Job Description Memo Draft

Student Worker

My official title is student worker, but I usually go by Office Assistant or Receptionist because it sounds more professional. It makes sense that my title would be Student Worker, because I am a student who works. However, I feel that it lumps all student workers into one category, when I have vastly different responsibilities than students who work in other departments.

I work at the Office of Student Services at the School of Cinematic Arts at USC. Unlike student jobs in other areas like the Ticket Office or the Campus Center, my responsibilities specifically relate to the School of Cinematic Arts.

As Office Assistant, as I like to call myself, I have a number of responsibilities including responding to phone calls, putting together admissions letters, tending to the front desk, and helping to facilitate admissions events. These may seem like pretty simple tasks, and that is true. Whenever business is slow, I usually get to work on homework and chat with my fellow student workers. It is really nice to have a job that pays me, while giving me a good amount of down time to focus on my school work. That being said, I still face my fair share of challenges.

When answering phone calls, I play a major role in giving accurate and educated responses to people's questions. There is a lot to know about the film school, so I play a very important role in passing on correct information to prospective students. Sometimes even one phone call can dictate important decisions a person might make about their future. I answer questions about the various programs that we offer at SCA and explain the admissions process. It is crucial for me to understand each of the different divisions in the school, so that I can help prospective students to decide which program to apply to. Sometimes, I will get a phone call where the caller will ask a very difficult question and I have to be able to answer it accurately and with professionalism. Callers will even yell sometimes when they are facing a problem and need assistance right away.

When I am not juggling phone calls, I am usually tasked with other responsibilities which include creating labels for mail, creating excel spreadsheets, organizing random merchandise, and delivering paperwork to other offices. I often get excited when I get to visit other offices and interact with staff members I probably would not otherwise get to meet outside of work. I do really value having a job that gives me a level of activity and change. I don't usually enjoy work that involves doing the same thing repeatedly, or having to sit for long periods of time.

The third main responsibility that I have, is helping to facilitate admissions events. Whenever families travel to USC for events, I get to help direct them to their activities and engage with their interests. This gives me the opportunity to talk about my own experience as a student at USC and in the film school. It is interesting to me to hear about where people come from and what interests them about the school. I get satisfaction out of representing my school, and getting students interested and excited about it.

I have been working this job for almost a year now, and it has been a transformative experience, especially in relation to my overall college experience. It has allowed me to feel more connected to my school, because I get to interact more with other students and staff. It also helps to have to know about my school, because I am the first to be notified about upcoming events. This job has also given me a great appreciation for people who work in customer service and administration. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes in any business or institution. When on the phone, people often forget that there is a human behind it. It can be very easy for people to get frustrated or act unkindly because they do not see the person who is giving them information. There is a lot of trust that has to exist between the caller and the person responding, so I definitely am more conscious about how I act toward customer service workers.