Are You an OL (Orientation Leader)? Applications and Information Sessions

Information Sessions

In order to apply, you must attend one of the following information sessions:

• Monday, March 11th
  Hokin Hall | 623 S. Wabash Ave.
  6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 12th
  Film Row Cinema | 1104 S. Wabash Ave.
  3:30 pm – 4:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 13th
  Room 203 | 623 S. Wabash Ave.
  2:30 – 3:00 p.m.
• Thursday, March 14th
  MCA Multipurpose Space | 618 S. Michigan Ave.
  5:00 – 5:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 15th
  The Loft | 916 S. Wabash
  12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Saturday, March 16th
  Hokin Hall | 623 S. Wabash
  3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
• Monday, March 18th
  Room 709 | 1104 S. Wabash
  6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 19th
  Hokin Hall| 623 S. Wabash Ave.
  3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 20th
  Room 609 | 33 E. Congress Pkwy.
  2:00 – 2:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 21th
  The Loft | 916 S. Wabash
  5:00 – 5:30 p.m.

You must arrive on time and attend an Information Session to get an application. Applications are only available at information sessions.

There are a number of great on-campus job opportunities for Columbia students, but you’ll be hard pressed to find one more rewarding than being an Orientation Leader.

The paid, summer-long experience is more than a job, it’s a truly unique opportunity to be one of the first faces to welcome new students to Columbia. Orientation Leaders (OL’s for short) serve as a guide for all new students and their families as they arrive on campus over the summer for Orientation and into Weeks of Welcome. It’s an opportunity open to all Columbia students who have 12 credits earned at the time of application, have at least a 2.5 GPA and are planning to take classes as a degree-seeking undergrad in the fall.

“When I applied to be an Orientation Leader, it wasn’t because I needed a summer job, it was because I wanted a group of friends I could trust. At the end of the summer I had 22 other people I knew I could confide in,” said sophomore Sam Muhammad.

Muhammad spent last summer working as an Orientation Leader, during which she got to know faculty and staff members, formed lasting friendships with other OL’s and became somewhat of a human Columbia College encyclopedia. Now she is one half of the Orientation Leader Board, along with sophomore Goli Parvinian. Together, they are in charge of recruiting and training a new team of OL’s.

“Part of having a great OL team is bringing together good mix of people with different personalities and leadership styles. Not every OL has to be super outgoing,” Parvinian explains. Orientation Leaders represent the entire study body so there’s a need for a variety of majors, backgrounds, and skill sets.

“As an Orientation Leader, you are the first face the new students see upon entering Columbia. Someone you made an impact on could remember you for the rest of their life,” adds Parvinian.

To prepare them for all the questions that inevitably come up during Orientation, OL’s receive thorough training on all things Columbia. They also work closely with college advisors and department heads to better understand the roles of offices on campus. This not only allows them to be a valuable resource for students and their guests but can enrich their own personal experience.

“I was so fortunate to get to work with faculty and staff members from across the college, whom I can now reach out to and rely on for help as a student and leader on campus,” expressed Parvinian, who is involved in several student organizations.

Orientation Leader Robert Almeida said that he could not choose a favorite part of working as an Orientation Leader. He enjoyed the experience as a whole. Almeida is a junior studying Audio Arts and Acoustics. “Being an Orientation Leader was an experience that changed my life in ways that  I knew it could, and in ways I never could’ve imagined.”

Being an Orientation Leader isn’t exactly an easy job, the hours are long, there’s a lot of information to learn, and making mistakes is inevitable. But by the end of the summer OL’s are masters at solving problems, soothing jitters and navigating the campus. Almeida said that “being an OL is a lot of work but totally worth it.”

“It’s so hard to choose my favorite part about this job. There were so many wonderful moments of shared laughter amongst OL’s and new students,” says Muhammad.

“The perks of being OL go so far beyond the paycheck. I am convinced that being an Orientation Leader brings out the absolute best in me,” adds Parvinian.

More information on the experience can be found on the facebook page, and further questions about applying can be directed to New Student Programs.