Employment: Many sources on campus often overlooked when job-hunting
Continued from page 1
The leisure and hospitality sector,
and temporary work are two of the
biggest sources of summer employ
ment for students, according to Duy.
The wages for these jobs are be
tween $7.25 and $10 per hour, accord
ing to Duy.
“You’re looking at the lower end of
the wage range,” he said.
However, Duy points out that the
leisure and hospitality sector includes
restaurant wait staffs and other occu
pations that traditionally receive tips.
“If it’s a job with good tips, that
could be significantly more,” Duy said.
Also, many students benefit from
the flexible schedules offered by tem
porary agencies.
“I think the temporary agencies are
often overlooked as sources of sum
mer employment,” Duy said.
Duy said he applied with a tempo
rary agency when he was in college.
“I was working the next day,” he
said. “If you’re just looking to make
money, it’s not a bad way to go.”
Temporary positions are available
in a variety of fields
including industrial,
packaging and cleri
cal work, according
to local Selectemp
branch manager
Michelle Swancutt.
“The more open you
are to trying different
ONLINE
RESOURCES
Career Center
uocareer.uoregon.edu
Oregon Employment Department
www.employment.oregon.gov
things, the more suc
cess you’re going to have — you’ll
have more opportunities,” she said.
Temporary opportunities are espe
cially available in the summer when
many regular workers take their va
cations. However, some student
workers find temporary swing shift
opportunities during the regular
school year.
And though temporary work does
n’t provide a consistent number of
hours or a consistent wage rate, it still
allows workers to take home a week
ly paycheck and collect benefits,
Swancutt said.
Going through a temporary agency
also gives a potential worker access to
opportunities that may not be adver
tised to the general public.
Temporary agencies generally re
quire that applicants have at least
some work experience, have no felony
convictions and can pass a drug test.
Duy suggested that increased drug
testing could be a part of the difficul
ty some employers have in finding
qualified applicants.
“There does seem to be anecdotal
evidence that increased drug testing
could have an impact,” Duy said.
Swancutt says she hasn’t noticed
this effect in her agency.
“I haven’t seen our drug use go up
any more than it always has been,”
she said. “I mean, we live in Eugene.”
On the hunt
Tina Haynes, career librarian at the
University’s Career Center, said the
first step for students still looking for
work should be to log on to the Career
Center’s Web site and sign up for
UO-JobLink.
UO-JobLink is the free job search
tool available only to University
students and alumni through the
Career Center.
“We encourage all students to sign
on and register with us,” Haynes said.
The site has a listing of full-time,
part-time, temporary and seasonal jobs
as well as information on internships.
“Most of them typically are in the lo
cal area here,” Haynes said.
Haynes suggests checking the site
regularly because the
listings are constantly
changing. On Thesday,
a position was filled
within 15 minutes of
its posting on UO
JobLink, said Haynes.
“That is the magic
and the beautv and
the convenience of the
Internet,” she said.
Haynes echoed the idea that tem
porary jobs — many of which are list
ed on UO-JobLink — are often good
opportunities for students.
“They allow a little flexibility,” said
Haynes, who suggested that some
students don’t want to work through
the whole summer.
Haynes also said the Oregon Em
ployment Department is an often
overlooked resource for job hunters.
The OED’s Web site also offers an
online listing of jobs categorized by
type and location.
Haynes warned that the OED’s
Web site does not specifically target
students, while the employers who
post jobs on UO-JobLink are specifi
cally looking for college students.
The most important thing, Haynes
said, is to have a creative job-search
strategy. A diligent searcher must use
more than one resource and be will
ing to network in the community
rather than simply applying for jobs
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Tim Bobosky I Photo editor
Keely
Connell,
right,
interviews
Lawson
Williams in
order to find
him a new
job. Williams
has already
done mill
work and
market
research
through
Selectemp
Employment
Services
over the last
month.
that are advertised.
Haynes suggested contacting em
ployers directly, especially bigger em
ployers such as government agencies,
which often have more openings
and opportunities.
“I think the classifieds are very lim
ited,” she said. “It’s definitely a vi
able resource, but I think it would be
my least recommended.”
Haynes said students having trouble
finding work are welcome to stop by
the Career Center on the second floor
of Hendricks Hall in order to make an
appointment with a career counselor.
Career counselors can help with
job search strategy, resume construc
tion and advice on how to dress for
and speak in interviews.
Haynes said students sometimes
prefer to work on campus for
convenience. She specifically men
tioned the EMU, University Housing
and the UO Bookstore as campus
locations that frequently hire stu
dents regardless of whether they
have work study.
UO Bookstore human resources
manager Natalie Eggert said most of
the store’s employees are students.
“We do employ a lot of students
and give them flexible schedules,”
Eggert said.
Also, during the bookstore rush at
the beginning of each term, they of
ten need temporary help.
However, because summer is the
slow season for the store, Eggert says
she is mainly looking for employees
who are willing to stay on during the
regular school year.
“We don’t really hire people who
are looking for work only in the sum
mer because it’s just not worth it for
us,” she said.
Attitude is one of the most impor
tant qualities for a potential UO
Bookstore employee, Eggert said.
“What we like to see more than ex
perience, really, is someone who we
think will provide a good customer
service experience,” she said. “We
can train them to run a cash register. ”
UO Bookstore employees say they
enjoy the opportunity to work near
campus with their peers and the em
ployee discount on their books and
supplies, according to Eggert.
“We’re a little surprised that the
jobs are still coming in,” Haynes said.
She estimates that six new job post
ings come in to UO-JobLink per day.
“If you’re looking for a job for the
summer, there are some people who
have a three-week head start on
you,” Duy said.
Duy said students still looking for
work will probably have to be less se
lective in the types of jobs they take.
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” he said.
gabebradley@dailyemerald.com
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