Office: Music Resource Center and Language Center
Positions: Manager at the Music Resource Center, Language Assistant
Major: Math
What do you do in your positions?
At the Music Resource Center I help students sign up for shifts, I run and maintain the MRC email, and I work at the desk like other student employees. At the desk I check out materials like headphones, scores, and instruments. I also answer calls about any music performances happening on campus.
At the Language Center I’m often asked to tutor students in either of the languages I know: French and Chinese. I also help maintain the computer labs on the second floor of the Language and Dining Center.
How did you get your positions?
MRC: I was in need of more hours my freshman year, and the manager at the time was my partner in orchestra. He set me up with a shift, and that was the move needed to get my foot in the door.
LC: I applied to the job before coming to Carleton because I was fluent in French and had been studying Chinese in high school.
What new skills have you acquired?
The honest answer is increased professionalism. Checking and answering emails frequently is something that I wasn’t used to before, and now it’s second nature. Also learning to be a more reliable person — that is, being consistently on time to perform the service you are expected to perform for others.
How will your student employment experience help you in your future?
The meta-employment skills we get as student workers in a fairly low risk environment prepare us for a culture of working life that we frankly don’t get anywhere else during the academic year.
What type of person do you feel is best suited for these positions?
In general: People who consciously want to become more dependable.
MRC: Someone who enjoys music like any other person. It’s great to talk about music with whoever happens to be there.
LC: Knowing a language that isn’t part of the standard Carleton curriculum. You may have only a few people interested, but you can help them improve their language skills a lot.
What do you like best about your student employment positions?
MRC: Connecting with music majors is really fun because they are a very tight-knit group of people. They are also very passionate about music and a wealth of knowledge and advice about pursuing an interest in music.
LC: Cynthia Shearer and Mary Nelson are both fantastic mentors and friends. They are an absolute pleasure to work with.