How to attract students to a boring underpaid job?

chamlis

I'm running a computer lab in a University and I need to attract Work Study Students to work as lab monitors for next semester.
Yes, it is in Cleveland not Ireland but don't let that change any suggestions, please. This is one time where crazy after hours answers might actually be the best...
So of all the departments offering work study, mine pays the least - basically minimum wage. The job itself is boring - making sure students sign in and out and mark if they printed etc. If a 'puter asplodes then put a sign on it saying "fecked - move on" etc etc.
We can't offer more money or any kind of cash rewards or incentives. Gift cards may be ok but there is really nothing around here besides Starbucks.
I was thinking something along the lines of novelty USB sticks from ThinkGeek or something but I need to attract all students not just techies. You don't need to be a techie to work here!

Please any help would be appreciated!

Noopti

If a person doesn't want to do a job, I doubt a USB key will change their minds.

You should focus instead on targetting the people who might actually do the job....

Zillah

You could try causing a recession.

ixoy

Access to an account with no firewall / monitoring software and no traceability.

ANXIOUS

How much is the pay? I may be tempted to dust off my old social security card.

chamlis

That's easy. Except for the traceability part

Son Of A Vidic

Free beer might motivate.

MagicMarker

sexual favours.

Sykk

How underpaid are you talking?

Max Power1

medicman2009 wrote: »

Free beer might motivate.

MagicMarker wrote: »

sexual favours.

QFT

Stephentlig

this has got to be a bogus thread :rolleyes:

Dravokivich

4.0 gpsomethingsomething

chamlis

The pay starts about $7.20 an hour and goes up every year till it's about $9.00. Maximum of 4 years.
But each student may only work 2 or 3 hours a couple of times a week.
The main competition here is the other departments paying more and also being cooler, like recording services and distance learning (pioneering tellepresence type stuff).

I need to make it cool!

EDIT: they work the amount of hours they can, they are not limited to 2 or 3 hours etc

rowanh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMCQJA0sw4c

Might help?

ScumLord

Put a shiny disco ball over the entrance, young people love shiny disco balls. There's even a song about them.

ANXIOUS

chamlis wrote: »

The pay starts about $7.20 an hour and goes up every year till it's about $9.00. Maximum of 4 years.
But each student may only work 2 or 3 hours a couple of times a week.
The main competition here is the other departments paying more and also being cooler, like recording services and distance learning (pioneering tellepresence type stuff).

I need to make it cool!

EDIT: they work the amount of hours they can, they are not limited to 2 or 3 hours etc

Do you need to be a student to apply for this?

chamlis

Yes and be in Cleveland, obviously.

Yes Cleveland is ghettotastic.

chamlis

That's what I used to think, but there are only a certain amount of students elligible for work study and there are other departments that pay more/are more interesting to work in.

There will be a recruitment drive in May where all departments try to get all their sign-ups.
This is when I need to do most of the work. Disco ball and all if it'll work.

Wazdakka

Pay vague attention to whats going on around you, have no real responsibilities. and browse the net all day.
Sounds like a perfect job for Me a stoner.

Free bong?

ejmaztec

Don't students like coke and hookers these days?

chamlis

You can even watch Hulu and youtube vids if you want, as long as there is no one trying to get a project out and no machines available.

chamlis

Most of these kids could afford coke and hookers. That's why there is a limited amount of "Elligible" students for work study; they are the ones that are on scholarship.

EDIT: Scholarship in this instance meaning that the student has a gift for what this place teaches but mammy and daddy are not super rich so the school's (extortionate) fees are paid for. But living expenses aren't.

LenaClaire

When I was in undergrad doing work study (cafeteria and costume shop) it was little things like free cookies, coffee and stuff that pulled people in. One of my friends took a boring job in the billing office just becuase they had a secret candy drawer.

If you go get some geeky types little things from thinkgeek are a great idea.

aDeener

in response to the op, the accounting firms seem to have this technique off to a tee, just say how well paid they are going to be in the future but never specify when exactly this is going to happen.

AnonoBoy

Rope in Drew Carey somehow.

He thinks Cleveland rocks, even though it obviously doesn't.

Bonito

Ask Frada.

Panda

perfect stoner job, buy a bumper box of rips and give them their free pack for each day they work.

either that or blackmail some socially inept computer studies/programming students by telling them that you've found their porn and will tell on them.

simples.

JONJO THE MISER

Cleveland you say. Ive got the man for ya,Drew Carey's friend Lewis will be up for the Job as he previously worked in a lab. Dont know he's contact details, sorry.

