UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Finding a job that fits with a student’s busy schedule can be hard. It also can be difficult to find a job that pays the bills while giving students work experience for a job after graduation.
Penn State students Samantha Donnelly and Anibal Rodriguez have found employment in the HUB-Robeson Center to be the answer to their need for income, as well as their source for growth as people and future employees.
HUB employment offers a variety of jobs for students, no matter their interest. Students who have a creative interest can work in one of the HUB art galleries, as an art camp counselor, or in the HUB Marketing Office. Students interested in event management can work in the Events Management Office, Schwab Auditorium, or facilities and operations. The HUB also has positions in Student Activities, the Break Zone, the Student Engagement Network, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, and the dining facilities.
These jobs give students the opportunity to expand their resume, work on skills for the future, and earn some cash. Resume-building skills such as learning how to communicate with people from different backgrounds, developing a strong work ethic, and balancing a job with schoolwork and other outside responsibilities are just some of the competencies students are gaining in HUB employment positions.
Rodriguez, a sophomore studying psychology, is currently employed with the Office of Student Activities working as a front desk employee. He is one of the helping hands in the office and provides assistance to those who may want to start a new student organization or answers general questions students may have.
Rodriguez said Penn State has done a great job of keeping in mind that its student employees are students first with flexible scheduling around classes. He also feels that his job is giving him the tools for his future as a psychotherapist by helping him learn how to better communicate with all types of people.
Mary Edgington, senior director of the HUB-Robeson Center, said that students often come in looking for just a job and end up not realizing they will be walking away with much more.
“I don’t think Penn State could operate without student employment,” Edgington said.
One thing that sets HUB employment apart from another job is the unique setting, Edgington said. The HUB-Robeson Center is home to various programs and activities run by students. Working in the HUB immerses students in all the daily activity around student organizations, student programs, events and more.
HUB employment also exposes students to a diverse environment and connects them with people they may not meet in another setting.
For students who are considering HUB employment and its benefits, career and academic growth are just two of the things that come with the job. Edgington said that the HUB employment experience also sets students up to “recognize their own competencies, learn the dynamics of group activity, and understand their role as responsible citizens.”
Samantha Donnelly, a junior studying nursing, said her time with the University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) provided a way to interact with other students and make connections outside of Penn State. UPAC is where student organizations can submit requests to receive funding for travel expenses, programming or equipment that will better serve student life.
Donnelly values her job with HUB employment because she remains a student first and a worker second. She said that with her flexible work schedule she is still given the opportunity to succeed academically while earning money to pay her bills.
“Other jobs may have you doing something specific to your major, but I wanted something where I can meet different people and do different things to work on skills that I may not get when I go into my career,” Donnelly explained.
This past year, Donnelly received the Employee of the Year award at the HUB employment senior sendoff end-of-the-year banquet. Despite the rough patches and periods of stress, she credits her co-workers and supervisors for helping her along the way.
Edgington hopes that students can see the opportunities HUB employment offers and the wide range of opportunities available to them. Teaching the student employees and preparing them for life after college remain the key objectives.
“The student employment experience is more than learning the mechanics of the job,” Edgington said. “It is the educational experience that comes with it by being a part of the HUB community.”
Students who are interested in HUB employment opportunities can find job listings on Penn State’s Student Affairs website. The best time to apply is in the spring or summer, but applications also are taken in the fall. The HUB-Robeson Center is a unit of Penn State Student Affairs.