Autumne Shannon works just a few hours a week at a job she loves. Finding the job was no problem; in fact, all she had to do was create an online profile, and potential employers came to her with job offers.

After doing an Internet search for baby-sitting jobs, Shannon (sophomore-advertising) came across the State College-based service www.collegesitter.com.

"The site was the first thing that came up, and it looked legitimate," Shannon said. "So I made a profile, and a lot of parents contacted me."

Shannon now works as a baby sitter once a week for a 15-month-old boy.

Motivated by their own search for a baby sitter for their two sons, Scott and Ronda Reid, both 1993 alumni, created the service in fall 2005 to provide Penn State student baby sitters and parents in the State College area with a means to connect.

"It was hard to find a sitter," Ronda Reid said. "We knew there had to be an easier way to check for well-qualified student sitters in the area."

Danielle Susi (senior-psychology), who uses the site, said it is easy for students to use. "It seemed like an easier way to get in contact with parents than simply putting an ad in the newspaper," Susi said. "I think it's a great way to make money without having to sacrifice a significant amount of time."

Students create a profile, listing their availability, desired pay, special training and other information important to parents.

Parents must subscribe to the site and pay a membership fee to post job openings and contact sitters, but registration for students is free.

About 400 students and 150 parents are registered with the site, Reid said.

"When we started doing this, we weren't sure what response we'd get from students and parents," Reid said. "It has exceeded our expectations."

Student sitters outnumber parents but can make themselves stand out to potential employers through their profiles.

"Parents are looking for students who are responsible, but it's hard to tell just from a Web site," Shannon said.

"I know that a lot of parents look for certain majors, like human development and family studies or education," she added.

State College resident and education professor Dana Mitra uses the site to locate baby sitters for her two children and pays close attention to the information in student sitters' profiles.

"I look at the activities they are involved with and look at their GPA as an indication of their drive and their sense of responsibility," Mitra said.

"I tend to have a preference for students with a major related to kids, like education or human development, although one of our most wonderful sitters is a business major," she added.

Having special skills, like cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification and first-aid training, also benefits student sitters, Reid said.

The Web site serves only the State College area because the site's administrators wanted to focus on the immediate vicinity.

"We're able to make more successful connections between student sitters and parents," Reid said.

Both Shannon and Susi would recommend the service to other students looking for baby-sitting jobs.

"It's so much more convenient," Susi said. "Whenever you need some money and have some free time, you can check on the site to see what is available."