College students learn while they earn

BOISE — Having just finished his freshman year at Boise State University, Billy Robinson, 20, is painting houses to pay the bills this summer.

And the business major from Port Orchard, Wash., is getting an education while he does it.

The 20-year-old hopes to build his resume with College Works, a company designed to give students real-world experience with marketing, management, human relations and house painting.

Robinson, who has an associate degree in automotive technology, got his first taste of management at a mattress company in Alaska.

“I was just going to be a mechanic for the rest of my life and decided that that wasn’t good enough,” he said.

The employment lasts roughly six months, with students working full time during the summer.

Robinson and five other student managers earn a profit of about 20 to 30 percent of the revenue they bring in, Robinson said. They’re guaranteed to make at least $2,500 and can arrange to earn school credit through the program, Robinson said.

Robinson’s district manager, Jeremy Potter, 24, of Boise, started the College Works franchise in Idaho this year after working with the company last year in Utah. The company, founded in 1993 in California, has spread to more than 20 states, Potter said.

“What makes it work is that the kind of interns we hire are people who are driven and want to be successful,” Potter said. “It’s more about being a leader and learning how to manage people.” District managers such as Potter are available to the students for advice and training, but the students are responsible for setting and meeting revenue goals and booking painting jobs.

The most challenging part of his job has been door-to-door marketing, Robinson said. “It’s not fun, but it’s necessary in the first year of business. That’s how I’ve booked most of my jobs this summer.” Ensuring a quality paint job is at the top of Robinson’s list. If customers are pleased with his work, they can write a letter of recommendation.

“The goal is to paint someone’s house, but also to get a letter of recommendation, because it makes it that much easier to gain clients in the future,” Robinson said.