Raise money together

Majority of students and other adults all have the same goal in their lives, and this is to make money. Education is beneficial to knowledge, of course, but it is also essential in teaching students the skills that they need to perform a certain job correctly. 

Fundraiser: Google images

With this aside, making money does not always have to be the focus for just you and you only. Fund raisers at Cal State Long Beach are commonly seen. Fund raising is a way to work as a team to raise money for certain things, instead of just putting it in your pocket for individual needs. 


Most commonly, departments will put on fund raisers to raise money for themselves, and students will participate in helping. These plans and organizations have definitely proved effective in raising funds and benefiting departments. Fund raising can be made fun, too. Unlike regular work that sometimes is not as enjoyable to do. 


http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students/asi/administration/documents/PolicyonFundraisingandDevelopment.pdf
The link showed above is the policy statement for fund raising on our campus. If a person or group are contemplating beginning a fund raiser or any activity of this sort, they must read through this and understand it.


From previous fund raising activities, CSULB has raised thousands of dollars. Sometimes, the school will get all of the student body involved, or at least notified of these organizations for those who are interested. 
http://www.csulb.edu/org/service/medlife/fundraising/
This is an example of a template letter sent out to students to notify them that on March 15, this is and that is going on and there's a play-by-play of who will speak and what the cause is, etc.


Basically, just because you are not feeling like you are directly being effected by the money coming in from these organizations, you really are. Maybe you are in a Spanish club that wants a trip to Spain, or maybe you are a nursing student who needs more utensils to make learning more enjoyable. It can happen with team work and getting involved. 

Getting involved

Photo from the Daily 49er

If you are interested in getting involved on campus, volunteering with ASI is a good thing to look into. Associated Students is all about getting involved, learning new things, meeting new people, and empowering yourself and others to help your fellow students and make your college experience a memorable one. Start by browsing this page and learning more about each of our volunteer programs. Each one is different, so there is a lot of variety.

Students who are interested in leadership activities should especially look into this. Being a community leader builds self-esteem, confidence, and through staff guidance, can turn you into a champion for yourself and others. Start with a position with Student Government. Taking an active role in supporting and leading your fellow students at CSULB will give you experience and help build character. It also looks great on resumes for future opportunities and jobs. 

By going on the school's main website, you can scroll through a bunch of different categories and focuses and see which you may most be interested in. 

 

http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students/asi/

Sketch courtsey of volunteerscreening.org 

By visiting the link above, you can look into what ASI at Long Beach is all about. In fact, there are positions listed as we speak of areas where student volunteers are needed. Help is basically always necessary. 

For the mind, and for the experience

No one could ever take away or buy your knowledge; this is why some things in life are solely based on experience rather than a big paycheck. Interning is an extremely good idea for any student to look into experiencing, whether or not it pays or it does not. 

Guidance: Photo taken by Marissa Bergman

Sometimes we find that there is no price to be paid for knowledge and experience, which is why interning is always a good idea. A college degree will give you a foundation for a job but how would you know how to successfully apply what you have learned in the classroom in a real-life incident in your job without practicing it? An internship not only provides the  opportunity for practical application of knowledge, but also allows you to develop self-awareness of your strengths, weaknesses, maturity, professionalism, values and ethics. 


An internship will be able to tie your studies on paper in with real-world experience, where like in a normal classroom environment, you will be guided by a professional in the field. This would also be a good way to simply see if the job that you've been dreaming of for so long is really what you want to do with your life. 


According to the CSULB main website, the Career Development Center serves as a resource for students seeking general internship information and advising, and maintains an updated listing of internships that have been approved for academic credit available through the Career Center are open to all CSULB students and help to gain hands-on experience and opportunity to work in a specific field or employer of your interest. 

