Students Who Work Some are More Organized
By Terri Rimmer
Published 01/3/2008
Making Money
Rating: Unrated
Terri Rimmer
Terri Rimmer has 24 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. Currently she writes for http://associatedcontent.com. She has a daughter, McKenna, whom she placed for adoption in August 2000. Ms. Rimmer published her e-book "MacKenzie's Hope" on http://booklocker.com under the family heading. It's also listed on http://adopting.com. She resides in Fort Worth, TX. In 2007 she won a Media Award from Associated Content and in 2005 she received a grant from Change, Inc. In 2003.
View all articles by Terri Rimmer
Students Who Work Some are More Organized


According to studies, college students who work between eight to ten hours a week tend to be more efficient and spend their free time more wisely. (Source: phy.ilstu.edu).

Back in 1986, now Director of Career Services Bruce Brewer said that students who get caught up in academics often don’t take the time to look for jobs. (Source: University of West Georgia). At the time Brewer was director of placement and co-op education at the school, which back then only had approximately 1,800 students and was a college before becoming a university.

Brewer has so much to offer students who are job-seeking.

“In looking for a job, it’s an easy thing to put off,” said Brewer. “We encouraged all seniors (back then) within three quarters of graduation to come by and get set up at the Placement Office.”

There were three components to the office in ‘86 – Student Employment Referral Service (SERS), which dealt with off-campus employments such as fast food or secretarial work; Co-Operative Education, whereby students could get practical work experience in fields they were interested in, and Career Placement Service, when the people involved in the service work with seniors graduating, teach them to write resumes, interview, and talk with employers when they come to the college.

“We had good responses from the programs,” Brewer said. “Sometimes we already had the jobs.

Brewer also stated that sometimes Co-Ops (studnets working their chosen fields while going to school, had positions before graduating because of the contacts they made while in school.

Some students did internships through the Governor’s Intern Program.

“Many thought Co-Op would lengthen school for them but it only extended it a quarter. If it did lengthen it, it’d be worth it,” said Brewer. “Our biggest problem was getting enough students in. We had more jobs than students.”

The Placement Office helped with baby-sitting, temporary work, Christmas jobs, and seasonal positions, along with summer opportunities, which the job fairs are for. Representatives come to the college either by contacts from faculty members or ones the Placement Office has.

Back in 1986 Brewer aimed to try to increase the number of on-campus jobs.

“I saw that as a big help for students,” he said.

There was a coordinator with SERS, one for Office Services in the Placement and Co-Op Education Program, and an assistant director of Placement and Co-Op.

“I felt all students should intern or co-op, gain some practical experience before graduating,” said Brewer.

Brewer said staff members used to have to hunt for students.

“We spent quite a bit of time tracking down students for jobs. I encouraged students be a little more aggressive,” explained Brewer.

Since 1986 representatives from various companies such as Metropolitan Life, C & S Bank, and First Atlanta Corporation have been participating in on-campus recruitment, career days, and workshops conducted by the Placement Office.

Career Placement Services (CPS) assisted students and alumni with career exploration an decision making by providing career consultation, an availability of a career research library, current career position announcements, on-campus interviewing, referrals to employers for available positions, employer contacts, and workshops.

The SERS helped students looking for part-time, temporary, seasonal, or internship work. The Co-Op Program blended college study with periods of practical experience in a work setting relating to the student’s major or career field by providing students with hands-on experience in his or her chosen field of study, testing classroom theories in the work setting, evaluating career directions prior to graduation, and increasing career options after graduation while earning money to help meet college expenses.

The average salary for a student with a B.S. in Education, according to results taken from an alumni questionnaire in Dec. 1985 was $16,904. In the School of Arts and Sciences the average salery with an A.S. degree was $20,750 and in the School of Business the average for a student with an M.B.A. degree was $27,500.00. Surveys were mailed out during July to graduates from August 1984-June 1985.

Brewer said the Placement Office was working with area industries, business affiliations, and was active with the Chamber of Commerce even back then.

“We were trying to work with them and meet needs,” he said. “One student worked in the Roosevelt Institution and students also interned from hospitals, accounting firms, and banks typically one quarter, with many working during the summer.”

There was still a demand in the area of food service and workers with United Parcel Service (UPS).

“UPS was a big employer for us,” said Brewer. “It paid well, it was mostly labor work.”

There were 30-40 students in UPS in 1986 who made $7-$8 per hour.

“Students tried to find jobs not requiring more than 20 hours,” Brewer revealed.

According to Brewer, IBM employed the largest number of students from the University of West Georiga along with AT & T in ’86.

The “hot” jobs in that era were in computer science, math, and science.

“There were more science positions than there were people to go into them,” Brewer reported.

He predicted that the computer science field would get tighter and more competitive back then.

“Our co-op students were very competitive,” he said. “If you had no experience it was going to be tough.”

Brewer said History and Science majors were going to be have to be more flexible, a key word for many majors, along with English concentrations in 1986. Those majoring in physical education would find there was a big demand for early childhood daycare positions because of all the public kindergartens in the 80s.

Special Education was considered a “hot” job, too back then. In the area of Foreign Language, there was a shortage of people with specialties in 1986.

“It wouldn’t hurt people to have some foreign language background,” Brewer said. “If I were a student I’d definitely co-op. Experience is the key word.”