Media Design Lab Assistant
At the Media Design Lab in Ramsey Library, lab assistants help students, faculty and staff from all academic departments and ranges of experience with creating videos, images, printed materials, audio, websites, presentations and more. We also assist with “software in general” such as Powerpoint, Word, Excel, scanning, loading media off devices or sharing files online. For more information, visit: library.unca.edu/mdl
Applicants are not required to have any previous experience with this software, as this is part of the job training process. Preference might be given to applicants with a basic knowledge of Photoshop (or similar program) and video editing, however all applicants are welcome regardless of existing software knowledge. Punctuality, reliability, and attention to detail are required.
Since the job is customer-service oriented, applicants need to enjoy working with all kinds of people. Positivity, patience, enthusiasm to help others, and the ability to put people at ease are essential. Our primary focus in the lab is to create a welcoming, generous, encouraging atmosphere so people of all ranges of experience feel comfortable to ask plenty of questions and learn. These skills are empowering for students and faculty of all academic disciplines, and with the one-to-one support we provide, these tools are accessible to anyone.
Since our job is to show beginners how to get started using various multimedia programs and help answer questions that come up, it is important for lab assistants to go the extra mile to assist people from non-computer majors, such as Creative Writing and Environmental Studies, for example. Some people may feel uncomfortable using computers and software. They may be at a beginner-level and have questions about Word, Powerpoint and Google Drive. English, Biology, and Management professors assign video projects and WordPress sites. Typically, these students have no previous experience with the software. Lab staff show them how to get started using a Mac and teach them how to use the software.
Lab assistants are self-motivated and spend their job shifts continually expanding their software knowledge so they can better assist lab users. This is done individually through online tutorials, practice assignments, and one-on-one training with the lab manager. Other ongoing side-projects include transcribing and closed captioning videos for Ramsey Library Video Production, therefore strong typing and writing skills are needed. Due to the extensive teaching aspect of the job as well as the multitude of tasks and details requiring employees to be “fully present,” it is important that the lab assistant not do course homework at the desk.
The job begins on August 16, the first day of fall semester classes. Shifts are flexible based on need and could include morning, afternoon, evenings and weekends. The pay is $10 per hour.
To apply, please provide the following:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Schedule of fall semester classes and other times you are *not* available to work
- Answers to the questions below
Questions:
- How do you feel about teaching people who may struggle with more basic software questions and need extensive assistance? For example, someone may need to be shown how to download images and put them into Powerpoint. They may need to be shown through this process many times until they are familiar with it. Please share any previous experience you may have in this regard.
- If someone asks you a software question you do not know the answer to, how would you proceed?
- Please provide a detailed explanation of the reason(s) you are interested in working in the Media Design Lab.
Thank you for applying.