graduate researcher

graduate assistant

assistant professor

associate professor

research assistant

University of Memphis

Working as a Lab Attendant on campus is probably one of the best student employment opportunities to pursue if you're looking for part-time work on campus. A typical day at work includes assisting students in the use of Windows-based PCs or Apple iMac computers or both depending on the lab. You are there basically to supervise and to answer questions about how to use programs on the computers, report technical malfunctions, and restock paper, ink cartridges, staples, etc. Depending on what shift you work, you could also be responsible for opening or closing the lab.

The work environment is very relaxed and the best part of the job is that you often have the free time to get some of your own homework done if no one is in need of assistance!

Management is fairly lax at most labs and student employees are generally given a good amount of independence. The hardest part of the job really depends on your personality and which lab you work in. Obviously, if you're someone who doesn't like talking to people, you may be uncomfortable in this position. Likewise, if you're easily overwhelmed by being around or needing to assist large amounts of people back to back, then you may want to work at a smaller computer lab in one of the humanities' halls. Buildings housing sciences generally have larger labs. 

The Tech Hub in the University Center is a great lab to work in because you can take your breaks downstairs at any of the various restaurants if you're hungry. The lab is equipt with several printers, scanners and both Dell PC and Apple iMac workstations and can serve well over 50 students at once. Should you choose to work there, be prepared to be very active and knowledgeable about the lab's policies and services because people, especially the crowds of freshman, will ask you tons of questions!

A typical day at work lasted 24 hours everyday since everyone one was required to be on call in case of any problems or needs of assistance. Working as a Conference assistant required living on campus while taking extensive care of quests who stayed in the dorms during their conferences. At least once a day no more than three times we worked as desk assistants, checking people into their rooms, relaying information to guests, and monitoring the building's cameras. 

I learned within this position to be a true team-player and work extremely close with other employees in order to smooth out time schedules, balance work and life, and also communicate nonstop in order to assist our guests. 

Management ran smoothly because they were all experienced themselves in Residents Life through being Residential Advisers, Conference Assistants, or Assistant Area Coordinators. 

My co-workers and I became really close because of the tight work schedules and us working together throughout the different conferences that brought their business to the University. 

The hardest part of the job was switching shifts if you had an emergency or prior engagements during the time of your shift.

The most enjoyable part was the entire experience of being independent while staying on campus and working with similar-minded people in order to reach the ultimate goal of satisfying the guest so they would return the next Summer.

You're started off at a decent wage in year one, but your supervisor is not allowed to give you a raise, no matter how good a worker you are - it's UM policy; you will only ever get the State-sanctioned across-the-board pay increases IF there are any (went six years without due to the recession).  These have not kept pace with the real rise in the cost of living.  Within a decade, be prepared to watch your standard of living decline toward poverty.  You either massively downsize your life or start kissing things like health insurance and decent meals goodbye, and they won't fix that.  They don't seem to care.  Somewhere in that second decade, you'll be praying you can hang on long enough to get a decent number of years in toward a retirement of some kind.  The longer you stay, the worse off you are.  Oh, and you'll get to watch new people coming into your same level job (same duties and all) at more money than you're currently getting for it.  And those people are asking you how they should do their job.  You'll probably be the veteran who's training them.  There is zero reward for loyalty in this organization.  Instead, it's punished.  Getting a job here was probably the worst thing that ever happened to me.  Before you know it, it's too late to start over someplace else, as too few years remain to you.  It's a trap.

A typical day at the University of Memphis almost always started with students, colleagues and administrators who kindly greeted you. This institution promotes collaborative and community partnerships, learning opportunities, and stands firmly on its defined values. There were major shifts in management during my tenure, but the Administration took great care to communicate these things with employees at every level. Some of the communications could have been more timely, but great effort was made to respect everyone's time. I learned a LOT about creating and developing partnerships both on and off campus and about the responsibilities of being a Department Head. I also enjoyed traveling to Student Affairs conferences. The hardest part of the job was securing extra funding to carry out the initiatives I wanted to implement in Student Affairs and hiring more support staff. The most enjoyable part of the job was interacting with students and learning so much from my peers and supervisor. 

My typical day at work consists of consulting with professors on lecture material, student information and grades, and upcoming plans. This takes place in a relaxed, professional environment- usually in the professor's office. I work with a brilliant group of aspiring intellectuals, some of whom are PhD candidates. I learn from observation primarily, taking notes on the way advanced instructors convey complicated material to undergraduates. I then have multiple opportunities to develop a lecture of my own that fits within the syllabus and have stepped in for professors that have needed to take absentee days in order to attend conferences. The hardest part of my job is explaining grades to the undergraduates that I assist. However, I am understandable yet firm and will always stick with the judgment of a co-worker or professor in front of an undergraduate. If I do question the judgment of another TA or the professor, I will approach them professionally and as a partner. This is also the most enjoyable part of my job- the feeling of being a part of a team and the satisfaction that is achieved when a problem is resolved through amicable cooperation.

