1. Working in a Winery
With over 30 wineries in San Luis Obispo, there is no shortage of jobs in this industry. There are opportunities for you to work in tasting rooms, sales and marketing departments, and even assisting the winemakers themselves. If you’re looking for a job that offers you gorgeous views, the opportunity to constantly meet new and different people, and learn about the rich heritage of San Luis Obispo Wine Country, this industry is perfect for you!
2. Cal Poly: Organic Farm & Food Science Department
There are few universities that give students the hands-on opportunity to work on a farm and produce your own food, but SLO is one of them! Students gain experience harvesting fruits and vegetables at the on-campus farms, and then sell this produce at Farmer’s Market every Thursday. Students also have the opportunity to create delicious chocolate bars that are sold on campus, at farmer’s market, and in local stores. These bars are well known in SLO and come in a variety of flavors, such as: Spicy Cayenne, Zesty Orange, and Coffee Crunch. If you’re lucky enough to score a job with the Food Science department, you might be able to suggest a few flavor ideas of your own!
3. Surf Shops
You don’t even need to make the ten minute trip away from campus to the beach to be able to work at a surf shop. Downtown SLO has three different stores that feature beachy brands and all of the equipment needed to ride waves or just hang out at the beach.
4. SLODOCO 24 hours
Working at a doughnut shop could be unique in itself, but working a graveyard shift at a doughnut shop seems unheard of – until you get to SLO. SLO Donut Co. offers exactly that as it’s opened 24 hours everyday and is always staffed with doughnut bakers and front of the house employees. Do you think you could serve doughnuts at 2 A.M. to those with a sweet tooth? We can’t make any guarantees you can pick up the once in a lifetime job, but our best advice would be check out SloDoCo’s website or go in for yourself!
5. Growing Grounds
Humans have relied on agriculture for about 10,000 years, but today, we as individuals are less involved in growing our plants than ever before. Growing Grounds employees and volunteers dedicate their time to producing a range of decorative plants and edible vegetables to sell to SLO citizens to support their non-profit, Transitional Mental Health Association. What better way to return to our roots than through a local organization that supports wellness through the nurturing and selling of plants? It’s a win- win for the environment and SLO!
6. Central Coast Aquarium
One of the hidden secrets along the Central Coast is actually a bright blue building right next to the beach! The Central Coast Aquarium offers students opportunities to gain experience in marketing, animal husbandry and event planning. You can also walk on in to check out the neat organisms they work with!
7. Downtown SLO Bars
If you’ve ever taken a stroll downtown, you’d know that there are A TON of bars. The Tribune News even stated that there are a total of 66 bars downtown. And that’s just the downtown area. So if you were ever seeking a job, just know there are plenty of bars to choose from! And who doesn’t love meeting new people during bar crawls while showing off your embarrassing moves?
8. HumanKind Fair Trade
In a world of consumerism and globalization, striving for equal work conditions and environmental sustainability is nearly impossible. However, the HumanKind Fair Trade non- profit in downtown SLO does just that! Staff members and volunteers promote their mission of providing fair income to workers all over the globe. Being apart of this unique and local organization opens doors to understanding and supporting small businesses all over the world!
9. Work as a Herdsman
SLO is unique in its abundance of farm animals on campus, allowing for students to take up jobs as herdsmen! They are even provided student housing within close proximity of the animals. A job to take care of animals? A job like no udder. Sign me up!