Campus Jobs: SAC employee

The Student Activity Center on Central Michigan’s campus is a mecca for students trying to stay in shape and also serves as a place for friends to hang out. People quickly get their ID card swiped by an employee and continue with their busy day.

Students rush to their activities without ever thinking about the person who sits at the front desk, swiping cards, and answering questions.

Freshman Rachel Krasavage is a service center representative at the SAC and admitted it is a lot of work to get the job.

“I applied over the summer and I had to do a Skype interview,” Krasavage said. “Before school started, we had to do a few days of training.”

Many may think that being a friendly person is the only thing needed to work at the SAC because they think these workers only swipe cards and answer phones. What patrons don’t know is that it is required to be CPR certified to work at the SAC, and there are random audits and fake emergency scenarios to make sure that everyone knows what to do if an emergency occurs.

“We are the ones in charge of dialing 911 if something happens,” Krasavage said. “If people pass out or get hurt, we have to deal with that.”

Krasavage said her favorite part of the job is the social interaction. She enjoys meeting new people while she works, as well as seeing the familiar faces of the regular patrons.

“You see a lot of people  you know while working and it’s a really good way to get to know people,” Krasavage said.

Although safety is a huge focus for SAC employees, Krasavage explained that the main aspect they focus on is customer service. They want their patrons to be happy with the service they receive during their time spent in the building.

As a college student, many hope to have jobs that will help them in the future and are potentially related to their careers post-graduation. Krasavage said being able to talk to a wide variety of people is very important and her job at the SAC gives her plenty of experience with that.

“I want to be a preschool teacher, so this helps with social interaction,” she said.

Every job has its downfall and for Krasavage, her least favorite part is when the SAC is empty and it is quiet. She said that it can get boring when there is no one around to interact with, especially since employees are not allowed to do things like homework while working the desk.

Krasavage not only has to associate herself with patrons, but she also has to work with a variety of co-workers. Junior Samantha Pellett works with Krasavage and said that she is very pleasant to work with.

“She’s always a person who will socialize with you at work and she makes good connections with a lot of the patrons who come in here,” Pellett said. “A lot of people enjoy the one-on-one communication you can have with someone and I think Rachel does a good job with that.”

At the end of the day, being a SAC employee is more than just swiping cards. The job requires employees to answer phones, sell fitness and guest passes, and aid anyone needing medical assistance. Gaining friendships and making the SAC a positive environment encourages people to return.

“It’s not just swiping cards. It’s about the atmosphere of the SAC,” Krasavage said.