“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.” – Simon Sinek

As a teenager and throughout my adult life, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t working. Whether it was working as a youth sports official in high school or being in the State Assembly, I have always loved and enjoyed the jobs that gave back to the community and worked directly with residents on a myriad of issues or projects.

At the city of Santa Clarita, we are proud to offer residents and visitors a wide variety of jobs in each of our eight departments.

There are many job postings that cater to teens or young adults who are looking to apply to their first job or learn life skills, including plenty of part-time summer opportunities. Our family favorite Camp Clarita is actively hiring positions ranging from directors and counselors, to recreational leaders. What I love about these jobs are how active and engaging they are. Throughout the summer, Camp Clarita staff will help create fun and diverse programs for participants aged three to 12, while also ensuring a welcoming and safe environment.

More job opportunities that work directly with our residents are located at the Newhall and Canyon Country Community Centers. Housed in the hearts of our community, these positions will help staff develop an array of programming for kids and teens in the city’s summer camps, organize activities and crafts, go on weekly field trips as well as supervise and lead outdoor sports activities. To learn more about any of these positions or to apply, visit our City Careers page at santa-clarita.com/Jobs.

Another unique program that the city provides to residents is the Youth Employment Services (YES) Program. This first-time employment job training program is targeted to low-income or high-risk 16 to 18-year-old teens who want to gain valuable work experience, develop lifelong job skills and build their confidence. The YES Program works with local businesses and city departments to pair participants with jobs in their desired career fields. Applications for the YES Program will open this month, so please visit santa-clarita.com/YES to learn more about this exciting opportunity.

One of the most important pieces of advice I can share with our young adults in college is to apply for an internship.

I began my career as an intern for Congressman Buck McKeon, and due to that experience, I was then hired as a field representative.

By exploring your future career and receiving hands-on experience in a productive setting, you can better prepare yourself for your future. At the city of Santa Clarita, we are proud to offer a wide variety of internships that offer real world work assignments, firsthand learning opportunities and so much more. Our award-winning intern program provides high caliber undergraduate and graduate students work-based learning opportunities to help expand their understanding of public service and help them gain exposure to key aspects of local government. Not only will these internships allow you to work one-on-one with professionals in your future field, they also encourage the development of meaningful relations that may even kickstart your career with the city. If you would like to learn more about our internship opportunities, visit santa-clarita.com/Internships. ­

Being part of an organization like the city of Santa Clarita not only provides you the ability to grow and challenge yourself professionally, but it is also incredibly rewarding to work directly with, and for our residents. As Simon Sinek said above, if you work for something you love, it’s called passion and I couldn’t agree more. I can confidently say that the staff who work for our City are passionate about what they do and the impact they have on our community.

For anyone who is currently looking to apply for a job, or knows of someone who may be interested, I encourage you to visit santa-clarita.com/Jobs. Additionally, follow the city’s social media pages to get updates on active recruitments and opportunities.

Mayor Pro Tem Cameron Smyth is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at csmyth@santa-clarita.com.