“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.
Xiao Ye started her career at UC Berkeley during the COVID-19 pandemic as a student. Now, she works full-time as an Operations Analyst at the same building where she worked as a student. Learn more about Xiao’s journey from a part-time student employee to a full-time career at UC Berkeley.
What led you to apply for your first student position at UC Berkeley? What was the title of the position, and what was the application process like?
It was my second year of college; my first year was during the COVID-19 pandemic, so we were completely remote. In my second year, I had the opportunity to be on campus. I thought, “Why not apply for an on-campus job? It would give me money to pay for housing as I was living on campus, and it would give me valuable work experience.” I was offered work-study when I was an undergrad, so that was more of an incentive.
The title of the position was Office Assistant under the Department of Student Affairs, and it’s actually the same building I work in currently. My role consisted of supporting the office in the reception area, welcoming people in, and receiving packages that arrived. I found the position through UC Berkeley’s work-study website and submitted my resume and cover letter. Eventually, I got an email response back from my supervisor and conducted an in-person interview. It was very nerve-wracking as it was my first interview ever!
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 stayed in the position for a while– about a year. During my junior year, I wanted to look for something more relevant to my double major in psychology and data science, specifically data science and technology-related. I went on Handshake to see if there were any work-study jobs available. Eventually, I heard back about a Network Engineering Assistant (NEA) for Berkeley IT. In that position, I would work on campus buildings, activate connections, work in telecom rooms, and take on support tickets. Surprisingly, I did not need previous coding experience, but the learning curve was steep and the training was extensive. I didn’t know there were so many campus buildings until I worked that position.
I worked in that position for about two years until I graduated. Although I did stop my job as an office assistant, I’m glad I had the opportunity to work there. It’s a crazy coincidence that I’m back in the same building working full-time.
What do you enjoy the most about working at UC Berkeley?
I love hanging around with my coworkers (pictured on the right, with XIao second from the left) and getting to know our student technology consultant. Student workers are a great group of people who are always willing to provide a helping hand. If a student is unable to make his or her shift, there’s always someone willing to cover them. Although it’s not the norm, we appreciate employees who go above and beyond to help each other out. They’re also really fun to hang out with. I can always have a good conversation to get to know them.
Because I am assisting the supervisor, we’re almost all in the same age range, and it’s easier to make connections with them. Yesterday, we had a game night and played Django and poker, no money involved, of course. We always encourage all students to join our events. They’re especially excited to attend the events that have food.
Do you have any tips for how students can balance the time and energy demands of balancing school and a job?
My job was luckily very flexible; you could work at 1 a.m. and they’ll be okay with it, as long as you’re getting the work done. But of course, when we’re working in person, it has to be within the 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. hours. With the flexibility of on-campus positions, you’re able to bounce around classes during the day and even do in-person work in between classes. It’s also a test of how you’re able to manage your time and energy as a student.
Something really helpful for me was putting everything on Google Calendar. It’s very basic, but it helps a lot. You can allocate your time to specific tasks. One thing I learned from this job is to specifically account for lunchtime and break time, as well as commute time– it becomes one of the most important things to consider when planning ahead. Our previous supervisor was able to accommodate students during midterms and finals, allowing us to step back from work for a week and focus on passing our exams. Communication with your team is incredibly important.
Do you feel your time as a student worker prepared you for full-time employment? If so, how?
It did. I learned how to talk to people and be a better communicator, whether through emails or in person. We followed up with our supervisor a lot, especially when it came to building our schedule and preparing for the upcoming work week. My NEA job exposed me to specific software technology at Berkeley, like ServiceNow, which can be very different depending on the team. I’m glad I was exposed to these programs as an undergrad because in my current position, we use ServiceNow to create tickets and tend to customer needs. I also met other students on the job, which made my position very enjoyable, as some parts of the job were independent. I had to work with my coworkers to audit the telecom workers, and I got to know them. It was great to catch up with them. I ran into a former coworker at the BART station, and that reminded me of the meaningful connections I made during my time as a student worker.
How did you come to work at Berkeley full-time?
I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do post-grad. I mean, who really knows? I admire the people who do. When I was graduating, I was like, “What am I going to do?”. There are so many pathways I can get into because I graduated with a double major in Data Science and Psychology. I was debating my different options: grad school for data science, grad school for psychology, and even med school was a possibility. It was a very confusing time. I thought I should start by making money, so I applied to a lot of different jobs. I applied to the private sector at first, but didn’t experience much luck from that. Over time, friends who worked in the private sector said that it was very difficult and competitive, and even draining, depending on the type of work. Gradually, I strayed away from the private sector and applied to the public sector with the city and the university.
What do you enjoy the most about working at UC Berkeley?
I love hanging around with my coworkers and getting to know our student technology consultant. Student workers are a great group of people who are always willing to provide a helping hand. If a student is unable to make his or her shift, there’s always someone willing to cover them. Although it’s not the norm, we appreciate employees who go above and beyond to help each other out. They’re also really fun to hang out with. I can always have a good conversation to get to know them.
Because I am assisting the supervisor, we’re almost all in the same age range, and it’s easier to make connections with them. Yesterday, we had a game night and played Django and poker, no money involved, of course. We always encourage all students to join our events. They’re especially excited to attend the events that have food.
What advice do you have for students who are considering a career with UC Berkeley?
If you want to work for the University full-time, expect to work at a relatively slower pace compared to other roles that are not university-based, like a private tech company. At Berkeley, it feels less cut-throat. My team is really great: if you have a situation or you’re sick, you get to take time off for yourself. We also try to build a very inclusive culture in our team. Our department head goes above and beyond to connect with our student staff, which I appreciate, even though he’s in a higher position. For a career, the benefits are really good, and they respect work-life balance. If you work at UC Berkeley, it might turn into a lifelong career because of how much you enjoy it.