Jobs abound on and off campus for UCLA students

By Sabrina Singhapattanapong
DAILY BRUIN REPORTER
[email protected]

  JONATHAN YOUNG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Eric Chwoong of UCLA Extension prepares a sandwich at the
Cooperage in Ackerman Union, where many students are employed.

From the College library to the Village’s Gap store, UCLA
students need not look past Westwood to find jobs.

Currently, 1,500 students are working at various Associated
Students of UCLA locations, such as Wetzel’s Pretzels and the
UCLA Store, said Patricia Eastman, executive director of ASUCLA.
This fall, ASUCLA is seeking to hire up to 800 more students,
Eastman said. Westwood businesses also rely heavily on student
workers to operate.

Many UCLA students, like first-year business economics student
Brian Park ““ who works about ten hours a week at
Wetzel’s ““ feel that working takes away from their
personal time. But Park said these time constraints push him to use
his time more wisely by studying more often.

Both on- and off-campus jobs usually require students to work a
minimum number of hours per week.

At the UCLA Store’s customer service section, employees
are expected to work a minimum of ten hours a week, said Jennifer
Gordon, a UCLA Store customer service manager. However, each
department has its own requirements, Gordon said.

For France Vu, a third-year theater student, working ten hours a
week ““ at the UCLA Store’s BearWear department ““
can be “a little monotonous” during long shifts.

With these time constraints, students should make sure that the
classes they’re taking aren’t “going to
kill” them before taking up a job, said Erica Andrews, who
works in the store’s BookZone.

There is also room for advancement to higher positions at the
UCLA Store, Andrews said.

“If you make an effort, the management is really
appreciative ““ it doesn’t go unnoticed,” she
added.

Students can also work in one of UCLA’s 15 library sites,
in areas ranging from the College Library Instructional Computer
Commons labs to book stacks.

There are about 700 CLICC lab clerks and library assistants
currently working on campus, said Araceli Bermudez, a human
resources specialist for UCLA libraries.

Students working in CLICC labs can earn anywhere from $9.61 to
$10.69 an hour, while library assistant hourly wages start at $6.83
and increase to $7.09 after six months of working, Bermudez
said.

Those interested in CLICC lab clerk positions must be willing to
learn and should be comfortable using a PC and a Mac computer, said
Hannah Har, a fourth-year cognitive science student.

“It’s mostly a personal service type of job,”
Har said.

Though Har enjoys the flexible hours and the “really good
pay,” she feels that having to work a fixed number of hours
each week ““ even during finals ““ is inconvenient at
times.

Besides on-campus jobs, a number of off-campus opportunities
exist for Bruins too.

The Gap in Westwood accepts applications year round, according
to store manager Mark Massey.

Retail experience, while preferred, is not necessary to be
considered for a position at the Gap, he said.

Massey added that applicants should be customer-service oriented
and may undergo two rounds of interviews.

Like many students who work in and around campus, convenience
was the reason why Dena Webb, a fourth-year sociology student,
decided to work at the Gap.

She advises new UCLA students not to work much during their
first quarter, since it might take some time adjusting to
everything.

Though juggling work and school has been a challenge, Webb said
that the Gap is willing to work with students’ schedules.

Off-campus jobs are available at numerous other Westwood
businesses, including Best Buy, where about 20 UCLA students are
now working, according to Ronie Roque, a Best Buy media
supervisor.

Starting wages average about $9.00 an hour and Best Buy
employees can get up to 50 percent discounts on selected store
items, said Shawn Johnson, a first-year psychology student.

In terms of training, new employees shadow experienced members
in various departments, Johnson said.

“They take care of you and you end up knowing what to
do,” he added.

Students can also make some extra bucks working at Best
Buy’s neighbor ““ Ralphs.

With about eight UCLA students currently working at the store,
Ralph’s Store Director, Mark Quinones, welcomes students who
are willing to work at least 20 hours a week.

Quinones also prefers candidates who dress professionally, have
held prior jobs for long periods and are flexible with their
schedules.

In addition, all new Ralphs employees start as courtesy clerks
““ stocking items, helping with maintenance, and collecting
grocery carts. However, workers can be promoted to higher levels
after six months of working, he said.