The internships streamed through the Career Development Center require all participating internship course for academic credit. This is a bonus because not all internships will generally benefit your academic grade while you learn, and not all schools offer centers such as these. By making it a requirement for some classes, this will serve as an incentive to get some real work done. Truthfully, it is the smartest move to make! Like I mentioned before, do not get discourage if the internship of your choice does not pay your by the hour, because technically it will pay off in the end, one way or another.  

These programs vary from semester to semester, so it's good to stay on top of the new things that are happening in the interning world at CSULB. For the Journalism students like ourseslves, this Spring semester prof. Karadjov was the go-to man for internship information. "I generally set students up with the internship of their choice", says Karadjov, "and during their time of interning there are a few mandatory meetings along with check-ins, done by myself, to their supervisors to make sure they are doing actual beneficial work rather than going on coffee runs." 

Beach funds via call center

Photograph by David Robinson 

Aside from the different options of outlets were people can be employed at, there are also organizations such as the call center at CSULB that is composed of all students of the school. The call center is the main component of the Beach fund. While beach Fund callers are mainly responsible for increasing financial support of the university, they also foster relationships with the CSULB alumni and parents by providing various campus updates and event invitations. 

The Call Center is the most personal way for communicating with the CSULB community which also makes it one of the most successful methods of raising funds for the University. The Beach Fund consistently raises more than $1 million with over 9,000 participants (which are alumni). All of these funds go to benefiting our campus and improving it in different ways.

Unlike an ordinary campus job, Call Center positions are both beneficial, because it is for a good cause, and also (of course) the paycheck concept is always a perk. 
http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/urad/development/wheretogive/beachfund/callcenter/

One position that is offered at the center is called the "senior caller" position. There are about 5-10 senior callers they receive approximately 5 calling shifts per week. This is the entry-level leadership position at the program, and is where students would begin if accepted for the position. All team members work together and set an example for all other standard callers.

The senior caller has a positive attitude, is highly motivated, and consistently exceeds expectations.  Senior callers are the core group, responsible for bringing in a majority of the funds, setting the pace for fundraising, and creating a positive environment and work culture.  Call Center management staff can always depend on this group to work beyond minimum expectations to help reach Beach Fund goals.  

Photo by Emily Hadley

The Beach Fund Call Center is a good way for CSULB to show their integrity and positive attitude. No one would donate money, especially the amounts at hand, to schools and/or organizations not worthy of the contributions. 

Company chains at CS Long Beach

The dining options offered at CSULB are outlets that we are familiar with already. Restaurants such as "Panda Express" and the well-known coffee shops like "Starbucks", are available on campus. However, the title is basically the only thing that the campus store and the one near your house, for example, have in common. Although they are part of the same "chain", if you will, these stores located on campus differ in ways. 

A busy Starbucks: a Daily Mail Reporter file photo

If you are a Starbucks employee on the shop at Beach Blvd., for example, then you would not necessarily have the option of transferring to the Starbucks on campus because it is not the same thing. "I work at a Starbucks off property, and a lot of things are different", says Nathan Sirotta, 22, "The main thing is that the shop on campus generally won't have all the items available for sale there as we would at our store." 

When I found out that these certain well-known stores were of course affiliated, but not completely connected to each other, I was surprised. This fact itself is not a negative thing at all, just an interesting fact. 

Photo courtsey of Poi-Factory

One way to look at it is if you work at a Panda, Coffee Bean, Starbucks (etc.) on our property, you get a good taste of working for the company but do not have to know as much information and attention to detail as you would if you worked for the corporation itself! Personally, I love having these stores on campus, especially Starbucks. 

The Beach on 2nd Street

Courtesy of CSULB.edu

If you are a Long Beach resident and do not necessarily like being on campus 24/7 (or so it may feel like), you should know that there is also a store location located right on 2nd street at Belmont Shores! 2nd street in Long Beach has always been known to be busy and packed with people, so surely though would be a lot of walk-ins at the store.This area is also a good place for fun and entertainment. 


Unlike "The Beach" store on our CSULB campus, no textbook selling and/or buying is available at this location. However, everything else that someone may be interested in purchasing, such as clothing and gifts, can definitely been found here. 

