Awesome Work-Study Job for Freshman!

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
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<p>Hey All,</p>

<p>If you've decided to join Penn's class of 2013, congratulations! If you've also been lucky enough to score some work study money in your financial aid package, I encourage you to consider working as an Information Technology Advisor (ITA) for your college house.</p>

<p>What's an ITA do, exactly?</p>

<p>ITAs serve their college house in 2 ways. The first way is by sitting in the house computer lab during shifts, making sure the printers have paper, the lab is tidy, etc. They also help students in the lab with their computers (getting students connected to the Internet, diagnosing viruses, installing Penn-mandated software, etc.). The second way ITAs help their college house is by monitoring what we call "the Queue." The Queue is an online website all the ITAs have access to where college house residents submit requests for ITA assistance. ITAs can take on cases as they please, making appointments with the residents to work on their computers.</p>

<p>So what's one sentence that describes ITAs?</p>

<p>The ITAs are Penn's awesome computer tech helpers (much like Best Buy's Geek Squad, except without the goofy outfits).</p>

<p>What are the recommended requirements for being an ITA?
*Have work study at Penn (highly recommended, although not necessarily crucial)
*Good customer service skills
*Good with troubleshooting computer problems (really optional, though, because they teach you everything you need to know in training)</p>

<p>What are the perks for being an ITA?
*You get to move in early before anyone else! You'll move in around August 25th for ITA training, where you'll learn everything you need to know to be a great ITA.
*Make tons of friends before NSO! You'll become really good friends with the other ITAs in your house and already know a bunch of freshman and upperclassmen before anyone else even arrives on campus.
*Great work study! ITAs get paid between $8 - $9 per hour, and the work is fun and rewarding. The residents in your house will think you are a hero for fixing their computers!</p>

<p>Where do I sign up!?!
Head on over to <a href="http://www.rescomp.upenn.edu/itaapp/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.rescomp.upenn.edu/itaapp/&lt;/a> to apply!</p>

<p>I have been an ITA for Stouffer College House for the past year and I have really enjoyed the program. It's nice to get some money every week, and I really like helping the residents fix their computers. If the ITA position sounds like something you might enjoy, please consider applying.</p>

<p>Best,
Kevin
SEAS '12</p>

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<p>do you get to print free since you do all the computer fixing for everyone? you should. also, how many hours/wk are required?</p>

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<p>ooo this sounds really cool.
what if i’m terrible with computers by nature that the training session won’t cure me of my technological incapability?</p>

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<p>Does this imply that their service will be free of charge?</p>

<p>I think I might need them to install windows for me on a MacBook after I get here…</p>

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<p>@Susiebra: Unfortunately, no, you still have to pay for printing.</p>

<p>@CrystalPineapple: The training is very helpful and does not assume that you already know a lot about computers. For most of the cases that pop up (connecting students to the Internet, installing/updating anti-virus, installing Windows updates, etc.) you’ll have a paper that tells you, step-by-step, exactly what to do for each issue.</p>

<p>@Code Monkey: Yes, residents have access to ITA help free of charge.</p>

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<p>*You get to move in early before anyone else! You’ll move in around August 25th for ITA training, where you’ll learn everything you need to know to be a great ITA.</p>

<p>^Why is that a perk? Wouldn’t it be expensive to have to go early because then you have to rely on restaurants?</p>

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<p>@SusieBra: Actually no, the dining halls are open during the summer, and you get a certain number of free meals for the time that you move in early. Your moving-in early is also paid for by the ITA program.</p>

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<p>Thanks. 1. How many hours/wk (minimum) do you have to work? 2. do you only have to be an ITA in your college house? Meaning do you only have to serve your college house community?</p>

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<p>@SusieBra: I believe the minimum is “some hours.” By that I mean you need to work at least some hours; your house might have specific minimum hours that I don’t know about. Stouffer, where I work, doesn’t have minimum hours, but each of the ITAs work enough to where all 9 or 10 of us cover every 2 hour shift offered throughout the week (6 PM - 2 AM Monday - Thursday, 2 PM - 12 AM Sunday). That’s 44 hours, so however you guys divide that up amongst yourselves is up to your ITA staff.</p>

<p>Yes, you will only work for your particular college house. You can provide assistance to the other ITAs in other houses, but it’s their responsibility to help their residents. Also, you won’t be helping anyone not affiliated with your college house (Engineering departments, other Penn organizations, etc.). You just help your college house.</p>

<p>@KLee843: I was contacted for a phone interview in late July. They might contact you at a different time, though, depending on your House.</p>

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<p>I have $3,000 in work study. How possible is it for me to make $3,000 doing this job? Are there better paying jobs?</p>

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<p>@KLee843: No, after the phone interview they will evaluate your application and let you know whether or not you got the job 1-2 weeks later.</p>

<p>@SusieBra: Yes! That’s definitely possible. I made ~$1,000 in one semester (+/- $100), so you’d make around $2,000 in 2 semesters, definitely below your $3,000 limit.</p>

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<p>Yeah but that’s not good. If you make $2,000 for the year then you haven’t done the $3,000 work study that you need in order to pay for the year and would owe $1,000, right?</p>

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<p>@SusieBra: That’s not how work-study works. The government will give up to $3000 to Penn to pay your salary as an ITA. So when you work a week or so (let’s say that’s $50), Penn gives you $50 and sends in the receipt to the government. After a while the government will send $50 to Penn to reimburse them. However, if you work more than the $3000, the government will no longer reimburse Penn. Therefore, Penn has no incentive to pay you. That’s why you won’t get paid anymore after you earn $3000. However, you will not be penalized in any way for earning less than $3000 in a year. Work-study is not a loan.</p>

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<p>So, if you get $3,000 work study, it means that you have the opportunity to earn $3,000 and you don’t have to give that money to Penn to pay for the year?</p>

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<p>Right, work-study is not as much a job to help pay for Penn tuition as it is to pay for everyday expenses like food, groceries, movies, books, fun, etc.</p>

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<p>is it possible to earn more than say the $3000 max work study? what if u decide to work more hours…does it mean that they won’t pay u once u get over ur max work study amount??</p>

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<p>I’m pretty sure that you have to be given work study as part of your financial aid package, and then you can only earn the amount of money for work study that you are allotted.</p>

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<p>@starcrane721: I have heard that it is possible to apply for more work-study if you go beyond the $3000 or so that they initially give you. But if you don’t apply for more (or you do apply but get denied), then yes, they won’t pay you once you get over the max work-study.</p>

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<p>I have heard of people who don’t have work study but who do certain jobs around campus ex. in the office of the residential house. What is the difference? Is there any advantage to working vs. working under the title of “work study”?</p>

<p>Also, is the job of ITA very busy, in that you frequently have to help people and don’t get time to study/do hw while you’re on the job?</p>

<p>Thank you!!!</p>

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<p>@SusieBra: No, no real difference. The University just prefers that you have work-study because then they don’t have to pay as much out of their own funds for your salary.</p>

<p>ITA is not too busy. You might spend half of the time helping clients with their computers and maintaining the lab and the other half just surfing the web or doing homework.</p>