Student Soapbox: “Fresher Injustice”
Although Warwick SU claims to recruit ‘students’ within the university for student jobs, my one term at the university has enabled me to oversee how things are run on the campus and in general, I really don’t feel this is true. I feel as though there is a very elitist structure in the way jobs are both structured and given out to students.
I mean to say that jobs are systematically given to second and third years since it is perceived that they naturally know the campus better than first years. It feels as if those who do recruit on campus for campus-based jobs basically disregard first year undergraduates as inexperienced. I think I now understand the term ‘fresher’ in a different light than I did previously.
I mean to say that jobs are systematically given to second and third years since it is perceived that they naturally know the campus better than first years
The day I first moved to the university, I was approached and given a leaflet about a student caller job on campus, as they were recruiting at the time, and I applied to this as well as other jobs in one of the many food outlets the SU provides for students around campus.
However, I did not receive any response or feedback on any of the applications I submitted to the SU for a part-time job and feel trapped within a “second and third years are more responsible in what they do” scenario. Although I may come across as cynical and extremely agitated towards the lack of responses and declined job applications I have received, I know that many first year undergraduates can relate to the trap I feel stuck within.
It seems as though the connotations of ‘fresher’ can sometimes attract both negative and false assumptions. We, a subspecies called ‘freshers’, are unaware of any responsibilities or the layout of the campus, or indeed are incapable of making coffee and providing a fast and efficient service for customers.
We ‘freshers’ really are sometimes regarded as the daftest of the undergraduate clan.
Furthermore there is a basic assumption that ‘freshers’ are incapable of holding down a responsibility because they are too caught up in trying to be a stereotypical, party hard or study-hard fresher. We ‘freshers’ really are sometimes regarded as the daftest of the undergraduate clan.
I believe that the SU should ensure that there is a level playing field in terms of opportunities for all students, regardless of how long they have been studying at the institution for. Then again, is my opinion regarded as biased or reliable for being a first-hand account? I mean I am only a fresher at the end of the day.
Comments (2)
I also work for the SU. I started in the third term of my fresher year with about ten other freshers. We have also just had a recruitment, and at least half of the new employees are freshers. Out of my seven housemates, three of us have worked for the SU and started as, you guessed it, freshers. Where I work I know one person who started in her first term as a fresher and several people who do not actually attend the university.
Therefore, I don’t believe that knowledge of the campus is a prerequisite for employment. As long as you can get to and from the SU, you’re good. Why would you need knowledge of the campus to make a coffee or pull a pint? As for no response about your rejected application, I’m pretty sure this is common practice for employers. However, I’m sure if you contacted the SU or outlet you applied to, they would be happy to talk to you.
Next time I would suggest talking to some actual employees at the SU. I’m sure you would find a lot of people willing to talk to you, from freshers to MA students.
Good luck in your job hunt, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t suggest applying to the SU again.
Obviously I don’t speak for the SU but from observation as a long-time member of SU staff I completely reject the claim made by the author of this piece. I personally didn’t apply until the beginning of my second year as I wanted to assess my workload before taking on a job, but out of the 5 others in my department’s intake, 3 were freshers. From being in the community of SU staff I can confidently state that there is not a noticeably smaller number of freshers who work for the union, and there are very few jobs that specifically require an in depth knowledge of campus, I can certainly never see this being a deal breaker when shortlisting.
Graduate recruitment on campus is unrelated to part-time job availability and is targeted to older students because they’re closer to being in a position to work for those employers. It is also highly uncommon for any employer to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants due to the fact that it is simply unfeasible. These points are both moot.
I have lived with multiple housemates who interviewed for SU outlets on the day they moved into halls in first year and got the jobs and from the intakes I’ve experienced of staff in Stewarding, Bar Staff and Tech Crew, lack of freshers has never crossed the mind of anyone I’ve spoken to.