Many college students look at winter break as a time to make a little extra money.

Whether it is paying tuition, bills or buying groceries, where the money comes from is a question students may ask. However, the jobs students had when they left, may not be there when they return home.

Sara Jo Mcaninch, student in environmental studies is one of the fortunate students returning home from break to earn some extra cash. She has been employed at Wakonda Country Club in Des Moines for the past four years and sees working over break as a great opportunity.

“It is important for me to work over break so I can pay my apartment rent and groceries for next semester,” Mcaninch said.

Mcaninch waits tables, bar-tends and works the front desk at the country club.

Winter Break may not be the prime-time for a country club, but Mcaninch said when it comes to summer time the country club hires more seasonal workers.

Linda Threlkled, assistant vice president of human resources at Hy-Vee, Inc. said that from a corporate standpoint, the local Hy-Vees work with students’ schedules.

“Hy-Vee is proud of the fact that we work around students’ school and activities schedules as much as possible,” Threlkled said, “Our busiest season is over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, so it is very beneficial to bring back trained employees that normally only want to work when our business is at a peak time.”

Threlked said that many college student employees transfer from their home store to a Hy-Vee in their college town.

“It is very common for them to transfer back and forth to the stores the entire time they are a student,” Threlkled said.

Mcaninch said she does not know any of her friends that are not going to work when they return home. Simply for the same reason as her, money for rent and groceries. Also, Mcaninch said that it is nice that her place of work tailors to her needs.

“They give me hours if I need them and [if] they need me to come back I will,” Mcaninch added.

From a corporate standpoint Threlkled cannot comment on how many employees Hy-Vee hires during the winter break, but said students leaving a college town poses challenges to that specific Hy-Vee.

“Typically our business will decrease in large college towns when the students leave for break,” Threlkeld said, “so I doubt we hire many employees during this time.”

Mcaninch said she does not find it hard to keep her job while she is away. 

“I never go off payroll … and whenever they need me I am there,” Mcanich added.

Threlkeld said that having the returning students is beneficial to their company. The students are fully trained so when they return home, they can jump right in and work any position. This cuts back on time the employer would have to train a new employee.