Jamie Kalla has a summer job. Specifically, she has to spend her days tromping through reeds, fording rivers and getting up to her waist in muck.
Kalla, 22, is a student at the University of Alberta who's working as a field technician for the Sturgeon River research project in St. Albert.
"We're out there getting water samples, setting minnow traps, collecting flow data," she explains, much of which involves wading into the midst of the river.
"We're doing a lot of birding this year too," she adds, "so that involves getting up at 3:30 a.m., which is fun."
It's a job that comes with lots of bugs, fish, and muck — the latter of which is often waist deep. One guy actually got stuck in the mud last year and had to come out without his waders, she recalls. "I've been desensitized to gross."
Cruddy jobs?
Hundreds of St. Albert students will be out of school and looking for summer jobs in about a month, many of them for the first time.
Some of them will ask Bill Turnham for help. As the work experience co-ordinator at Bellerose Composite High, it's his job to help introduce students to the world of work.
Turnham says he held plenty of jobs over the years, including gigs at hardware stores, bars and schools. "Even as a young lad, I worked at a couple of concession stands."
Summer jobs used to be all about low-pay, seasonal work mowing lawns or washing windows, he says, but that's not always the case today. Students on road crews can get plenty of pay and experience, for example, while restaurant workers can get their feet in the door for future careers.
"We all have to pay our dues … but those efforts often transform into something more fruitful."
Turnham guessed that about 15 per cent of Bellerose students seek summer jobs, many of them taking them as part of the school's work experience program, which offers class credit for work. Most of them do it for the money, but some take jobs for experience in the trades.
Most high school students will have to settle for entry-level jobs, often in the retail or restaurant sector, Turnham says. These jobs are great for building a student's communication skills and work ethic, he notes — skills they will need in any future career.
Getting the job
Most university students are already on the hunt for a job (if not working) by April, Turnham says, so high schoolers should start their job searches no later than then. He often starts lining up summer jobs for students as early as September.
Students should go into a search with some idea of what they want to do, says Joan Schiebelbein, director of the U of A's student job centre. Ads and help-wanted signs can help, but the best way to find a job is networking. Tell everyone you know what you're looking for so they can help, she explains.
"The more eyes and ears you can have open for you, the better your chances of finding something that fits what your goals are."
Jöel Gervais, a long-time summer employee with the Sturgeon research group, says he got his start with the group through the St. Albert Nordic Ski Club, of which the group's organizer, Laurie Hunt, was a member.
"She asked me if I'd be interested in applying," he explains, and he's been with the group ever since.
Write your resume with a goal in mind for the job, Turnham says. "We all know at the end of the day we want to make a few bucks," he says, but the employer wants to know why you want this job in particular. Maybe you love animals, for example, or want to get experience as a mechanic.
Emphasize skills, traits and volunteer experience that's relevant to the job, Turnham says, and include copies of any references. Keep it short and well formatted — this is a professional document, and it should be treated as such.
And keep an open mind, Gervais adds. "Even if it's something you don't want, you're still going to get experience out of it."
Working in the Sturgeon can get a little mucky, he notes, but it comes with some great scenery. "You can't put a dollar value on that."
