College is a time of late night studying, finding out who you are, and, of course, spending all of the money you don’t have on things you don’t need (but really, really want). There comes a time when we all look at our bank accounts and finally say to ourselves, “It’s time to get a job.” Thankfully, there are so many job opportunities either on campus or in the area, the only thing you have to do is find out what the best job is! Trust me when I tell you that I already know the answer to that question: the best job on campus is being a tour guide.
First of all, the sole portion of your job description is talking about the school you love for an hour. You’re getting paid to do something you probably already do in your spare time anyways! Even more than that, you’re sharing what you love about your campus with someone who wants to love it just as much as you do. You are responsible for forging that connection between a prospective student and their prospective happiness. By sharing your experiences and stories about college life, you are showing each individual touring with you what it is to be a Purple Knight. Who doesn’t want to talk about what they’re passionate about with people who genuinely want to listen?
Another great benefit of being a tour guide is that with every tour you give, your appreciation for your college grows. Think about it, while you are selling the greatest aspects about St. Mike’s to students, you are also reminding yourself about all the wonderful opportunities you have started to take for granted (free printing anyone?). Each tour recalls to your mind just how unparalleled your campus is, and why you fell in love with it in the first place.
Speaking of falling in love, do you remember the first time you toured Saint Michael’s College? It was likely in the cold (because it’s always cold here) and perhaps you weren’t really sold on being this far north or it was school vacation week and you just wanted to relax and hang out with your friends, but your parents insisted on college visits. Anyways, there you were on our SMC campus, strolling through the academic courtyard, or perusing photos in the Dailey Room, slowly warming up to St. Mike’s and realizing that this was the school for you. That moment, that feeling of belonging, of recognizing a part of you in Saint Michael’s College. You get to relive this moment in dozens of prospective students each week on your tour. You have the privilege to incite that feeling in so many other high school juniors and seniors looking for a college to belong to.
If I haven’t sold you already, think about this: next year as you’re on your way to St. Ed’s for your Econ class, someone stops you and says, “I had you as a tour guide last year! It’s what made me decide St. Mike’s was for me.” Imagine having made such an impact on someone that it caused them choose where to live for the next four years. Being a tour guide let’s you have this opportunity to make a positive impact on prospective students.
So if you’re interested in talking about the campus you love, appreciating said campus more and more every week, and falling in love all over again, then being a tour guide is the best job for you.