Right about this time of year, this question begins to circulate among TJC students, “What are you doing this summer?” Answers may include summer vacations, or on-campus classes, but most students will be looking for full- or part-time jobs.
Students may return to jobs they held last summer, but most are left to spend the next several weeks or months on a job hunt. A few options for those looking for full or part-time work, or even volunteer positions can be found right here in Tyler.
On the list is Pinecove, a Christian-based summer camp for kids. Pinecove hires about 1,500 college-aged staff members to work their camps every summer. The summer job positions include lifeguards, camp counselors, boat drivers, rope course instructors, health assistants, videographers, photographers and more. Visit pinecove.com for more information on the summer session and the hiring process.
“Pinecove recruiters come to the TJC and UT Tyler campuses during the fall and spring semesters to do recruiting for our summer staff. Quite a few of our summer positions have been hired already,” said Marketing Director Jeremiah Boatright. “It is a fun environment to spend time with the kids and families. The summer session begins June 1st and lasts until August 16th.”
Caldwell Zoo, the local zoo in Tyler, hires students for part-time and full-time summer help. There are TJC students working there now as office clerks, cashiers, and concession stand workers.
Those are just a few of the many positions available at the zoo. Caldwell Zoo is a very popular place to visit during the summer months and they are always looking for new hires.
“It really is a great place to work. They work around my school schedule,” said Denaya Moore, a surgical technologist major at TJC. “I like working at the zoo much better than my old retail job. I sell tickets and also work as an office clerk in the front office at Caldwell Zoo.”
Another option for students is the City of Tyler’s Summer Playground Program. Each year children ages 6-12 come to the program during their summer vacation. They look for volunteers and offer a few paid positions as well. The summer playground program includes food, sports, arts and crafts, games, special events, contests and more. The Summer Playground Program has been happening every year at Tyler parks since the 1950s.
“This program is good for students in the education field or looking to end up in a counseling position out of college because it can be a real eye-opener,” said Ana Santana, director of the Glass Recreation Center who is also over the summer playground program. “We have children from all walks of life that come to this. We take volunteers as young as 14 and we are offering paying positions as a playground leader or a playground aid that both pay $9.25 an hour.”
To apply for these positions a student can visit http://www.cityoftyler.org and click on the “how to” link on their home page. There is an “apply for a job” link on that page. They request that the student is CPR certified. The positions available are 25-30 hours a week and start at 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The positions have weeknights and weekends off.
Listing a summer job on a resume may help it appear well rounded. Summer positions do come with some perks. For example, working at a summer camp with school aged kids will look good on a resume for someone wanting to be a counselor or be in the education field. Keep these things in mind when filling out an application for a new summer job. Comments about summer jobs are welcome at mytjcnews.com.
