Now Hiring Seasonal Employees

Liz O'Kane - Career Services Media Assistant

          

Winter break is fast approaching and that means nearly a month without pay (if you have an on-campus job).  The holidays can be expensive and most of us are waiting on that refund check come January.  But don’t fret; let me share a little secret with you.  There is a little piece of heaven called a seasonal job.  Whether you’re bored over break, looking to spice up your resume or just need the cash, take a look at the seasonal jobs available in your hometown.

One of the more common seasonal jobs are ski resorts.  Ski resorts offer paid and volunteer positions in a variety of departments including the lodge, teaching ski lessons, or assisting in the medical center.  There might be one that you are qualified for, so do some research! However, as appealing as spending a month in the beautiful snowy mountaintops may seem, this can be unreasonable.  As a Sacramento native, the nearest ski resort is about two hours away.  The constant back and forth driving does not outweigh the benefits for me.  But who knows, if you, a family member or friend has a cabin, this could be a great opportunity for you.

If you prefer to stay a little closer to home, retail stores are another option.  Retail stores increase their staff during the holiday season to meet the increasing demand for their products.  Check out your local malls and favorite stores to ask if they are hiring for the winter months.  Plus, many retail stores offer an employee discount. A great way to save some money when purchasing gifts!

Because there is an increase in the number of people shopping, there will also be an increase in the number of people eating out at restaurants.  Restaurants within the proximity of shopping areas will see growth in business.  This could be a great opportunity for you.  From expereince, a friend of mine works at a Thai restaurant every winter break where she earns great tips and gets to take home free food!  Now that sounds like the perfect job for a college student. 

Whatever you chose to do over your winter break, we wish you the best.  We understand that you worked hard over the semester and deserve your much-needed break.  But if you would like assistance in your job search, help with your resume or interview, Career Services is here for you!

Career Services Center

Kolligian Library, STE 127

careerservices@ucmerced.edu

(209) 228-7272

             

New Beginnings

Its funny how a start of something new also means the loss of another…

Laura Li - STEM Career Consultant

Reminiscing to the beginning of this semester, I was really looking forward to the new school year. I was excited to meet new colleagues, gain new experiences and continue on with my journey here at UC Merced. During the first couple of weeks of the semester, I was running around all over campus, attending meetings and workshop, brainstorming ideas for upcoming events, adaptating to my new classes and work schedule, as well getting accustomed to my new job as a Career Consultant. Being held accountable for all these commitments that I agreed to take on was challenging because I didn’t want to let anyone down. I knew that I had it in me to accomplish all of these tasks and was determined to do so.  Just when everything seemed to be going as planned, things took a complete turn. Suddenly, I got the news that my best friend of almost nine years had passed away. And so it was, the beginning of my senior year of college and dealing with a lost of someone that I held dearly close to my heart. At this very moment, I couldn’t help, but to drop everything, my world felt like it was crashing down, all of the determination and eagerness to fulfill my duties as a student and a worker slowly began to decenergrate. I couldn’t focus; I wasn’t unable to complete my assignments, all I could think about was my best friend. A week passed by and I decided to call off some commitments that I had made from work and school to head back home and attend her service. I needed a few days to myself so I could gather my thoughts and emotions together to pay tribute and say my final goodbyes. When I finally came back to work and school after such a heart-breaking weekend, the last thing I could do was to stay on track and focus. But somehow I found the courage in me to move pass this and continue. I knew that the more I kept myself productive, the more it would keep my mind off of the situation. Couple of weeks passed by, and midterms began to come up.  I found myself slowly getting back in my routine of work and school. I came to a realization that work and school provided me with a distraction. Focusing on each task helped me create a forward momentum, a push that was able to propel me into this new phase of my life.  Even though my best friend had passed, everything must still go on. I continued with this forward driving force and kept focus on accomplishing all of my school work and work outside of school. Even though the beginning of something new resulted in a lost of another, starting new projects and tasks gave me that extra boost to continue pursuing new opportunities. Dealing with this experience taught me that life is always going to have unexpected turns, but you must continue to keep reaching your goals and move forward from it.