As the semester reaches its midpoint at the University of Arizona, students are looking for part-time jobs in a competitive job market. 

With hundreds of applicants vying for jobs in local restaurants, boutiques and clothing stores, landing a position requires persistence. 

It also requires timing.

Neelab Shaeq, a student at the University of Arizona who works the register at Kababeque Indian Grill in the bustling Main Gate district, said her restaurant received 20 new applications every week after putting up help wanted signs in the window. 

Only two or three students would eventually get hired.

“We definitely look for students to work here because they have more energy, plus the load of work we have here is a lot, and it’s always busy,” Shaeq said. 

She said it took her two weeks to get her job at the popular Indian restaurant. Finding jobs on campus can be even harder.

The UA’s Career Site lists 55 part-time open positions in Tucson, half of which–27 –are with the university.

But most of those jobs aren’t for students. They are looking for part-time instructors or lecturers, researchers, communications, community outreach and engagements and other jobs that are better suited to people who already have their degrees in hand. 

Cameron Heenan, a senior majoring in communications, works on campus at McKale Center as a a sponsorship intern with Arizona Athletics. She said it  took her two rounds of interviews and a month before she finallyUA Sports Management Association, which lists sports-related  job opportunities on campus. The club meets Tuesday nights at Mckale, which is where Heenan learned about the job that she currently holds.  

“There are a lot of student jobs available in Athletics, but it is hard to get your foot in the door when you don’t have connections in it,” she said. 

Doing research and joining clubs can help to that end, she said.

Amy Jesionowski, owner of Boutique 816 and Collette Clothing, said she typically hires at the “beginning of the school year and beginning of each semester.” She said that she currently has 25 employees working between the two stores and that all of her employees are students. 

Swindlers, a clothing store at 906 E. University Blvd., fills its ranks at the beginning of the semester and during school breaks. Of the 14 employees currently working at the store, 11 are students, said employee Annabel Haake, a senior majoring in applied humanities with an emphasis in fashion studies. Some of those students are sales associates, shift leads and members of the merchandising department. 

The upscale Mexican restaurant Agave House at 943 E. University Blvd. flips the script on student hiring, typically waiting until the end of each semester. 

Hannah Hasley, a bartender at Agave House, said that around 65 percent of their workers are students.

Then there are places like Gentle Ben’s, located at 865 E.University Blvd., which can have openings throughout the school year. 

Ben’s, UA landmark, recently posted job openings on social media, advising students to bring a resume and apply in person on Tuesday afternoons. 

A part-time job is a good fit for most students, who juggle school work, classes and school obligations.  

“Students are part-time, and classes make it hard for them to have a full-time job,” Hasley said, adding that most students work night shifts to balance out their school priorities. 

If you’re looking for an internship, the UA is hosting an internship fair from noon-3 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Bear Down Building. To learn more, visit career.arizona.edu.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.