OhioLINK opportunity helps Ohio State student succeed at work and on campus

After moving from India to attend graduate school at The Ohio State University, Anuja Dixit started a new job as a member services student assistant at the Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK) about a week before classes began in fall 2022.

This head start allowed her to adjust to life at Ohio State and learn how to use university resources such as the Campus Area Bus Service with the help of her supervisor Tasha Bryant-Willis. At the same time, Bryant-Willis and her colleagues quickly made Dixit feel like a member of the OhioLINK family. OhioLINK is part of the Ohio Technology Consortium (OH-TECH), a division of the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

“I feel important,” said Dixit, a first-year graduate student in computer science and engineering. “From the very first day I have felt that the environment was very welcoming, and every job I have done I get to learn something new.”

Bryant-Willis, OhioLINK member support coordinator, has worked with many capable student employees over the years but says that Dixit's individual attributes set her apart.

“The initiative she shows and the leadership skills that I know she will continue to hone during her time here are already exemplary,” Bryant-Willis said. “I just like working with her. She’s the greatest, so easy to work with and so smart.”

Bryant-Willis ensures that student assistants can adjust their work schedules to prioritize their academic responsibilities. Dixit said this flexibility has allowed her to focus on her studies while succeeding in her OhioLINK position.

“OhioLINK has given me the privilege to control my own workday,” Bryant-Willis said. “It is only fair that it is extended to our student employees, who can learn about productivity and responsibility in a supportive environment.”

As a member services student assistant, Dixit’s formal job description includes routine tasks such as working on video transcriptions. But she has also expanded her role to statistical collection, data entry, website work and automating other business processes. These opportunities have shown Dixit different aspects of technology that she had not learned in her previous educational experience, she said.

“A few parts of the work were related to my major so that helped me a lot, but in these past couple months I have learned so many things that I can add to my resume that will help me in the future and during a job search,” Dixit said.

Dixit said her time at OhioLINK also has helped improve her communication skills and ability to understand others.

“Better communication makes for a better connection,” Dixit said. “That feeling that you matter and are cared for—that’s important.”

Students interested in working at OhioLINK or its Ohio Technology Consortium partners OARnet and the Ohio Supercomputer Center should monitor the Ohio State job board, where positions are posted regularly. Some positions are also posted to Handshake.

As part of the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Ohio Technology Consortium, OhioLINK partners with The Ohio State University for fiscal and legal support, including hiring processes. While some positions are open only to Ohio State students, others are open to applicants at any Ohio institution.