On-campus
jobs cater to student interests
By Joyce Kelly
On-line Forty-Niner
Money
is not a factor of whether a student likes
his or her job.
“I
like my job, it is very enjoyable,” said
Damian Cola, a business manager and managing
information systems major and peer adviser
in the Educational Opportunity Program.
Cola
assists his fellow students with information
about academics. If necessary, he refers
them to other services throughout the campus.
He says he is there if a student needs someone
to talk to, as well.
Cola
said he believes that his job will help
him with his skills in problem solving.
He earns $8 an hour and likes the experience.
“The
best paying student job is paying for the
skills of the students,” said Theresa Morrow,
student services manager in Academic Computing
Services. “It is better to pay students
for the skills they have learned than it
is to pay them for doing nothing.”
Students
must be enrolled in at least six units,
pass a test and pass an interview before
they can be considered for a job in the
computer services area.
“I
treat them like they are staff members so
they will be ready for the outside world
before they graduate,” Morrow continued.
Customer
service representatives at the Technology
Help Desk offers higher paying jobs for
students on the Cal State Long Beach campus
Located
in the North Campus Center, the students
who work in these positions help other students
with information about their e-mail accounts
and other computer problems.
“I
enjoy working with computers and people.
I have been involved with computers for
10 to 15 years,” Rick Elizundia, a first-semester
computer science graduate student said.
“I have always worked on jobs with computers.”
Elizundia’s
concentration is software advising, to set
up networks and databases. He attributes
receiving his job through attending work-study
for the Fall Job Fair at the beginning of
the semester.
“They
were looking for people with experience,”
he said.
Tim
Rudolph, a sophomore majoring in management
information systems, and Mike Clemson, an
undeclared student, have worked with computers
since they were 4 or 5 years old.
“Apple
II G was my first computer,” Clemson said.
Students
working in these positions can receive salary
increases. This can occur after a number
of completed hours.
“They
will review you and possibly give you a
raise after 200 hours and another after
400 hours,” said Tim Rudolph, a sophomore
majoring in management information systems.
Like
his co-workers, Clemson is considering a
future working in the computer industry.
“I
am considering database management and designing
programs that deal with software,” he said.
Many
of the jobs for the students are in clerical
positions with pay of $8.
“We
usually start around $8,” said Armando Contreras,
executive assistant to CSULB President Robert
Maxson. “Staff personnel have a set salary
scale. Staff positions are covered by the
union.”
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