As a doctoral student at The University of Memphis my responsibilities as a university employee and student intertwined.  I was the primary instructor for General Chemistry I & II labs.  I also worked as a researcher.  As a researcher, I worked in an interdisciplinary area crossing chemistry, material science and biology. My research interests were primarily in the development of novel inorganic nanomaterials and their bioconjugates for applications in biology and medicine. My particular focuses were colloidal metallic nanoparticles such as iron oxide-gold core-shell nanorods for cancer detection and treatment, including molecular imaging, spectroscopic detection, photo-mediated therapy, targeted delivery, and mRNA imaging and regulation.  Working in an interdisciplinary field such as nanotechnology helped me build team-working skills that I did not have prior.  Because nanotechnology utilizes many areas of science I constantly had to collaborate with and trust experts from other areas.  After working in industry for three years and being the go to person for many tasks, I was suddenly having to go to others for advice and to seek new insight on issues.  This helped me network as well as become a more well rounded chemist.     

This job is a call center job. They do not advertise it as a call center job or even customer service although they do mention you will have to interact with students in person and on the phone but the job description does not mention the volume. You are required to be on the phone all day and when it is a busy season such as August, January, and even the summer months with doing orientation it is literally non stop talking on the phone. The management are a bunch of micromanagers who watch you on the clock if you are a minute late getting to work or getting back from your lunch. When you take a bathroom break or go out for a breath of fresh air for a minute they are texting asking where you are. The management do not know how to run an office or handle the volume and make it unbearable for the workers. If you like the idea of working at a call center and dealing with difficult students and parents being entitled over money all day like we are the bank or the welfare office than be my guest. If the idea of this frightens you then please run don't walk!

The University has high pay and decent benefits. That's about where the good stops depending on the program you work under. The longer you stay the less the benefits matter. New faculty and staff have little incentive to stay past 5 years due to pay scaling not being competitive. Memphis is the worst city ive ever lived in or visited. Crime is outrageous and getting worse. I lived in a isolated community which saved me from alot of trouble. However, as soon as you leave your home you will be in the thick of it. Homelessness, #1 in STDS for a time, and an incredible crime rate. It's not a place where you say, "Just stay where you are supposed to be and you wont see anything." I went to the social security office on my second day and watched a man get maced by security. I saw a high speed chase while coming home from the movies with my partner. One of my students died in a hit and run. Car break ins are a real thing everywhere in the city even in my isolated neighborhood. The National news coverage for murders and police brutality wasn't an outlier, its the norm. Memphis is dying, and most people are getting out if they can. It's sad for such a historic city. DO NOT GO. 

My student position provided me with valuable professional experience while allowing me to successfully balance my academic responsibilities. One of the aspects I appreciated most about the role was the flexibility offered by the team and supervisors. They were very understanding of my class schedule, exams, and other campus commitments, which created a supportive work environment that encouraged both personal and academic growth. Through this position, I strengthened my communication, teamwork, organization, and time-management skills while learning how to adapt in a fast-paced setting. I was able to assist students, staff, and visitors in a professional manner while maintaining a positive attitude and strong work ethic. The experience also taught me how to prioritize responsibilities, remain dependable, and contribute to a collaborative team environment. Overall, the position helped me grow professionally and personally, and it reinforced the importance of flexibility, leadership, and maintaining balance between work and school responsibilities.

As the faculty secretary, a typical day at work would comprise of accepting work assignments from any one of approximately 50 faculty members. What Iearned is that there is more than meets the eye in almost every situation. I've also learned to take advantage of any and all opportunities that presented themselves to me. Management seemed to be far removed from the needs of staff and students, and appeared to be more concerned with the bottom line as well as appeasing the faculty and older staff members who were used to performing their job duties a certain way. I throughly enjoyed my co-workers and had a really good working relationship with each of them. The hardest part of the job was knowing that being responsible for such a large amount of people was that I knew that I was never going to be able to respond to each person as quickly as they wanted me to.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Graduate researcher 4 salaries reported	$21,250 per year
Graduate assistant 6 salaries reported	$17,958 per year
Assistant professor 3 salaries reported	$68,333 per year
Associate professor 4 salaries reported	$93,000 per year
Research assistant 6 salaries reported	$20,200 per year

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