Back to School, Back to Work: How RepairClinic is Helping on Both Fronts
At a time when college tuition is rising, taxes are up and unemployment is at a record high, online appliance parts retailer, RepairClinic, is doing its part to assist a number of local college students with jobs. With a total of 125 employees, more than ten percent are currently or have recently been enrolled in college classes; some are even full-time students.
Canton, MI (Vocus) September 15, 2010
At a time when college tuition is rising, taxes are up and unemployment is at a record high, online appliance parts retailer, RepairClinic (http://www. repairclinic. com/), is doing its part to assist a number of local college students with jobs. With a total of 125 employees at RepairClinic, more than ten percent are currently or have recently been enrolled in college classes; some are even full-time students.
The environment at RepairClinic lends itself well to the college lifestyle: flexible hours, a casual work environment, decent pay, good benefits, excellent training, and an overall atmosphere of “family”. In addition, the RepairClinic location is very convenient to many local colleges: the company headquarters is about five miles from Eastern Michigan University, eight miles from University of Michigan main campus, and about 15 minutes from both Washtenaw Community and Schoolcraft Colleges.
Dave Mielke, Dean, College of Business, at Eastern Michigan University (http://www. emich. edu/), stresses the importance of work experience for college students, especially in today’s highly-competitive marketplace. “Real world experience is absolutely essential for every business student. Work experience provides the context for what the student is learning in the classroom, and in many cases, an opportunity to apply what they are learning. There is always a concern that students may work ‘too many hours’ during the school year, but working while in school also develops other skills, such as time management, discipline and the demonstration of a work ethic, invaluable to employers when students interview for full-time positions.”
Ryan Huntley, college student and Call Center Supervisor at RepairClinic (http://www. repairclinic. com/), has seen firsthand how school and work can benefit one another. According to Huntley, “Working at RepairClinic has helped me take more interest in many of my business classes at Eastern [Michigan University]. In my Operations Management class we were discussing ‘queuing theory’. Many people in my class thought it was boring, but I was interested, as a supervisor in a call center – it helped me look at ways to reduce our phone hold times.
Amber Fontana, a student at Eastern Michigan University, who also works at RepairClinic (http://www. repairclinic. com/), feels she has the best of both worlds: “I’m able to pay my own bills while still going to school full-time. I can live off-campus, pay my rent, utilities, car and phone payment and buy books. And they [RepairClinic] also provide me with health and dental insurance, which every college student needs.” Amber says that the flexible work schedule and supportive group of co-workers help make it possible to work full-time and still stay on top of her classes.
Another RepairClinic (http://www. repairclinic. com/) employee, Sean Payne, is studying accounting at Eastern Michigan University. He also sees many advantages to having a job while in school, including the ability to better understand many issues taught in his classes, because he’s becoming familiar with them at work. Sean says he’s using his paycheck for books and “to cut down on the amount of money taken out for student loans.”
According to Chris Hall, RepairClinic President and Co-Founder, “We’re glad that we can support local students as they pursue their education, but having college students as employees has been good for the company, too. We appreciate what our student-employees have to offer: they’re generally quick learners, energetic, full of fresh ideas and highly-motivated, not only by their need for money, but by their desire to learn. Overall, we’ve been lucky to find some great employees from the college student pool.”
About RepairClinic
Founded in Canton, Mich., in 1999, RepairClinic. com® is the most comprehensive online resource for do-it-yourself home appliance repair help, parts and information. The site features more than 80 appliance brands—including Kenmore, Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, Frigidaire, and LG—across 16 appliance types (e. g., washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, ovens, and dishwashers). Do-it-yourselfers use the intuitive PartDetective®, to find the part they need or the leading-edge service, RepairGuru®, for customized, free repair help online. Appliance parts are stocked in a 72,000 sq. ft. facility and shipped the same business day. Visit www. RepairClinic. com for more information.
Media Contact: Luanne Berk, PR Representative, 734-748-7512, luberk5(at)gmail(dot)com
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