Summer jobs in Williamsburg can be hard to find, unless you know where to look.
Adam Goodreau ’10 has already secured summer employment in city.
“I’m not looking for a job [now],” Goodreau said. “I know people, so I got two jobs.”
Goodreau was hired for a position in the College of William and Mary’s athletics department and has another job doing research in applied science.
Other departments at the College are also hiring temporary student employees. The William and Mary Phonathon is accepting applications for 20 callers who will help raise funds for student financial aid, research and other areas.
Eric Scruggs, senior supervisor of the Phonathon, said that he has received a record number of applications.
“Last year at this point, the Phonathon received approximately 10 applications,” Scruggs said. “This year, we have already received 25 applications.”
According to Scruggs, the Phonathon will continue to hire student callers because the College is always in need of funding.
“We are not surprised that the Fund for William and Mary is continuing to hire additional callers,” he said. “Given the current state of the economy, efforts to raise support for William and Mary have become even more important. We do not anticipate any cutbacks in funding or any loss of positions in the coming school year.”
The Sadler Center recently hired four employees for the summer and 30 new employees for next semester. Students will work as attendants at the candy counter, game area and information desk. The SC also hired student supervisors, set crew workers and audio-visual technicians. Like the Phonathon, the SC fielded more applications than expected.
“I was not here during the hiring fair last year, but I believe they had almost exactly the number of people apply as they had job openings,” Assistant Director for Operations Casey Van Veen said. “This year we interviewed 71 students, and had several others who submitted applications … We were even able to hire additional student employees to fill in vacancies left by College employees.”
It is highly unlikely that the College will stop hiring student employees due to the economy, according to Van Veen. The College relies on student employees to operate efficiently, and laying off employees would cause the institution to fall apart. However, if budget cuts are inevitable, the College might reduce the hours of operation of its buildings, which would decrease the number of hours student employees work each week.
“Presently, budget cuts have not had an impact on our student employment program, nor are we expecting them to,” Van Veen said.
The Cheese Shop, located in Merchant’s Square, reported they are doing well and may be hiring students for the summer.
“Our business has been very good,” Cheese Shop manager Cathy Pattisall said.
Pattisall added that both the Cheese Shop and its neighbor The Fat Canary are accepting applications. Eight to 10 employees will be hired. In all, about 20 percent of Pattisal’s employees are from the College.
Pattisall expects business to increase during the summer tourist season.
Sales at the Wythe Candy & Gourmet Shop are also booming. Human Resources Manager of the Wythe Will Distributing, LLC corporate office Andrea Martin stated that while Wythe is not currently hiring, the company’s retail stores are doing well and may need to hire more help.
“Currently, employees are hired as needed,” Martin said. “We may need to hire more as students leave for the summer.”
The Green Leafe Cafe, a popular late-night student hang out, was recently looking for new employees after an increase in business.
“For a little while, I thought that business was slowing down a bit. Then it picked back up,” Samantha Smith ’10, who has worked at the Green Leafe for about a year, said. “The real test will be the summer because we normally get a lot of tourists. I’ll be interested in seeing if we are as busy this summer as we were last summer.”
But things are not great for all Williamsburg job seekers and businesses.
Ben Cottingham ’10 has had difficulty finding employment for the summer.
“I’m trying to get a job at the YMCA. I applied for other jobs, but I failed twice,” Cottingham said. “The other day I was talking to a guy who takes pictures for Tribe sports. He said it’s harder to get press at events because [many] reporters are getting fired.”
The economic situation has also affected the College of William and Mary Bookstore, which has experienced a decrease in profits.
“After back-to-school and after January, we see a lull in business due to the time of year,” manager Cathy Pacheco said.
Though no full-time employees or management have lost wages or hours, part-time employees in various departments have had their hours cut.
“The economy is affecting all retailers. I think that’s pretty true of everyone in [Merchant’s] Square,” Pacheco said.
The bookstore is currently accepting applications, but will only hire new employees as vacancies arise.
