Working on Campus with Luoson

Ziye Luo (Luoson) is a rising sophomore at NC State majoring in Design Studies. He successfully completed UPP in May 2022, earning the grand prize for the Songtao Scholarship. He will work with UPP as a student leader for the upcoming academic year assisting new UPP students become more comfortable and confident at NC State.

Where do you work on campus at NC State and what do you do?

I work at 1887 Bistro [an on-campus restaurant] as a server on the third floor of the Talley Student Center.

How did you find out about this job?

My friend recommended it to me. And it is also available on the Campus Enterprises website.

How long do you work each week and what does a typical job shift look like for you?

I work 15 hours a week, and 5 hours every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

How is your job different from what you expected it to be?

There are less customers than I previously thought, sometimes I can only have 1-2 tables per day.

As a Chinese international student, have you had any communication challenges working at your job?

At first, I indeed had some language barrier when I talked to my manager or coworker. It didn’t last for long; I am quite good at adapting.

Are there any special benefits you receive from working at this job? 

Of course we have employee meals since our working time is at lunch time. After finishing working, we can have our free meals at any other restaurant in Talley by signing in. Also, if our chefs make some daily specialty, we can also be the first people who try it.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Actually I thought the most difficult part of this job would be communicating with customers. But after starting working, I found holding all the dishes on one tray would be the most difficult.

What skills do you feel are the most important in being successful at your job?

I think this job makes me feel more comfortable about greeting people. I was not used to saying “how are you doing” or “have a great one” frequently because I thought it was embarrassing. But now I am quite comfortable about it and feel like it is a part of normal communication.

Aside from earning money, why would you recommend that other students consider getting a part-time on-campus job?

It would be a different new experience for most students, because I think the majority of Chinese students wouldn’t have had any working experience before. Also, working on campus is quite different from working at a regular company; on-campus jobs provide students more flexibility and  would also be a nice part of your resume.

What advice would you give to students looking for an on-campus job?

It would be a good idea to get a part time on-campus job during freshman and sophomore years, because students won’t have too many courses during the first two years and they usually have more flexible time to do such things. Also, having an on-campus job also provides international students  with a social security number (SSN), which is useful and working on campus is the only way international students can get an SSN.  In addition, a lot of new students don’t know where to meet new friends. On campus jobs would be a nice choice to meet people.