Employment

Commonly asked questions about working in the collection:

• Do I need to be an entomologists or have experience with insects to work for the collection?  

  No you do not.  We do love when a student has experience with insect diversity - but it's by no means a requirement to work with us.  Most of our positions and the jobs we need help with do not require past experience with insects.   You will have to be trained in museum policies/protocols, and you will be working with insect specimens, but we do not expect student workers to have a background/expertise in Insect taxonomy and regularly hire students from a variety of majors.

• Will I get to make exhibits and help with tours of the collection?

  Yes and no.  Unfortunately our paid positions are not typically related to the collection's exhibit space or outreach mission.  Still, we have opportunities related to these that you can engage in (whether you are an employee or not).  Contact us or join one of the student clubs that work with the collection, such as the Integrative Biology Club or the OSU Bug Club.

  How many hours of work a week can I work?

  The university places limits how many hours a student can work on campus at 24hrs a week, and this is the maximum you can work at the OSAC.  We also generally expect employed students to do their best to log at least 4hrs each week during the term.

• Can I work evenings and weekends?

  Generally not.  New hires are not allowed to work in the collection after hours; however experienced workers will be allowed to work late.  Currently we do not permit weekend shifts, although see below: "e-campus".

• I'm an e-campus student.  Can I be employed?

  Yes (sometimes).  Most of the employed positions in the OSAC require you to be physically here, handling and working with the physical specimens. 
  
  However, we occasionally have positions related to digital records (e.g., digitizing information present in digital images of specimens/specimen labels).  
  
  We expect to have some online positions later this year (2023/2024) but are not yet set up.  If you are an e-campus student interested in working with us, contact the curator:

   Christopher.Marshall@oregonstate.edu to see if we are currently looking for online work.

• How do I apply?

  There are THREE parts to applying 

  • First - check below (on this page) to see if we are currently reviewing applications for new hires.  You are always welcome to submit an application whenever, however we cannot guarantee that your application will be reviewed.  If you have submitted an application earlier, and were not hired during the hiring cycle, feel free to resubmit again.
  • Second: you need to fill out an official OSU application here: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/140568  

  • Third, you need to email the curator at christopher.marshall@oregonstate.edu to ensure they know you have applied and would like your application reviewed.

     

  • Then what?, if we are reviewing applications, your application will be reviewed.  Selected applicants will then be interviewed (either in person or via zoom); allowing them to ask questions and the curator to learn more about their qualifications/interests/availability to work in the collection.   Occasionally student are hired during the interview stage, but more often, an interviewee will be contacted a few days later, after other candidates have been interviewed.