Kayla Hancock, freshman pre-physical therapy major, has a job in her hometown but wants to eventually land a job in the DeKalb area.

“I plan on getting an apartment my junior year,” Hancock said. “Once I get an apartment in DeKalb, I want a job [that’s] closer to me.”

For many students, a stable job in DeKalb is hard to find. Some, like Hancock, are nervous about inevitable job searching.

“That makes me feel a little worried because, believe it or not, money is everything,” Hancock said. “You need it for gas, rent, food, bills, school and any other extra needs.”

Lee Blankenship, owner of The Village Commons Bookstore, 901 Lucinda Ave. #K, said the lack of jobs for college students can be attributed to the size of DeKalb.

“I think [college unemployment] has to do with a large college campus in a medium-sized town,” Blankenship said. “There are limited jobs in a city the size of DeKalb.”

Shannon O’Keefe, Fatty’s Pub & Grille manager, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway, said job flexibility may cut down on the number of potential employees.

“There are a limited amount of jobs that offer [students] flexible hours [and the ability] to leave during the summer,” O’Keefe said.

Blankenship said the best time to apply to the VCB is in late summer.

“We have two peak periods, a fall book rush and January book rush,” Blankenship said. “[Applicants] need to come in about a month before those times happen.”

Summer applicants are more noticed in bars as well.

“The best time [to apply] is a couple months before school starts,” O’Keefe said. “Apply in June or July saying that you are available to start at the beginning of the school year for the duration of the school year.”

As for now, places like Fatty’s already have their fair share of job applicants.

“I would say we literally got 200 applications in the last two months,” O’Keefe said. “We need to keep buying more blank applications, and we receive about 10 each day.”