Looking for an off-campus job? Here are some local businesses to check out

Figuring out how to navigate college as a first-year is a daunting task, but if finding a job is on the agenda, here are some off-campus jobs students at UNC have enjoyed in their years here.

Dottie Mayo, a rising junior at UNC, is a manager at Hibachi & Company on Franklin Street. She started working there as a cashier when she was a first-year. 

“I live in the area during the summer, so I stuck around long enough as students rotated in and out throughout the year and ended up being one of the only people who knew what (goes) into running the restaurant,” Mayo said.

Mayo said setting a schedule for schoolwork and a job is difficult at first, but eventually she prioritized school over work.

“Hibachi & Company prioritizes employees’ schooling over work, so they’re flexible with scheduling work around everything happening outside of the restaurant,” Mayo said.

Mayo said it can be helpful for students seeking a job to walk into places and ask for applications or if they're hiring. 

She said it is important to make clear with managers being a student is the main priority. 

“It’s very doable to get everything together once you get used to college,” said Mayo. “I don’t recommend working and doing clubs first semester because it was too much, but as I got used to everything I was better at time management.”

Julia Long, a rising senior at UNC, is a part-time associate bookseller at Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews. She said she found her job while walking down Franklin Street.

“It definitely was not a typical way of finding a job,” Long said. “I saw the store under construction, looked them up and saw they were hiring.”

Long said a lot of people who work at Epilogue are also students at UNC and although the job is pretty flexible, it's important to communicate with managers. 

“It’s important to keep in mind when you are available so that you are conserving your time and your boss’s and colleagues’ time too,” she said.

Long said it is OK to not have a job right away when starting college. 

“Cast a wide net and know your limits. Figuring out the balance of work, school and social life is a lot to handle coming to college,” Long said. “This semester might be extremely weird, so give it as much space as you can.”

Laura Brummett, a rising senior at UNC, works as a business desk assistant at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA. 

“When I was a sophomore at UNC and looking for an off-campus job, I went to the Y because it’s somewhere I worked at before and the one here is usually looking for college-age students to work part time,” Brummett said.

Brummett said the Y is a fun place to work because she gets to interact with members, and it is not too stressful. She said there are a lot of different positions people can hold depending on their interests. 

“If you’re looking for a job, try and find something that fits with you, what you’re studying or what you’re interested in,” Brummett said. “Those jobs will be the most fulfilling and rewarding.”

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