Jobs At Dartmouth: Working at Novack!
As a Dartmouth student, balancing academics, extracurricular activities, and social life can be super challenging. One way that students manage this balance is by taking on campus jobs. I work at Novack Café, which is in Baker-Berry Library and serves as Dartmouth's on-campus Starbucks.
For me, Novack is more than just a place to grab a coffee or snack. Rather, it seems like a natural convergence of students, faculty and staff. When I'm working at Novack, I get a front-row seat to the hustle and bustle of Dartmouth: from students rushing to their 10 am classes, to athletes rushing for lifts at the gym, you get to see pretty much everything at Novack.
Two things before I tell you why I like working at Novack. Firstly, there's no dearth of jobs to do as a student! There's a super helpful portal called JobX where you can search for jobs and filter them by your skill level and interests. Secondly, beyond Novack and dining jobs, Dartmouth offers jobs in sports, research, admissions, administrative positions, and even creative opportunities. I have friends who work as sports team managers, others who are teaching fellows (or teachers assistants), and some who are cinematographers for the college.
Back to Novack: I love working there for three reasons. Firstly, you get to choose your own work shifts! For people that are juggling very demanding course loads, Novack offers flexible work times to accommodate schedules. Secondly, the people working there (and at any job at Dartmouth, really) are a tight-knit community of people. Working at Novack is a fantastic way to make new friends and meet new people. Because the cafe is so centrally located, you're guaranteed to run into pretty much everybody that goes to Dartmouth.
Thirdly, while other jobs offer more tangible connections to students' career goals (like those in sports and research), I think Novack's taught me a lot about time management and customer service—things that I wasn't the best at before. Whether it's a rush hour before morning classes, or the dreaded night shift during finals week, Novack has taught me a LOT.
In conclusion, working at Novack, or taking any job at Dartmouth really, is about more than just a paycheck or a line in a resume. It's about being a part of the community, gaining practical skills, and learning a lot along the way. Whether you're brewing coffee or assisting with cutting-edge research, each job adds something very unique to your Dartmouth experience.