Scorekeeping and timekeeping for SAIT Trojans home games are just a couple of the many options available to students wishing to work on campus. (Photo by Zachary Cormier/The Weal)
Working on campus can be a convenient employment option for many students who want to earn money while they study.
Walking around SAIT’s campus, it’s hard to overlook the numerous vendors and service providers that employ students.
At your favourite breakfast spot, it may be a student employee that makes your morning latte and butters your bagel.
This is the case, most days, at the Odyssey Coffeehouse located in the Campus Centre building.
Sean Anderson, manager of the Odyssey Coffeehouse, listed the work hours as one of the benefits of working at the Odyssey.
“We close at 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and at 2 p.m. on Friday.
“Employees have their weekends free,” said Anderson.
Such hours can be ideal for a student, allowing plenty of time for coursework, and having weekends off can be a plus.
The Odyssey currently has 10 employees, and those that work part-time average five to 15 hours a week.
“Some may find the open-kitchen set up at the Odyssey to be intimidating, also some might feel awkward serving their peers,” said Anderson.
Anderson, who started managing the Odyssey last semester, said that students who succeed at the job are flexible, adaptive, and have personality.
Anderson added that the Odyssey does go out of its way to take care of its employees and gives them the tools they need to succeed.
“Its focus is on the people,” he said.
Employees of the Odyssey can additionally work at the Gateway, allowing one to pick up extra hours when needed.
The Odyssey Coffeehouse offers a competitive “livable wage,” supplemented with tips.
Employees are also entitled to a 25 per cent discount at the coffeehouse and at the Gateway.
Anderson encourages interested students to personally drop off their resumes to him.
Located in the same building as the Odyssey is SAIT’s Athletic and Recreation department, headquarters for all things Trojans-related.
At Trojans’ games, spectators will notice that there are several elements to keep a game going: a mascot, scorekeeper, timekeeper, goal judge, ticket sellers, and announcers, just to name a few.
Samantha Turbach, who is in her third season as the SAIT Trojans game day and event coordinator, has 40 staff on her team all working together to make Trojans events a success.
Turbach says that approximately three-quarters of her staff are student employees.
“It’s awesome, you can watch sports while you work,” said Turbach of the benefits of working for the Trojans.
Turbach, who is a SAIT alumnus of the Broadcast News Development program, says that student employees primarily work on the weekends (Thursday-Sunday), these days generally coincide with games and tournaments.
A student can expect to earn anywhere from $10-$14 per hour working for the Trojans.
Although the majority of hiring is done at the beginning of the athletics season, Turbach encourages interested students to email her their resumes, as new vacancies do periodically become available.
One way to stay informed about on-campus work prospects, including Trojans job openings, is through SAIT’s Student Employment Services (SES).
SES aims to connect students with various employment opportunities.
Student employment advisor, Tony Lam, who has been with SAIT for over eight years, said SES offers students many services including a job search site, career events, and numerous workshops.
“After attending any of the workshops, a student can then submit their resume to us and we will review it and provide feedback,” said Lam.
The next workshop topics will be on resumes, cover letters, and interview strategies on Oct. 15.