By Haley Knight |Content editorThe Masters Tournament is held at the Augusta National Golf Course every April, and it brings golf fans from all over the world to Augusta. For Augusta University students and some faculty, it also is a time to make some extra money.Each year, AU Career Services Director Julie Goley is contacted by Augusta National Golf Course seeking students wanting to work. She helps to coordinate Masters Tournament Employment Presentations each September in the JSAC Ballroom and campus interviews in late October.“The interview process wasn’t difficult, but it can be time-consuming with developing a relevant resume and cover letter,” said Political Science Lecturer Nadia Jilani-Hyler.Jilani-Hyler bartended for the Augusta National, and she was paid about $13 an hour for the second year in a row. She worked roughly 13-14 hours a day, unless there was a rain delay or postponement. She was able to meet Lee Elder, the first African American to play in the Masters in 1975. Last year, she had the opportunity to meet Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State and an Augusta National member.“I’m really glad I worked during the Masters the past two years," Jilani-Hyler said. "I’ve lived around Augusta on and off since 1999, and our family usually gets out of town during the Masters Tournament. It was really rewarding to take part in an event that my town is internationally recognized for."Ashley Kinney, 28 and a May Communication graduate, applied to be a food runner at Berckmans Place through the website Handshake. She found the hiring process to be effortless.“They held interviews on campus at the JSAC, and it was a ton of people," Kinney said. "They had all the different people for whatever position.”She worked on average nine to 12 hours a shift and was paid $10 an hour. Kinney felt that working within the food-and-beverage industry during the Masters Tournament was rough; however, it was worth it because you can experience the golf course.Some students like Kelsey Leblanc, 21, do not work at Augusta National Golf Course, but work within the same vicinity. Leblanc is a make-up consultant at Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio located in a shopping center across Washington Road from the golf course. She has been an employee there for four years and received the job out of high school through her senior project mentor.“Usually it (work) slows down during the Masters, but this year it was more worth it to be there (work),” Leblanc said.Leeroy Francis Jr., a senior Communication major, and Tyler Strong, who graduated from AU in May 2018, worked for CBS Sports for the second straight year. Francis and Strong worked more than 12 hours a day for the network doing a variety of communication tasks, including working behind the scenes with the nightly wrap-up show by on-air anchors Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo in Butler Cabin. Francis and Strong were joined this year by another AU student, Vernon Blount, who is an integrated studies major.Students who need real-world experience should seek employment at Augusta National Golf Course during the Masters Tournament, and Goley will be announcing the September meeting in the JSAC Ballroom once Fall 2019 kicks off in August. Working the Masters allows for students to gain exposure with a variety of potential employers within their chosen career fields, she said.“It shows a certain level of work ethic," Goley said. "For most students, it's time for a break. For students who take advantage of it, it shows a sense of work ethic.” Contact Haley Knight at HKNIGHT@augusta.edu.