Student Employment Guide for Students:

Students are diverse individuals and caution must be exercised in categorizing students as a homogeneous population. There are, however, some generalizations that can be made about student employees and, consequently, some implications for supervision.

• Students are short-term employees. Their primary goal and their first concern is academics.
  
• Students have a desire for quick results and impact.
  
• Students are struggling with a great deal of issues related to: 
  
  • autonomy from their parents,
  • relationships with their peers,
  • discovering who they are as individuals,
  • the integration and acceptance of a workable value system,
  • a career and life direction,
  • establishing an ethical and moral base of reasoning.
    
• Students are free from the constraints of experience or vested interest in long-range employment.

Implications for Supervision:

• the fact that students’ primary goal is their academics does not excuse irresponsibility, but some flexibility in work schedules may be necessary.
  
• students are most effective when their work is defined in terms of projects or tasks. When a student is given a specific task defined by objectives and turned loose with the resources and guidance to pursue it, he or she will almost always out-produce students in more traditional settings.
  
• by understanding the dual role of employer/educator, the supervisor can be instrumental in assisting a student in his or her developmental growth.
  
• students may be an invaluable resource for innovative and creative ideas for change or improvement.