Sacramento State students can gain work experience based on their majors and is more convenient to work on campus than off campus.

Junior graphic design major Jessica Blizard, a paid student assistant for Director of Marketing Services Angela Rader, said besides the reasonable, flexible schedule with school and work, she gets to experiment and see what the real world of graphic design feels like. Working with other student designers with more experience shows her how graphic design professionals learn a technique one day and apply it the very next.

“I help out other designers finish projects for Angela,” said Blizard. “One of the recent projects I worked with other designers was for Dining Services. We designed (sketches for plastic lid) cups.”

Students do not need such experience as Blizard. For students who want to work in human resources, they can drop by or email their resume to Leticia Guerrero, payroll supervisor, if a student position opens

However, students with more work experience can also apply because there are three levels of work experience needed at human resources.

Level one includes working close with Guerrero and a routine work of clerical or manual tasks. Level two is monitoring the work of other student assistants and operating the laboratory and storeroom, repairing and maintain equipment and asking the public’s questions. Level three student assistants work on major projects, monitor the work of other student assistants and must obtain a bachelor’s degree to qualify.

Senior business major Andrea De LaTorre, who supervises the Dining Commons and Courtyard Market, said since students are already here to attend school, it is just better to have work on campus. It would be too chaotic to get from school to work and vice versa.

“You get to know people from your profession,” said LaTorre. “(You) get to learn more and interact with others in that profession. I was part of the brainstorming team in getting Good Eats ready from creating prices and menu to cooking procedures. It was the same with the Courtyard Market. I learned how to open a store.”

Other job opportunities can be found on the University Enterprises Inc. website. Once a student applies for a position, he or she must go to the department and speak to an employer. If the student passes the interview, he or she is directed to human resources for paperwork. Afterward the department will schedule the student for training.

Students also work at the eateries if working in an office environment does not fit.

Senior psychology major and a shift leader at Riverfront Center’s Togo’s, Lavita Jones, said she submitted an application for all campus dining places because she lived in the dorms and did not have a car.

“One semester, I gained a reputation as the ‘singing Togo’s girl’ because I was handing out Togo’s in the bleachers at a game,” said Jones. “I am always singing and when customers come to Togo’s, they will ask ‘Can you sing to us?’”

Unlike working off campus, Jones said her boss always puts school before work.

“My boss stresses school first and makes sure you don’t get pushed,” said Jones. “She stays on my case, always asking if I am doing alright in school or if I need a day off or not.”

Working on campus provides students an eye-opening experience of what to expect in their chosen careers or just simply the feeling of going to a job.

Kiran Kaur can be reached at [email protected]