Campus work issue

[Fyshhed]

Over the summer I have been trying to contact my college bio department to get a laboratory job for the school year. These jobs are ideal for various reasons.
-work related to one's major
-pay is $10/hr
-hours are self-defined
-no required transit around town, work is on campus

So, being an ambitious individual, I trekked on down to the campus one mid-July afternoon.
I sat down in the student financial services office and said "I need a job."
"What kind of job?" they asked.
"Lab work, pertaining to my field," I said, "which is biology."
"Is this for work study?" they asked.
"No, I don't qualify for work studies. I just want a regular lab job for the school year." I replied. It was true.
"Then here is the person you need to get in contact with." They told me, gave me the contact, and sent me on my way. I got home, went to work at Wendy's, gave them my two-weeks' notice, and went on my merry way. I sent an email to the contact and awaited response.
It came a week later:
"Eric, we only take work studies. Sorry."
That was all.
Somewhat baffled, and running out of time to find an alternative, I asked my friend who has a job on campus pertaining to his major (in the fashion I was attempting) if his workplace was hiring. He told me he'd find out in the next few days.
A few days later, I get another email from the lab contact.
"I am in room 601, call me for an appointment."
That was all.
So I tried to call, but this college is notorious for it's elusive contacts in the phone system. I sent another email saying so, and offered some available times for an appointment.
Around here my two weeks' were up at Wendy's and I became unemployed.
My friend got back to me about his job, "They're not really in need right now."
"That's ok, my contact changed her mind anyway." I told him. Things were settled.
A week later, today, I get another email.
"Eric, I only do work studies. Sorry."
That was all.
Now I'mmore than a little disgruntled about this. Why? I was under the impression that A) the financial department would give me a contact that suited my needs. IE a non work-study lab job. B) The contact can make up her mind and not get my hopes up to the point where I'm all done preparing for a job switch and suddenly the boat sails away without me.

School move-in is on Saturday. Today is Thursday. In spite of my preparations, I am by no means at the point I expected to be at. And it doesn't appear to be my fault, at least from my perspective. I have to go back to the financial office at the earliest opportunity and find a substitute job in a similar field. There is a chance I will be able to get into a different lab with a different bio technician. However, I have to start all over again playing my cards. This time I don't have the advantage of early approach, and it's going to be tougher. Regardless, I refuse to go back to burger-flipping.

Life's a bi-ch.
:?:

[chadn737]

Unfortunately many Scientists must work within the limits of their funds and when funding comes up short the first to go are the undergrads. It happened with my first job and I had workstudy as well.


This year I had to take a paycut after my workstudy got taken away because of sholarships.

I dont know what school you are at, but you may want to look around at different departments. You'll find that often times there will be similar projects going on there. Depending on how large you school is there may be biology labs scattered across several departments. If your school has any agriculture departments you may want to check out them (especially agronomy, animal science, or something) they will oftentimes have biology labs and in my case a lot more money than the biology department.

I work for Iowa State's Plant Treansformation lab, where they do genetic engineering on crop plants. It is a part of the Agronomy department and not Biology, but the work is exactly the same.

You may want to try the Chemistry Department as well. You may not be doing biology, but the skills you could learn there will be invaluable. You may not realize it yet, but if you plan on doing lab work in Biology, something like genetic engineering, then you are going to need a lot of Chemistry. Its something you'll use in Lab work everyday, especially if you're just starting out with little expierence. Most of what you'll be doing is basic stuff just as easily learned in any other type of Lab.

One more thing, get to know your Proffessors very well, you never know when they may need some undergrad help or if someone else comes asking them for references. I have potential employers ask my Proffessors and gotten good reports, because of that I often have people emailing me asking if its possible to work.

[Fyshhed]

Thanks for the advice. I do intend to weasel my way into someone else's lab, but I suspect I'll have to make friendly with the profs to get the permission. That shouldn't be a problem. I met some people at orientation... ;)

[HappyLady]

I'm not sure if you're looking for advice or what, but my advice would be, if you need a job and have a job, never quit the job you have until you have another job secured. "Secured" would mean that you have gone through the interview process, been offered a job, been asked when you can start, and possibly even signed a contract of some kind stating when you start. THEN give notice.

Secondly, while I know we can't control the ineptness of others, you were provided with a contact number from the first office. A contact number is a place to get more information, not necessarily get a job. And an "appointment to be seen" doesn't mean an "appointment to be employed."

It seems like the person you contacted by e-mail was confused, but without knowing what transpired in those e-mails, it is difficult to say if she erred or not.

It was difficult to derive from your post what kind of responses you were looking for, but since you failed to see your fault in this, and I saw it differently, I figured I'd respond to the debatable material. ;)

[Zhavric]

Happy Lady has given you good, sound advice regarding staying in a job until you have another one lined up. Not thinking that you have another one lined up, but for-sure have one lined up.

I, Zhavric, am a classist. I would sooner starve / get evicted / get my car repossesed than than flip a burger. I know that's completely irrational / hypocritical since I used to sling coffee / probably more than a little insulting. *shrugs* Note that I am speaking 100% for myself on not commenting on anyone else's decisions.

Well, now I am: quitting a job at Wendy's is never a bad thing. What you lack in money, you'll more than make up for in increased self-respect.

I recommend you pray to Grabzor. He will guide you through this troubling time. Should you go out on your own and find a job, it is Grabzor's will and you should be thankful. If you stay at home and do nothing / starve / get evicted it's because you are a lazy bumb. All good comes from Grabzor. All not-good comes from you.

...


...


Hopefully that last part was amusing. I recommend you contact a temp agency such as Adecco (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 3 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.). Temp work pays a lot better than flipping burgers, gives you practical real-world experience that you can put on a resume, and may help you find a permanent job that you like.

Good luck.

[Fyshhed]

Thanks for the input. For the record, the contact is the technician in charge of that particular lab. I'm sure the other labs can be opened up if I meet the right people.