, community coordinators, and more.

  • UVic food services offer flexible hours and free food as perks. Currently registered students should search under General Worker positions.

  • The UVic Bookstore hires many seasonal workers in August to build up staff for the September rush, but also keeps many casual staff on throughout the year. As with all campus positions, it’s unionized, and you can get a discount (though not on textbooks, sadly).

Job Bank Canada is the the official job board hosted by the Government of Canada, with employment opportunities posted across the country. You can search by location, by job position, and more, and they also have a Resume Builder, Job Search advice, Labour market information, and Career planning resources available (including Career Planning Advice and a School to Work Transition Tool)!

WorkInNonProfits.ca maintains a job board for work in the non-profit sector (both paid and volunteer). They have a filter to find Work From Home Jobs for off-campus or distance students, and it has been noted that many of the skills our grad students have translate really well to non-profit work. Filter by full time, part time, contract, and more across Canada.

If you’re in the co-op program, your employer and the Co-op Office may be able to get $5000 of funding to help the non-profit cover your wages with the Wage Subsidy for Not-for-Profit Employers (as applicable).