Finding Work as a Graduate Student
Posted November 20, 2025 by Laura Kiely
I moved to Boston from Iowa, where I grew up and completed my bachelor’s degree. Because my undergraduate campus was 100% residential, I had barely ever lived on my own or paid rent before! I did of course work throughout my undergraduate degree, but the money went either into savings, living expenses, and fun. So moving to Boston was quite the lifestyle change! Rent anywhere in Boston is astronomical compared to Iowa, and I had utilities and groceries and all the added expenses of adulthood. However, going to school full-time does to an extent limit one’s ability to work full-time, and vice versa. It’s not strictly the case, there are ways to make it work, but I knew I wanted to focus on academics, which meant finding part-time work. Before moving to Boston, I was sending applications all over the place, largely coming up empty-handed. I decided to expand beyond libraries and archives, into a bit wider of a net. And it worked! I am by no means wealthy, but I am making monthly rent and living expenses. Here are the jobs I have worked since moving to Boston:
Simmons University SLIS Student Services Center Student Worker. I found this position on the Simmons student job board, it was the first that I got, and it is one of my favorites. I have had the opportunity to meet the staff that keep the program running, and help my fellow students have their paperwork cared for and questions answered. It’s a great office to work in, but I could not afford my expenses off this alone. So, I supplement.
Simmons University SLIS Graduate Admission Fellow. I also found this position from the Simmons student job board. It’s a nice couple of extra hours per week, where I give prospective students tours, make calls, and attend information sessions to contribute my perspective.
LIS-438 Internship. This position was unpaid, as all placements are, save for a few special cases and/or confirmation of concurrent archives work applying for the credit. It is, instead, a useful experience to have for future applications! I completed my internship at Wentworth Institute of Technology, right next door to Simmons. Their archives are rather small and still in the process of growing, but it was good to get some archives-specific experience in my first year. I had previous archives experience from working in my undergraduate archives, so this was an added boost for my resume while I looked around for work more directly related to the field I want to be in as a career.
House of Blues coat check. This is the least relevant job I’ve had in terms of relation to the field of libraries and archives. However, it was no less valuable! Firstly, I made money to put toward living expenses. Always a good thing. Secondly, it exposed me to a whole variety of people I otherwise would not have met. I was there for 2-3 nights per week, paid minimum wage plus tips, taking coats and answering questions. I loved the community that I found there, I made some money, and I explored a world literally night and day from libraries.
After almost a year of working these three jobs and continuously applying to more positions, I changed up my work schedule. During the summer between semesters, I began working as a historical tour guide in Boston. I took tourists around various routes, discussing the history, food, and culture of Boston. This was valuable to me as a future archivist, because I met people from all over the world and acted as an educator for 2 hours, walking in the heat, guiding people through busy areas. The amount of people management I learned on the job has been and will be incredibly useful going forward.
I finally got not one but two graduate student library and archives positions that summer, found on the Jobline. I have continued working at Simmons University, but no longer work at either the House of Blues or as a tour guide, and am enjoying working specifically in the field!
Harvard Law Library Historical and Special Collections Archives Project Assistant. I was so excited to get this job, and am loving it. The work I do is largely the physical grunt work needed in archives, but because this is what I want to do, I’m having a great time. I’ve been contributing to the Ogletree Project, and now am working on the small tasks that are difficult to prioritize. It’s incredibly rewarding, and is hopefully the sort of graduate student job that will help me land a career post-grad.
America’s Test Kitchen Library Intern. I can’t tell you anything about this internship yet, because it hasn’t started! ATK hires two interns per year, one for the fall and one for the spring, at the same time in June. I applied, indicated I’d be happy with either semester, and got the job. I’m excited because it is apparently sole librarianship, and my mom has been a fan of ATK since the 90s.
All told, the jobs I’ve had while at Simmons are a grab bag, piecing together part time opportunities to make it work. This variety has taught me skills I may not otherwise have honed, and taught me how to advocate for myself in new positions, as I’ve had so many in such a short time! I’ve made it work, and I am far from the only student who has used this method to financially navigate grad school. My advice to incoming students: keep an eye on the Jobline, keep an open mind to the kind of work you’re interested in, and be prepared to write lots of applications!