Cal State Long Beach students have both the advantage and opportunity to work at this store location. Different from the dining aspect of the school, this retail store and also the one on property have a friendly atmosphere and staff. 

In addition to retail, there  is also the Outpost Convenience store on campus that is beneficial to students! If you have a headache, you can buy an Advil. If you are sleepy, grab a coffee! Not to mention, you can purchase food and microwave it right then and there. It's really accommodating to have a store that offers all sorts of "goodies" that someone would need. Basically, you can fill your stomach, get extra school supplies, and maybe a CSULB souvenir at this spot.  

Jobs at The Beach

Courtesy of Google images

First and foremost, for those students that are interested in getting a job at CSULB, they first should know where to start. Accessing the CSULB main school website is a great way to get information on job opportunities, as well as any other questions you may have.

http://www.csulb.edu/employment/
By visiting the link above, you are able to see job openings, available applications, application overview processes, current employees, and more.


Students are not the only people who are qualified to obtain jobs at "The Beach", but even locals are able to work at all facilities. Along with the restaurants and dining options, there are also positions at the book store, financial aid offices, jobs as a tutor, and more. 


"CSULB is aggressively recruiting high-achieving students from across the state as well as nationally and internationally while also maintaining its strong public commitment to access and educational opportunity for students from the local region", According to the Cal State main site, under "employment opportunities". 


Although our school offers these exciting and beneficial positions, the key goal is to focus on studies at the same time. School comes first, then work. 

Outpost Grill employs some of CSULB's finest

Courtesy of Google Images

The Outpost Grill at CSU Long Beach is not only a good place to eat, but apparently it's also a good place for employment. The menu, although pretty basic, is made up of many different food choices that are popular amongst the students, and even teaching staff. The location is good too, especially for someone like me because it is directly located next to the SPA buildings (were all of the Journalism courses are held). 

Like the majority of the other places to eat on campus, the Outpost Grill is basic food service: You order your food, wait until your name is called, and throw your own trash away at the end of your meal. So, unlike a typical restaurant, the employees take your order at the register and call your name when it is ready.

Even though it is a grill on a school campus, the way it runs is similar to any type of restaurant or snack shop. The hiring process is similar and the facility is ran by a manager. 


"Working on campus is very convenient", said Joanna, 21, a current Outpost Grill team member, "I generally work after I get done with my classes each day, and sometimes Fridays. But like any job, taking 18 units and working can sometimes be hard". 


Although work for a student, like Joanna, is located on property where she also completes her academics, like any other job doing both an be stressful and at time overwhelming. Especially taking 18 units a semester, which alone is extremely difficult. Her plate is full!


Nonetheless, everyone who works at this eatery have made my experience a good one, and the turkey club sandwiches are delicious. 

CSULB students: Don't travel far for a job

Most of us need to be employed and doing some type of work for many different reasons, whether it be to support ourselves, our families, or just to get through school! It is difficult to find a job, especially these days, and that's why students at CSULB have an advantage because they are not only able to study on campus, but also to earn money and get involved in organizations that can help financially as well as socially.

Photo by Melissa Quintanill

A job is a job, but a job at your school can also be considered as getting involved. There are three things that I know are important to me, and those are my academics, making money to afford those academics and fun, and also meeting people at Long Beach and making connections. 

For those people who do not need to work because they already have jobs elsewhere or for what ever reason, there are other ways to get involved working on campus by participating in things such as volunteering. (This is where the "moral" aspect comes into play). People like helping others, it's a good feeling. Along with academic benefits, volunteers feel good when they get involved in good causes. 

So, whether it be a job or a volunteer position, both can be beneficial to students in one way or another. It is good for students to be aware of these opportunities at hand because you never know who could be interested. Throughout my blogs over the next couple of weeks, I will review, discuss, and research several opportunities while recording them on here.