Learn and Earn in the Forest: Launch Your Career on Campus
Each academic year, more than 2,000 students begin their professional development journeys by working on Wake Forest’s campus. With 500-plus unique roles available, student employment is a game changer, providing opportunities to gain real-world transferable skills, grow their leadership experience, build a strong network, and earn money without ever leaving campus.
Campus jobs are open to all Wake Forest students, including graduate students, international students, and those without Federal Work-Study.
As Human Resources’ Student Employment Manager, Melanie Hylton oversees the student employment experience across campus, guiding students toward central self-service tools like the Learn and Earn webpage while supporting supervisors with essential Workday processes and training. Below, she shares her top advice for students beginning their job search on campus.
How do you approach student employment at Wake Forest?
For many students, this might be their first experience navigating professional expectations like clocking in on time, taking ownership of a role, and delivering results. My goal is to encourage them to soak up every opportunity to learn. It’s about gaining real-world experience in communication, time management, and leadership, as well as learning how to articulate those skills so they can confidently pitch them on a resume, in job interviews, or on graduate school applications.
What are you excited for as a new school year begins?
I am so excited that students have a dedicated central resource, the new Learn and Earn webpage, to guide them step by step through their on-campus employment journey. It’s a clear, central hub explaining how to get started, what to expect as they begin working, and how to utilize the incredible campus resources available to them.
Through the new Learn and Earn Job Board students can easily browse open positions, find direct application links, or connect with campus departments that host their own student employment pages. If students don’t see an exact match right away, they can join the Student Talent Pool. It’s a great tool for sharing their skills and availability so that campus supervisors who are actively scouting for talent can find them directly.
What advice or encouragement would you share with a student who is just starting their career development journey?
Getting acclimated to campus life can be a lot, but students should feel confident diving into student employment as no prior work experience is needed. On-campus jobs are designed to work around their academic schedule, giving them the flexibility to decide when they want to work.
There are so many opportunities available across WFU, so they should jump in and try something. I recommend starting with an area they’re interested in or one they think sounds fun: research assistant work with a professor, helping out in an academic department, Asset and Space Management, Theatre and Dance, Campus Life, ZSR Library — the list goes on.
I also want them to remember they’re students first. They can hold one or multiple jobs as long as they stay within the 20-hour weekly limit during the academic year. If a position turns out not to be the right fit, that’s okay. They should just have an open conversation with their manager about what they’re looking for, or they can explore another opportunity. Finally, if they’re curious about an office or department but aren’t sure if it hires student employees, just ask. Many students find their campus jobs through word-of-mouth, and they might just end up with a tailored position.
Looking Toward the Future
Whether students are taking their first steps into the workforce or sharpening their professional edge, student employment at Wake Forest offers far more than a paycheck — it’s a built-in launchpad for their career. Students can begin their search by visiting the new Learn and Earn webpage, applying to open positions on the job board, or joining the Student Talent Pool to take ownership of their professional development and discover where their Wake Forest journey can take them.
For general policy or administrative inquiries, contact Human Resources at or 336.758.4700.