‘The perfect option’: Students speak on University jobs

For Saida Pitt-Bey, an on-campus job is a laid-back way to make a bit of money as a college student. 

“It’s pretty chill,” Pitt-Bey, a junior majoring in marketing with a minor in Africana studies, said. “I only have to be down [in Nordy’s Place] three hours out of the day, twice a week. They keep me busy, but not too much — I still have plenty of time to do homework.”

Pitt offers students jobs that come with more flexibility than usual, but with this flexibility often comes less pay. There are jobs available all over campus — from Nordy’s Place to the Baierl Recreation Center, the University Store on Fifth and the university mailrooms. 

The “only bad thing” about the job for Pitt-Bey is that the pay is low, making it hard to live without a little bit of help from her parents, especially when it comes to buying food. 

“I make $10 an hour and I work about six guaranteed hours a week,” Pitt-Bey said, “It’s not a livable wage because that’s only like sixty dollars a week. If I didn’t have a meal plan, I probably wouldn’t have that many groceries.”

Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is currently $7.25 and has not changed since 2009, compared to neighboring states like New York and New Jersey, which both have a $15 minimum wage. Most on-campus jobs pay slightly higher than the minimum wage.

This minimal pay is similar amongst most campus jobs, including at the Baierl Recreation Center. Enzo Grappone, a sophomore computer science major who works at the Center, said he isn’t used to the pay range because he’s from California, where the minimum wage is $16. 

“I get paid 10 [dollars] an hour,” Grappone said. “It’s definitely not a living wage. Thankfully my parents are paying for a lot of costs at school, so it’s a little bit of extra money … but it’s not quite enough.” 

Despite describing his pay as “supplemental,” Grappone, along with Pitt-Bey, highlighted the flexibility of their employment. Pitt-Bey, who is taking 17 credits, appreciates how her job takes into account her schedule.

“They respect that you’re a student — they understand that school’s first and everything,” Pitt-Bey said. “The hours are very flexible. They base it off your school schedule, which is really nice … it’s a good college job.”

The University Store on Fifth is similarly flexible, according to Emalee Hostetler, a senior Russian major working as a student sales associate. 

“For [the University Store] it’s very much like you can schedule however many hours you want,” Hostetler said. “They completely understand that you have a class, so you can’t work in the middle of the day, but you can work 3 to 5, or whatever it is.” 

These short shifts are “the perfect option” if students are just looking for a college job, according to Stevie Nates, a junior psychology major. Nates has worked at the Towers mailroom for the past two years and said it’s been a great job for her.

“The pay isn’t the best, but it’s just so convenient to have on campus,” Nates said, “I don’t have to go on the bus or anything, especially when I was living on campus last year. When my shifts were early, it’s so easy to wake up ten minutes before and still get there on time.”

Campus jobs don’t only come with scheduling flexibility, but also with an opportunity to connect with fellow Pitt students. 

“It’s nice also meeting people that you haven’t met, or people in your major and stuff, because then you might have a class with them,” Nates said. “That can always be really helpful. And everyone is always super friendly and nice.”