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Student Employment

Join the AU RecFitFam!

Recreational Sports and Fitness offers a variety of part-time job opportunities. Most positions are only open to current AU students. For Personal Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, we accept both student and non-student applicants.

The department welcomes all currently enrolled students who are service-oriented and reliable to apply. RecFit is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

In addition to flexible schedules, benefits include:

  • Interacting & networking with students, faculty, and staff.
  • Developing customer service, leadership, & teamwork skills.
  • Opportunities for advancement within the department.
  • Work in a fun, social environment.

Job Descriptions

Individuals are responsible for maintaining a safe, clean, and welcoming facility for members and guests. Specific requirements include cleaning equipment, interacting with members, giving tours, demonstrating the use of equipment and reporting specific problems to the manager. This highly visible job requires an individual who is responsible, outgoing, and enjoys health and wellness.

Applications are typically accepted in April, July, and November for the upcoming semester.

Applications are only accepted via the Student Jobs portal.  

This position ensures the safety of members in and around the Reeves Aquatic Center swimming pools. Lifeguards are responsible for guarding and communicating with members, and performing assigned tasks for pool maintenance. This highly visible job requires a responsible and dependable individual who can demonstrate proper lifesaving skills in emergency situations. Contact Brenton Taylor at btaylor@american.eduCurrent Lifeguarding certification is required.

Provide AU RecFit members with fitness assessments and exercise prescriptions to reach their health and fitness goals. Candidates need to be available to meet with clients on a weekly basis. Current Personal Training certification is required. 

AU RecFit also provides American University students learning opportunities to become a certified Personal Trainer. To apply as a Personal Trainer or learn how to become a certified Personal Trainer, contact Michael at mrosengart@american.edu.

Individuals interested in this position must be a nationally certified instructor interested in leading classes as part of our group exercise schedule. Prospective instructors will be required to audition. Contact Nancy Zhou at nzhou@american.eduCurrent Group Fitness Instructor certification is required.

Intramural Sports hires and trains referees for all officiated programming which includes basketball, flag football, soccer, softball, volleyball, and more. Schedules are flexible to fit week to week academic needs. Employment is contingent on completion of a preseason training course. Contact Jesse Geer at jgeer@american.edu.

Photographer/Videographers capture Recreational Sports and Fitness by taking pictures of special events, club and intramural games, programs, and more! Prior experience (past work, class, portfolio) is required. We typically hire for this position in July for the upcoming year.

Assist with various office tasks, including designing logos, banners, and miscellaneous graphics for Recreational Sports and Fitness programs, events, webpages, and flyers. Experience with Graphic Design software is required. We typcially hire for this position in July for the upcoming year.

Over 150

students employed with RecFit annually

How to Apply

Current job openings can be found on the Student Jobs webpage through American University's Department of Human Resources.

Student Employee Spotlight Maya Green

I am a fourth-year undergraduate student in the School of Public Affairs (SPA), working towards a BA in Justice & Law, with a concentration in Terrorism & National Security. Over the past few years, I have worked multiple positions in the RecFit department, but have now been a Manager-On-Duty for about 18 months! 

I take great pride in being a role model and inspiring staff through my hard work and dedication. I care deeply about Recfit and ensuring the facilities are a comfortable & safe environment for the entirety of the community. Working in this department has been one of my favorite parts of being at AU and has taught me many valuable skills that I will continue to use in my career. I have grown close and formed life-long bonds with so many people, as well as gained an incredible support system that I will forever be grateful for. The staff members are more than just coworkers, we are a family.

“Fitness is what brings people together.”

Chelsey Cao, SIS/BA ‘18

I’m an international student from China and I’ve been working at Rec Fit for two years. Either as a student or as an employee, fitness is an essential part of my time at AU. It has been a unique experience for me as a member of AU Recfam to create an inclusive space for students from various backgrounds to enjoy fitness. When I see students who speak different languages play basketball together on the open court, encourage each other on the strength floor and have fun in group exercise classes, I know it’s fitness that brings people together. And I’m glad that I am a member of this diverse fitness community.