Access Direct Telemarketing, Inc., will soon be expanding in Ames.

The Access Direct central office in Cedar Rapids plans to increase the size and volume of business done by the Ames branch.

The Access Direct front office will be looking to Iowa State students to fill these expansion positions.

At the present time, about 40 percent of the company’s employees are or have been ISU students, Access Direct President Tom Cardella said.

Entry level positions available to students will pay $8-$12 per hour for full-time help and $8-$10 an hour for part-time help.

Compensation will also include a comprehensive benefits package, he said.

Cardella said the Ames office is currently looking for workers for part-time evening shifts, which should work into many college students’ schedules.

The corporate office in Cedar Rapids is also looking for graduates in the Information Technologies areas.

They are currently interviewing for positions which will start out between $30,000-$40,000 per year.

Since opening in 1995, Access Direct has grown to employ more than 750 people at locations such as Cedar Rapids, North Liberty, Marshalltown and Ames.

Cardella also said Access plans to expand to Jacksonville, Fla., and Dallas, Texas, in 1998.

These expansions are due to new Access Direct contracts with Fortune 500 clients in banking, insurance and publication industries, Cardella said.

According to Telemarketing Magazine, Access Direct is the 44th largest telemarketing firm in the United States.

They are also the 8th fastest-growing firm in their field.

Access Direct is an outbound telemarketing service that focuses on business-to-business and business-to-customer telemarketing, Cardella said.

Some of the main areas of expertise for Access Direct include financial services, telecommunications, utilities, technology, advertising, publishing, insurance and affinity organizations.

Students who have an interest in applying for a position can either contact the Ames office or the corporate headquarters.

The Ames office is located at 215 Alexander Ave., and the Cedar Rapids office is located at 2738 Edgewood Road S.W.