At 2 p.m. yesterday, Career Services looked like Collis Cafe at lunch-time rush hour. Twenty seven students were fighting for a mere 16 seats at the work tables. Many students were holding books in their laps or standing up at counters.
Patrick Curley '94 was one of the lucky ones - he had found himself a seat.
"To get a seat you just have to be rude," Curley said. "I can always find a seat. Of course, I bring a fold-up chair in my backpack just in case."
When Collis Center was renovated, Career Services lost its large reception area and recruiting rooms that were used for overflow, said Abraham Hunter, Associate Director of Career Services.
"We're somewhat cramped for space," Career Services Assistant Director Abraham Hunter said.
Before the renovations to Collis Student Center, Career Services shared the second floor of College Hall with Academic Services, but it had considerably more square footage, said Mary Oronte, a manager at Career Services, but she said she did not have an exact figure.
Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia, who also serves as director of Collis, said she is looking into the crowded situation at Career Services but does not yet have plans to expand its facilities.
"We'll just have to wait and see how it handles crowds after Winter term before we decide if we need to redesign any space," Sateia said.
With seniors struggling to find post-graduation jobs and everyone else looking for leave-term and summer internships, Career Services employees said everyone is suffering from the lack of space.
"It's very crowded. In the afternoons, it gets warm in here because of all the students," Oronte said.
Even if they can find seats, students have had trouble scheduling appointments with the limited number of Career Services counselors.
"I like the people here," Curley said. "I just wish there were more of them. It took me two weeks to get an appointment with a counselor."
Career Services employs only two student resume reviewers, who work Monday and Friday afternoons and are the most popular with students this time of year.
"Today is my third time trying to see a resume reviewer," Curley said. "Because it's first come first serve and they won't let you sign up until 3 p.m., I'm here an hour early just to get in line to sign up."
As 3 p.m. approached, students started to clamor around the reception desk, fighting for a position in line to sign up for the reviews. Curley was out of luck this time.
"Because I was away from the reception desk and in the reading room, three people signed-up ahead of me," Curley said in an agitated tone. "They want me to just sit for an hour doing nothing if I want to sign-up. This is an absolute bureaucracy."