As a student, the moment you set foot onto the UCLA campus, you become a Bruin, defined by qualities like integrity and excellence. Why not share that True Bruin spirit with others coming to campus through a job with UCLA Transportation? Gain experience, earn money, have fun and work in a supportive team atmosphere!
Parking Services is seeking students to become valet attendants at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center. Student valet attendants serve as UCLA ambassadors, greeting visitors and parking vehicles.
There are tons of advantages to being part of the UCLA Transportation team. Just ask Elizabeth Gomez, an International Development Studies major who has worked as a valet attendant for over a year.
A Flexible Schedule
“Working for Parking Services is so nice," Elizabeth said. "Supervisors are really understanding about your schedule and that’s huge when you are a student.”
For Elizabeth, a typical shift involves clocking in at base, which serves as Parking’s headquarters. There she receives a briefing from a supervisor about the expected amount of customers for the day and a review of the calendar to see if anything major is happening that might impact traffic. She’ll also be notified if any VIPs are coming in.
After that she’ll head to the job site where the day consists of valeting cars. While you do need to pull off parallel parking, a big responsibility is welcoming customers.
Valet attendants support the arrival and departure of vehicles by greeting visitors, receiving and inspecting customer vehicles, notating damage, issuing valet permits and driving vehicles to a parking spot.
Excellent Pay & Parking
It doesn’t hurt that, at $14.50 an hour, the job pays well and offers a schedule that won’t exceed 20 hours. Student parking assistants are also eligible to purchase a campus parking permit.
While Elizabeth doesn’t have to worry about her car since she typically commutes using our BruinTAP for transit pass, she does enjoy her driving day job. She explained what exactly makes the gig at Parking Services standout among the BruinView job listings.
A Caring Workplace
“Honestly, what I like most about this job is that I can come in and know that my day is going to get way better because my supervisors, coworkers and work environment are so warm and uplifting – which is not something I think a lot of people might be able to say about their campus jobs.”
The hospitality isn’t reserved just for campus visitors, according to Elizabeth.
“At Parking they don’t just look at you as an employee, they see the whole person. You get really close to your supervisors and they genuinely care to the point where you can come and talk to them about anything — that’s something which is very rare and special among campus jobs. It makes you want to work that much harder when you know your supervisor is concerned about you. I like the environment so in turn I perform better, and that actually helps me do better in all areas of my life.”
Positive Team Atmosphere
Students contribute daily to the work and services provided by Parking Services, and serve as an integral part of the UCLA Transportation team.
“All the employees are nice, and everyone is friendly," Elizabeth continues. "It’s inevitable you become like a family which is really awesome."
As valet attendants at the hospital, students have an opportunity to bring a dose of Bruin cheer to patients and their family and friends and at the same time gain useful skills that will help them beyond their time at UCLA.
Elizabeth noted that because these positions don’t require a specific background, you can apply without a lot of experience. As long as you have a driver license, are patient and willing to learn, everything will be taught to you.
To learn how you can join the UCLA Transportation team visit our Student Employment Opportunities website or call (310) 206-1959.
