Student employment is in high demand at NIU, with close to 3,000 students working at the university every year.

The largest employers on campus are Housing and Dining, the Holmes Student Center and the Campus Recreation Center, said Steve Cunningham, vice president for administration and human resource services. Over 900 students are employed through Housing and Dining. There are about 250 student employees at the Holmes Student Center and almost 200 student employees at the Campus Recreation Center, Cunningham said.

Students are always seeking to find something on campus that will lead to a career, he said.

“Student employment is an important aspect of the student experience,” Cunningham said. “As far as the financial aspects and the benefits of experience are concerned, student employment is a very positive, win-win situation for both the student and the university.”

Junior history major Charles Menicocci is a cafeteria worker at the New Residence Hall Complex. Menicocci said his job requires him to wash dishes, serve at the buffet, grill food and fulfill other duties at the cafeteria.

“My favorite part is serving people food,” Menicocci said. “I get to talk to people and don’t have to do dishes.”

Menicocci said he also likes working at the cafeteria because it is close to his off-campus apartment and pays him the money he needs.

Sesiree Adams, senior family and child studies major, works the information desk at the Holmes Student Center. She said she values her work experience.

“Working with people on an everyday basis builds my customer service skills,” Adams said. “Working with all ages of people has helped me to network, which is probably the most beneficial part of my job.”

An important benefit of working at the Holmes Student Center has been meeting many new people, Adams said. She said she thinks the center is the hardest to find work at compared to the Campus Recreation Center and Housing and Dining.

“I’ve experienced lots of people who come to the desk to apply,” Adams said. “But it’s a first-come, first-served basis, and most of the jobs have already been filled.”

Adams said she recommends applying at the Holmes Student Center since it is a rewarding experience.

Erica Cogswell, junior business management major, works at the Campus Recreation Center. She said is an intramural official and assistant, a competitive sports supervisor and she works for the payroll administration. She said she learns important skills, like supervising employees, which are related to her major.

Cogswell said her favorite part of her job is meeting a variety of people and working with her co-workers.

“I enjoy doing my job with them because they’re great people,” Cogswell said.

She said another perk of the job is how flexible her employers are with her class schedule.