Being a full- or part-time student can be a stressful situation without the added worries of making a living. For many students, the idea of finding a job, much less one that will work around a busy school schedule, can be daunting.
However, for eligible students attending Bakersfield College, the Job Placement Office can help.
According to Meghan Holland, job developer specialist, they have placed over 100 students in four months and they expect that number to be much higher once school starts.
Before visiting job placement, students should log on to the student employment website at www.bc.cc.ca.us/student/employment to find which positions are available and write down the job number of the position they will want, suggested Holland. Students living in Delano do not need to come to the main campus for a meeting, said Holland, “I go out to Delano about once a week. So, they just need to find out what day I am going to be there.”
According to the student employment Web site, Job Placement has five different categories: On-campus jobs, on-campus special requirement, off-campus, and off-campus out of the service area, and employment for students with disabilities.
“Right now there aren’t many on-campus jobs available on our Web site, but when school starts there will be a whole lot more [jobs],” said Holland, “and the bookstore currently has a wait list, it’s one of the more popular on-campus positions.”
The requirements vary from each category. According to the Web site, on-campus jobs require students be currently enrolled in a minimum of six units at BC.
On-campus jobs include employment at all of the BC campuses, BC main campus, Weill Institute, and Delano Center.
The on-campus special requirement jobs also requires that students be enrolled in a minimum of six units at BC, as well as specific position qualifications and prerequisites depending on the department. For example, tutors would require you to have an instructor write you a recommendation letter, said Holland.
On-campus and off-campus out of the service area, which are job announcements primarily from California, only require students be currently enrolled, with no minimum amount of units, or be a BC graduate, according to the Web site. Graduates looking to move out of Kern County can look on the job bored located in the job placement office for jobs in the area where they will be living.
Job placement can help with more than just job placement, said Holland. “We also help write resumes, and we help do interviewing if [students] have interview anxiety and want to practice,” said Holland, “we can assist with any employment questions that they may have.”
Students must reapply for positions every July, said Holland, “The positions are per year, the full year not semester. ”
Student workers are paid minimum wage and work any where from one to 19 hours maximum, according to the Web site. According to the Web site, Students who have more than one position still have to remain within the maximum hours.
Students who are interested in Job Placement should call to set up appointments to meet with a job development specialist Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m. to noon. They also take walk-ins Monday through Thursday from 11 to 1 p.m. and 9 to 11 on Fridays.
“It’s a good program and we will help them with anything [students] need,” said Holland.