“Student-to-Staff” is a series featuring stories from Cal alumni who are now career employees in One IT. This series was created to show the importance of investing in our student staff, and how vital their work is to the university and its mission.
A random visit to the Earl Warren Data Center changed the course of Benjamin Torres’ career. Read about his journey.
What led you to apply for your first student position at UC Berkeley? What was the position title, and what was the application process like?
I was part of the Open Computing Facility (OCF) Club, and someone there needed a hard drive from the Earl Warren data center. I went with him and saw how cool it was! I started looking for any open position there I could find. I stumbled upon the Student Tech Consultant position with Student Tech Services and applied for it (by submitting a cover letter and resume). I was called for a panel interview and later got the job.
Did you stay in that position for a while, or did you move to other positions on campus during your time as a student?
I applied the summer before my senior year began, and started the job at the beginning of the fall semester. By my spring semester, I was promoted to Senior Student Tech Consultant. It’s basically the same job with more responsibilities, like training new employees.
Do you have any tips for how students can balance the time and energy demands of balancing school and a job?
I got pretty lucky being a philosophy major, so it didn't feel like school and my job conflicted much. My advice? Update your calendar. Include not only your shifts but what you have to do throughout the day so you don't have to spend time reminding yourself of what's next. The nice thing about working on campus is that it allows you to prioritize school. They understand a student’s priorities, and I found that very accommodating.
How did you come to work at Berkeley full-time?
During my last semester, I asked my manager if there were open positions for anything full-time. There was nothing for a while, but then the Service Desk Analyst position opened up. I applied to that and my manager referred me. That helped out, I think.
What was it like, transitioning from a student worker to a full-time campus employee? Was it a big adjustment?
It wasn’t a huge adjustment because the job I had as a student was very similar to the role I have now. We use the same ticketing system and I’m familiar with the processes. One thing that was really helpful to learn was how to deal with stressful situations. For example, when someone has really important questions and wants them answered as soon as possible. You may not have all the information available to you. But being able to be compassionate and explain, “We want to help you, but right now we don’t have the answers. So we’ll gather them and come back to you.” Understanding how to manage those situations was something that helped me transition over to a full-time job.
What do you enjoy the most about working at UC Berkeley?
I think what I enjoy most is the environment. It was pretty similar to when I was a student. The way that it’s pretty calm and relaxing. That’s my experience anyway. I understand that students can be competitive, but my experience was relaxing. I also enjoy the weather and the people. I grew up in Oakland, and being able to commute is pretty nice.
What advice do you have for students who are considering a career with UC Berkeley?
Try to get a student job to see what the environment is like. Get to know the other full-time employees around you, and ask them about their experience. Also, attend work events. That’s a great way to socialize and get to know people around campus.