I'd take it.

L'prof

chamlis wrote: »

How to attract students to a boring underpaid job?

How about a movie night once a week with pizza/cake/beer/whatever you can afford for the "staff"? Get them to vote on what they want to see. Students love free stuff, make this work to your advantage!

stvincent

pay them 5 euro an hour and put the balance of the pay for all into a kitty. The kitty, would go to buying a few raffle prizes, making top prize as attractive as possible. One ticket to raffle for every hour worked.

How many hours work in total are being offered?

chamlis

Lab is open 7 days a week, 9am to 10pm monday-friday, 10am to 9pm sat-sun
All those hours can be worked, but main concern is covering after hours and weekends when I'm not here. It helps when there is a student in during the week though so I don't have to babysit the lab and I can do my other jobs.
I also run the internal help desk and fix people's shortcuts when they click-drag them off the desktop :rolleyes:

BrokenArrows

stvincent wrote: »

pay them 5 euro an hour and put the balance of the pay for all into a kitty. The kitty, would go to buying a few raffle prizes, making top prize as attractive as possible. One ticket to raffle for every hour worked.

How many hours work in total are being offered?

or better yet because they are financially strained but the money into one large financial prize.

phasers

Damn I wish I had a job.

Michaelrsh

chamlis wrote: »

I'm running a computer lab in a University and I need to attract Work Study Students to work as lab monitors for next semester.
Yes, it is in Cleveland not Ireland but don't let that change any suggestions, please. This is one time where crazy after hours answers might actually be the best...
So of all the departments offering work study, mine pays the least - basically minimum wage. The job itself is boring - making sure students sign in and out and mark if they printed etc. If a 'puter asplodes then put a sign on it saying "fecked - move on" etc etc.
We can't offer more money or any kind of cash rewards or incentives. Gift cards may be ok but there is really nothing around here besides Starbucks.
I was thinking something along the lines of novelty USB sticks from ThinkGeek or something but I need to attract all students not just techies. You don't need to be a techie to work here!

Please any help would be appreciated!

You wouldn't accept a boring old physics student like me would you? I knew it, my degree can't even qualify me as a lab monitor.

Michaelrsh

ejmaztec wrote: »

Don't students like coke and hookers these days?

+ facebook

chamlis

I'll give you all jobs if you can get your arse over here!

Michaelrsh

chamlis wrote: »

I'll give you all jobs if you can get your arse over here!

Is it Cleveland State University?

Can I transfer there for a year?

Why are you interested in Irish students?

chamlis

Not Cleveland State University. Think music

I'm not interested in Irish students, I'm interested in Irish advice

I miss home....

phasers

I'd go, but with the volcano and all...

Michaelrsh

phasers wrote: »

I'd go, but with the volcano and all...

That's true!

@chamlis

Why don't you just hire a Mexican or something.

Sleepy

"Get paid to study" on the poster might help get the type of student you're after.

I got loads of course work done whilst "working" in the union cloakroom when I was in college.

chamlis

chamlis wrote: »

That's easy. Except for the traceability part

Sleepy wrote: »

"Get paid to study" on the poster might help get the type of student you're after.

I got loads of course work done whilst "working" in the union cloakroom when I was in college.

That's the fallback option. I was hoping to have something a little more enticing than that. Plus, it doesn't look good when the board of directors see that....
The budget is shot to **** as it is (partly why I can't afford too many goodies and why there is no chance of monetary bonuses), so advertising a job where you get paid to do nothing is not going to be ok....

Dord

Michaelrsh wrote: »

That's true!

@chamlis

Why don't you just hire a Mexican or something.

Yeah, find some Mexicans and dress them up like Persian students.

chamlis

This is Cleveland, not California.
More likely to hire Canadians, but they are too good for minimum wage....

Dord

chamlis wrote: »

This is Cleveland, not California.
More likely to hire Canadians, but they are too good for minimum wage....

Fine then, just dress the Canadians like Mexicans dressing as Persian students! :rolleyes:

DarrenMSP

chamlis wrote: »

I'm not interested in Irish students, I'm interested in Irish advice

You want Irish advice on American students and you felt After Hours was the one place that would get you the right answer?

Your logic fills me with a strange wonder....

chamlis

Trust me, at this point it seems like the best place for advice.

Bob the Seducer

chamlis wrote: »

This is Cleveland, not California.
More likely to hire Canadians, but they are too good for minimum wage....

Not if you kidnap them, smuggle them across the border and steal their passports!

chamlis

That's way too much trouble just to get some Canadians!