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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 25. September 26 1977

Getting a job !!!

Getting a job !!!

With the holidays coming up, it's time for many students to start looking for jobs. Over the last few years there has been some difficulty in finding vacation employment and this year doesn't look any better. With the economic crisis there are even less jobs than usual and if students don't want to end up being scapegoats (as have solo mothers), they'll have to get in fast.

The essential thing is to ask around early. While waiting till exams are over may be easier at the time, it will be of no help whatsoever when you get out to find that all the jobs have been taken. The first thing to do is to contact last years employers and see if they can use you again. If, having done this and looked around, you still haven't found a job, don't just think, "Oh well, I'll keep trying — you never know", but go to the Labout Department and register. This is extremely important. They will try to find you a job (either in ordinary vacation employment or on special work). Should they fail, you will be in line for an emergency unemployment benefit which you will have to apply separately for at the Social Welfare Department. Special work generally consists of employment in various Government Departments, paid on the same basis as an ordinary student worker would be paid (i.e. stuff all). Students receive no special priority in getting this work but fall within the existing criteria for normal people e.g. married men and other "breadwinners" have priority.

Eligibility for an emergency unemployment benefit is determined on three grounds :
a)the applicant must be a full time university student dependent upon his/her earnings for support during the long vacation.
b)he/she must be unable to find work.
c)he/she must be registered for unemployment with the Department of Labour.

The basic rate is the same as that of the standard benefit but may be adjusted according to the amount of hardship which the Department feels the student is under. Those who have earnings will be penalised by a reduction of the benefit payable, with their overall financial position also taken into account ; those who are unmarried and live at home will be means-tested and their rate of payment settled accordingly, whether they receive support from their parents or not ; themselves and their parents will not be means-tested but instead subjected to revealing details of their private lives and the estrangement to Department Officials, a practice which could be highly embarrassing to both parties concerned.

For those who do not have to undergo this obstacle course but instead manage to get a job, the first thing to do is join the Union. The importance of doing this was proved to twelve students at the beginning of the year in the Cable-Price affair. They had not joined the union and, when the management backtracked on promises of employment till the end of the varsity leave-year, this made it difficult for the Union Secretary when he acted for them. Although the affair was happily resolved in the end with the help of Lindy Cassidy, President of VUWSA, things could have been different had the [unclear: onion] sent the student packing because they were not members.

This also brings out the last point — that students having difficulties and after exhausting other avenues, should not hestitate to approach the Students' Association. They will do all they can for you.

Jobs will be hard to come by this summer. Those who follow the advice in this article and that outlined below will have a head- start - You'd be a sucker not to.

— Lamorna Rogers (Welfare Officer).