Top 10 reasons to be a Cal ambassador
10. You immediately become part of the Visitors Center family. And you get paid!
9. You get more involved in your future Alma Mater.
8. You're the envy of all when you're driving around campus in a golf cart.
7. You hear fun memories from alumni about their times here at Cal.
6. You get a discount at the campus store!
5. You can entertain your friends and parents for hours with Cal facts.
4. You always know the cool stuff happening around campus.
3. You meet visitors from around the world.
2. You help people make good decisions about choosing a school.
1. With 30 people hanging on your every word, you look super popular.
Check out our students favorite places on campus and learn about several of our most popular fields of study.
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Campus tour guides are formally known as campus ambassadors - which more accurately reflects their range of responsibilities. If you're interested in becoming an ambassador, please sign up for our email list, so we can keep you posted on job openings and announcements.
What does being an ambassador mean, exactly?
Campus ambassadors are the public face of the university. Being an ambassador is more than just giving tours to campus visitors, ambassadors are advocates for the university who enjoy sharing their experiences with campus visitors. By sharing information about the history and the culture of the campus, as well as personal experiences as a Cal student, ambassadors help people get to know UC Berkeley. Prospective students and their families primarily gain knowledge about a university though campus tours; as such, campus ambassadors play an instrumental role in college decisions.
What do you look for when hiring a campus ambassador?
The Visitor Center strives to maintain a staff which reflects the diversity of the student population. Most ambassadors are highly active in the Cal community and share a strong enthusiasm for the university. In particular, we search for students who…
- Speak multiple languages
- Are available to work weekdays between 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (especially Tuesday and Thursday)
- Are in the College of Engineering
- Have a passion to help serve our underrepresented communities
All students who are excited about the opportunity to share their college experience with campus visitors are encouraged to apply.
When do you hire people?
The Visitors Center hires once per year. Applications are usually available online in mid- to late November.
What hours are ambassadors expected to work?
The Visitor Center is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Ambassadors are needed to work various shifts at the Visitor Center and in the Campanile throughout the day. Tours are generally 1.5 hours in duration and are scheduled daily at 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. On weekend, Ambassadors are needed to work in the Campanile and the weekend tours at 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays and 1:00 p.m. on Sundays.
How many hours a week do you work?
Ambassadors normally work 5 to 7 hours per week with assignments made around class schedules. Generally, ambassadors are scheduled to work as availability allows. In addition to campus tours, ambassadors staff the information desks in the Visitors Center and the Campanile.
Do I have to work summers, or winter/spring breaks?
Newly hired ambassadors are required to work for their first summer. During winter/spring breaks, we do need as many ambassadors on hand as possible, and we welcome and encourage your availability.
Does it qualify as work-study?
Yes, we welcome and encourage work-study applicants.
Can I apply as a freshman?
Absolutely. For the benefit of our visitors and prospective students, we hire only second-semester freshmen with significant customer service and campus experience. For the most part, however, students with sophomore and junior standings are preferred.
Can I apply as a senior?
We hire very few seniors as a rule, both because training is immensely time intensive and because as graduation approaches, their focus tends to shift toward completing their degree. However, we have been known to hire one or two awesome seniors.
How does the application process work?
You must first complete an online application in late November or early December. Group auditions are held in January, and individual interviews conducted in late January for those applicants selected from the audition. Final hiring and training will occur in February.
What is the audition like?
The audition is a lot of fun. Basically it serves as an opportunity for you to show us your personality. It is easier to stand out during the audition than it is during the one-on-one interview, which is more structured. For example, one section of the audition asks potential hires to liken themselves to strange objects (juggling balls, markers, bendy-straws).
What kind of training do guides receive?
Newly hired tour guides follow seasoned guides on their tours in order to learn basic tour presentation as well as how to customize it, campus facts, and public-service etiquette. There is also a tour guide manual with extensive information about the university that tour guides are required to know.
Do you ever get tired of saying the same thing?
Not if you're good at your job. Tours are interactive, not just one person talking on a stage. Each tour has different visitors and thus a different atmosphere to it, so although you may be saying something for the hundredth time, it will always be received in a new way. This keeps you at the top of your game. Also, as you gain more experience, the information you offer should change, relfecting current events and the university's growth.
Do I have to be able to walk backward?
It helps, but not right away. There is definitely enough time and occasion to practice walking backward. Even if you are clumsy walking forward, you'll be gliding backward in no time.