OMEGA Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who should apply to Seasonal Staff?
A. Consider applying to work at Omega if you believe in giving through service, and see this as a way of deepening your personal growth. Please join us ready and willing to give and share. In this way, we will have an abundant, thriving, energetic community.
Q. What is the Omega community like?
A. Omega is different things to different people. It's up to you, and all the members of the staff, to contribute to the sense of community - working together toward the common goal of Omega's mission.
Q. Is Omega an ashram, religious institution, or spiritual center?
A. Omega is not oriented toward one spiritual tradition. Omega honors all spiritual paths. While many of the staff are devotees of some kind of personal practice, some aren't. We ask that staff be tolerant and accepting of the diversity.
Q. Is Omega a good place for me to come to rest, recover and heal?
A. Omega is not a rehabilitation or recovery center. It is a highly stimulating environment. You will be working 6-8 hours a day, 5 days a week. All jobs require full attention, commitment and energy. A season working at Omega can be demanding.
Q. Will I have time to spend on personal growth and consciousness raising?
A. Work is your first priority, however there are opportunities for staff to work on personal growth and consciousness raising, whether in workshops, staff activities or at work. If you are open to the possibilities, learning opportunities occur throughout the day.
Q. How are work assignments made?
A. We have a large year-round Core Staff hired for specific roles in the organization. Because they work in a team and their work is on-going through the year, they are able to develop and finish projects that help promote Omega's goals. We need a Seasonal Staff to put these goals into practice by attending to the needs of the participants as well as their fellow staff members. Every staff is valued by the organization. We try to hire staff for each department according to their skills. Because departments like the Bookstore, Garden and Wellness Center are small and usually staffed by returnees, they tend to fill up quickly. Staff often come with excellent skills in specific areas and if there are no openings in those departments they are asked to take other positions. There is much to be gained by experiencing new situations. The biggest employers on campus are Housekeeping, Kitchen, and Administration (clerical jobs).
Q. What is the compensation package?
A. For most full-time positions there is a modest stipend, the range depends upon an individual's skills, years of service, and position. For part-time positions there is no monetary compensation. The stipend is only part of the remuneration package. All staff get on-campus housing (a room or tent-site), excellent food, workshops, entertainment, a beautiful campus with many amenities, discounts, and the opportunity to live and work in a very unique way.
Q. Will I have full participation in community decisions? Is Omega a non-hierarchical, full consensus workplace?
A. In day-to-day matters that affect staff life, we are interested in staff input, however any decision that affects the entire campus or Omega's business will be made at a supervisory level. Our decisions are made in the interest of the whole community, based on many years of history and experience.
Q. Can you give me a sense of the qualities Omega looks for when hiring seasonal staff?
A. We seek individuals who are most likely to succeed and be content in our unique community. Essential qualities are flexibility, generosity, and kindness. We look for individuals who are positive, have reasonable expectations, a strong work ethic, are respectful of boundaries, and have a commitment to Omega's values and mission.
Q. What are Omega's Core Values?
- Accountability - We expect each of us to do what we say we will do, to meet commitments, and be dependable and responsible.
- Holism - We honor the mind, body, heart and spirit in each individual, knowing the need to balance and blend all these elements. In our programming we encourage authenticity as a means to build trust and as essential to the growth and development of the whole.
- Integrity - In business and in relationships we conduct ourselves with honesty, fairness, truth, candor, and respect. We treat others, as we ourselves would want to be treated. We focus on the collective good.
- Service - We value the practice of service and what it teaches us about ourselves, and our relation to others. Our participants are here to experience the world in new ways. We are attuned to and care about their experience, needs, and expectations. We treat each other with similar grace.
- Simplicity - We strive for clear, direct and unambiguous communication. We seek true, underlying meaning, and employ spiritual guidance in that quest. In this way we work to make sense of the complexities of modern life.
- Sustainability - We consider the impact of our actions. We advocate for fairness in the treatment of all species, make decisions for the common good and encourage activism as a means to social justice. Our facilities are grounded in the awareness of our relationship to the environment. We endeavor to have our work in the world be self-sustaining.
- Teamwork - We work together, inclusively, collaboratively, with energy, intention and commitment. We keep each other informed, share what we are thinking and doing and expect the same in return.
- Welcoming - We invite people to find space here, to feel safe, to create community, to feel at home, and find nourishment. Our environment is nurturing, relaxing, stimulating and inspiring.
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