The East Bay’s renowned park district is welcoming young people to learn about potential career opportunities at its upcoming annual Youth Job Fair.
The East Bay Regional Park District will be holding an in-person fair on Feb. 24 at Temescal Beach House in Oakland. They will also be hosting a virtual job fair on March 2.
The park district staffs around 370 seasonal positions each year that are available to young adults, including around 180 lifeguards positions, 60 gate attendant positions, 50 student laborer positions, 28 internship opportunities, 25 positions as recreation leaders, 20 opportunities to be an interpretive student aid, and six public safety student aid positions.
The majority of these seasonal positions are designed for student workers, including those enrolled in high school, community college, and vocational schools. However, lifeguards and recreation leaders do not need to be students. Age ranges for jobs vary, but jobs are available for folks starting as young as 15. The Youth Job Fair is specifically targeted to prospective employees aged 15 to 24.
The park district lays out several “pathways” for young people looking to start a long-term career in outdoor recreation and park systems: the interpretive pathway, the recreation pathway, two park operations pathways, and the lifeguard pathway.
The interpretive pathway sets employees out on a path that could lead to a career as a park naturalist. Naturalists perform several key functions at the parks, including leading tours, providing educational content, and assisting in animal care.
The recreation pathway is for people interested in positions that could lead to future careers in outdoor recreation and education. These positions include camp leadership and outdoor guiding.
The park operations pathways are great for students hoping to pursue a future career as a park ranger or park supervisor. Several internships are available for college students working towards degrees. The park district also partners with several local community colleges to staff these roles.
For those interested in a potential career as an aquatic manager, the lifeguard pathway is available for both students and non-students. Aquatics managers help the park district staff supervise aquatic activities and safety, conduct training programs, and create promotional materials such as flyers and posters.
The park district highlights several tips for those looking to apply. Prospective employees should reflect on their personal interests to find the right position for them, get involved in appropriate volunteer or early-career opportunities to boost their resumes, and build their portfolios to help present themselves in the best way possible.
The in-person Youth Job Fair will be held on Feb. 24 at Temescal Beach House in Oakland from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A shuttle from Rockridge Bart Station will be available, running every 30 minutes from 9:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The virtual session will be held on March 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
