Hearst Castle seeking part-time tour guides

People interested in becoming part-time Hearst Castle guides should plan to attend one of the 90-minute workshops scheduled to be held at the visitor center Friday and Saturday, Jan. 15 and 16.

To register for a workshop, call 927-2164 between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Ty Smith, chief of museum interpretation, expects to hire up to a total of 20 guides and/or guide trainees. He said Tuesday, Jan. 12, that the annual hiring process allows the castle enough scheduling flexibility and employees “so we’re versatile,” but doesn’t add “so many that nobody can make a living” at the job.

It’s not “a move to grow the guide program,” he said, but to fill in the staffing blanks that follow retirements and other departures from the roster of guides.

Part-time guides typically work between 1,000 and 1,500 hours a year, especially during the summer months, weekends and holiday periods.

The hiring would be done after the workshops, Guide 1 exam and hiring interviews are held (expected to be held sometime in February). Paid training likely would start in late April through early June, after which new guides would be scheduled for part-time work based on operational needs.

According to a Craigslist posting at http://bit.ly/1W5g6Ek, the jobs offer “creativity, interaction with people from all over the world … inspirational surroundings.”

The workdays include a lot of standing, walking and climbing many stairs. Weather conditions can be extreme. Applicants should be “friendly, courteous, comfortable speaking in front of large groups and have a positive attitude.”

Guide trainee pay ranges from $10.98 to $13.29 per hour for a seasonal position, primarily in the summer, holidays and some weekends. This position does not require a civil-service exam.

Guide 1 pay ranges from $17.67 to $22.11 per hour. These are permanent, part-time, civil-service positions involving full-time work during the summer season, holidays and most weekends, up to a maximum of 1,500 hours a year. Applicants must successfully complete a civil-service exam before being interviewed for this position. The position offers health and retirement benefits after the guide works 480 hours within a qualifying time period.

Official posting of these opportunities is expected to be online at www.parks.ca.gov by Friday, Jan. 15.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 10:06 AM with the headline "Hearst Castle seeking part-time tour guides."