Jane Pablos, the residential services manager (RSM) at Du Bois College House, has worked at Penn for 30 years.
Among Jane Pablos’ many roles as Du Bois College House’s RSM, she trains student workers. “I’m a good judge of character. I look for people that have good customer service skills. This job requires a lot of people skills. You have to be a people person.”
Jane Pablos, the residential services manager (RSM) at Du Bois College House, has worked at Penn for 30 years.
Born and raised in North Philadelphia, the Drexel Hill resident started at the University as an administrative assistant at Penn Carey Law School in 1994. Five years later, she transferred to Penn Residential Services and was originally based at Hill College House. She has been at Du Bois since 2002.
Pablos says her genuine love for her job has kept her at Penn for three decades.
“I love serving the Du Bois community,” she says. “I love the relationships I have established even within my own department, Residential Services, and with College Houses & Academic Services, Facilities & Real Estate Services, and Wellness at Penn. These relationships have really helped me do my job and made it easier for my supervisor, also. I love my relationship with my house director, Kay Lloyd. She and I are partners, and we really have a good working relationship to help benefit the students here at Du Bois.”
At Du Bois, Pablos, or Miss Jane, as the students call her, is the go-to woman for issues and concerns. Any problems, they can call Miss Jane. Trouble with a sink, they can call Miss Jane. Trouble with a refrigerator, or a package, or a malfunctioning light, they can call Miss Jane, who will move heaven and high water to find a solution.
She is the first person students see at the desk, greeting and welcoming first- through fourth-year students, and helps them build the life skills necessary to live physically in a space and with other people.
Penn Today sat down with Pablos at Du Bois to discuss her three decades of working at Penn.
What drew you to Penn in the early 1990s?
It took me four years to get into Penn. I was working for a lawyer at the time, and I was looking for a new position. I saw that Penn had an opening in Law School admissions. This is when the job openings were in a magazine called the Compass. They don’t even have it anymore. I applied and I got the interview. I’ve been at Penn ever since.
Did you think at the time that you would be here 30 years later?
Iknew Penn would be my home. I knew I would retire from Penn and my career would be here at Penn. I can truly say Penn has been very good to me, and every department I have been through has been good to me. There are challenges at every job, every department, but Penn has been a real blessing to me and my family.
What do you enjoy about your work as residential services manager?
This role in particular has developed me into a leader. As an RSM, I was able to grow in leadership and train others. Now I train other new RSMs coming in, officially and unofficially. I’m grateful for that because I’m able to share what I know that works with other RSMs.
What are some of your job responsibilities?
I do a little bit of everything. First of all, I hire 11 or 12 student workers to cover the front desk. I train them and they are like ‘Mini-Me’s when I’m not here and on the weekends. I oversee the building. I do a complete inventory of the building maybe twice a week, sometimes three times, to make sure the alarms are working, the doors, the lights. If anything is wrong in a student’s room, they come to me or my staff, and I follow through to make sure Facilities gets it done.
Is there a main or recurring issue that students come to you with?
It could be anything, to be honest with you.
What sort of life skills do they come to you with?
I had a girl say to me, ‘Miss Jane, my mother will pay you to teach me how to cook.’ I said, ‘Why don’t we try YouTube first? You can YouTube it, get everything the chef has, follow the ingredients, follow the menu, and tell me how it turns out.’ She did exactly what I said, and by the end of the semester she was making spaghetti and meatballs.
What qualities do you look for in student workers?
I’m a good judge of character. I look for people that have good customer service skills. This job requires a lot of people skills. You have to be a people person. When I train them, we do roleplay, and I pretend I’m a contractor, the house director, or anybody, and I expect them to give me the same courtesy and respect they would want. That roleplay training helps them understand that it’s a really customer-service-heavy job. They have to know how to deal with the call center. They have to have phone etiquette. They have to know how to sign in guests. They have to know the security protocols.
What has been your experience interviewing Gen Z students?
I try to help them in their interview, to be honest. I’m more like a trainer. I had one student, she gave me her resume, and [I said], ‘I’m going to help you with the resume.’ I was going to hire her, because I liked her personality and I liked the way she interviewed, but the paper part was missing. And I said, ‘Going forward, I’m going to help you with this, and we’re going to see whether Career Counseling can help you with your resume’ because I wanted her to be the best she could be. But I would do that with any student.
What do you enjoy about the campus?
Everything. The campus is beautiful. The greenery. The whole thing is set up very nice. I just like the campus. I love Penn.
Do you have a favorite place on campus?
This place, Du Bois College House.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I’m a Universal Studios girl. Everybody knows that. I love Florida. I told my daughter that when I retire, I’ll be working part-time at Universal. I love Universal Studios. I don’t go to Disney World too much but I’m definitely a Universal girl.
Do you get on the rides?
I sure do. I’m a kid at heart. My favorite ride is Transformers.
Am I correct that you are also an ordained minister?
Yes, I’m an ordained minister. I was ordained at Fresh Anointing Christian Center in Upper Darby.
Why were you interested in becoming a minister?
Because I love people. And sometimes the answer is right in front of you. People look for books and they look for people to help them—which is good—but I think your first point of contact should be having a little quiet talk with God. Sometimes that interaction and prayer makes a world of difference.
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