By Karis Rogerson
News Editor
Although Asbury’s website maintains that jobs are available across many campus departments, incoming freshmen often have a hard time finding a job during their first semester.
Of 87 freshmen who responded to a poll, 56 (67.5 percent) said they do not have jobs on campus. If this percentage holds for the rest of the class, that would mean that approximately 213 of the 316 freshmen do not hold jobs.
In addition, of the 57 unemployed freshmen who responded to the question of whether or not they would like a job on campus, 41 (71.9 percent) said they would. If this percentage holds, that would mean approximately 153 of the 213 unemployed freshmen would like to work on campus.
Junior Hunter Plummer, who was able to find a job during his freshman year, said, “Rejection will probably happen, but it shouldn’t deter you.”
Freshman Lauren Batson, who had a job lined up before coming to campus, added that not all of her friends were so lucky. “A lot of my new friends on campus had or are having a much harder time finding fulfilling work,” she said.
Elizabeth Dresdow, another freshman, said she had difficulty finding a job in the library, where she specifically wanted to work because of her major in English. After turning in an application and checking up on it several times without result, she was informed by a friend that all the positions had been filled. “But they never told me, never contacted me or anything,” Dresdow said. “I was very disappointed about this and a bit taken aback that they weren’t nicer to the applicants.”
She added that her experience makes her wary of applying again, despite her desire to work in the library.
Plummer, who eventually found a job working as a student assistant for Deb Vetter during his freshman year, said, “It can be very difficult to find a job as a first-semester freshman because you don’t know very many people or departments, and you might feel unqualified.”
His job, he said, involved making sure the department ran smoothly. Since the restructuring in the department, his job has changed. There is now less work for him to do and, therefore, fewer hours.
To find the job, Plummer searched online page listing job openings (found under the Human Resources page on the Asbury website). He said things went smoother after he found the listings, although the website was difficult to navigate.
Even after finding the page, Plummer encountered some problems. “Having to contact each department to request an application takes time, as does filling out a new application for each, when much of the information is the same,” he said.
Although many students agree that finding a job as a freshman can be hard, some disagree.
Freshman Cynthia Moberly said it is not too difficult to find a job on campus but emphasized that it takes dedication. “Getting a job isn’t too hard if you put yourself out there,” she said. “There are plenty of job opportunities on campus.”
Moberly said she has three jobs: lifeguarding at the Luce Center, working in the cafeteria and helping the admissions office on a project presentation. In addition, she said, she volunteers at Southland and is also taking 14 credit hours. “It’s difficult to stay on top of things, but hard work pays off,” she said.
Although it is possible for freshmen to find jobs if they want them, it can be difficult and requires hard work. “Applying for jobs while trying to adjust to the college atmosphere is a very stressful experience,” said Plummer.
