San Jose City College offers job opportunities to students who receive financial aid and provides benefits and flexibility.
The Campaign for College Opportunity found that nationally, 40% of full-time undergraduate students are employed, of which 43% are employed on campus. At San Jose City College, just 45 students work on campus, which is 0.5% of students enrolled.
San Jose City College offers a variety of on-campus jobs, including positions at the Carmen Castellanos Gallery, Mesa Center, Metas Center, the cafeteria, the bookstore, and more. However, on-campus work is not open to all students. There are certain requirements students must meet to be eligible to work at San Jose City College. “To be eligible for work-study, the applicant must have a FAFSA on file,” Professor Michelle Gregor, a full-time faculty member in the art department, said. Beyond FAFSA, students must also compete for work as the number of job openings is limited. Chynna Obana, the director of the Mesa Center who is involved in the hiring process, explained what she looks for in a candidate. “I always look into hiring STEM students because it is a STEM program,” she continued by specifying that she also hires people who “demonstrate leadership and are active on campus.”
The Metas Center also requires candidates to be “full-time student, 12 units per semester to qualify,” said Klarissa Nguyen, a student intern at the Metas Center who is currently in her second year.
On-campus jobs offer student workers benefits that employers off-campus often don’t or can’t. The Carmen Castellanos Gallery offers professional development opportunities to employees interested in pursuing a career in the arts. “This job offers interaction with professional artists and engagement in the creative arts,” said Gregor. With each new exhibit, students who work in the gallery have the first chance to see the art and often meet the artists. This can provide a space for students to network and earn professional experience simultaneously. Veronica Brooks, a second-year Art History major who works as a gallery attendant, said, “It definitely gives a lot of benefits, it’s an amazing opportunity to get into more museum curation.”
The Mesa Center aims to be a competitive workplace by creating an environment that balances student learning with work responsibilities. “I recognize that they are students as an administrator; when they need to study, I am able to be flexible with their schedule,” Obana said. The ability to prioritize assignments isn’t something that people who work at Mesa take for granted. Susana Munoz, an intern at Mesa, said, “I really like working on campus because they’re really flexible with your hours.” Working with other community members also motivates participation. “You get to meet a lot of students here, as well as advisors who have the same goals as you,” Munoz said. Another student intern at the Mesa Center, Maritza Luna Lozada, an Environmental Science major, appreciates that working on campus minimizes her commute and provides space to study when needed. “They work with our schedule, and they prioritize our schooling. If we need to take a week off because we have an exam, they allow us to prioritize that,” Lozada said.
While there are many benefits to working on campus, students also note some drawbacks. “There are higher-paying jobs elsewhere (…) the fast food industry pays $20 an hour,” Obana said. Students at the Mesa Center make $18 an hour. Other students simply wish there was more to do on the job. “The gallery usually doesn’t have exhibitions all the time, so it would be a bit empty before the next one,” said Brooks. She hopes the gallery will host more exhibitions in the future so she can see more art and have more to do while she is on the clock.
While there are drawbacks for some students, Munoz feels the opportunity is valuable. “It is more about the experience than the money.” She worked at the Mesa Center for one year, and this is her first on-campus job. “I wasn’t learning anything that I could apply to my education at my last off-campus job (…) Here I’ve learned a lot of skills that I can apply to my future education once I transfer,” she said.
Opportunities to work on campus will continue into the summer, though there will be reduced job openings. More positions will become available to students as the fall semester begins. For those interested in learning more about on-campus job opportunities, head to the Mesa Center and speak to the program director. For those interested in working at the Carmen Castellanos Gallery, Veronica Brooks, the President of the Art Club, suggests stopping by and picking up an application. Metas Center
