Chicago Park District

Lifeguard

June 2015 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I like to swim and also teach other people how to swim.

What I wish was different

I wish the pay is a little more because we do a lot more than expected.

Advice

It is a good experience of how to interact with other people. It is a nice job because everyday will be something different.

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Accountant Intern

May - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I liked being able to finally get experience in a business related field as opposed to working labor jobs like I normally do during the summer. I was able to see what really goes on in a big firm, and it was interesting to work for a government entity. I was in charge of a number of things such as monitoring the accounts payable email, editing spreadsheets, and making sure all invoices were imported into the system. The most important thing I did, in my opinion, was looking over official financial statements for errors before the Chicago Park District sent the document for review by the SEC.

What I wish was different

I wish I was able to experience different types of jobs in the business setting because I was still unclear what my major was going to be. It was nice to experience the accounting side of business, but as a finance major I thought I would be more involved in bigger finance projects and use more of my knowledge to help the firm make business decisions.

Advice

I would definitely try to get an internship in your field of study and stick with it. Whether you like the job or not, it could give you plenty of insight on what types of things you are good at and like, and whether or not this job would be something you want to do with your career.

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Recreational Leader

May - August 2019 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I loved being able to work with kids and impact their lives through keeping them active and intrigued with things other than technology

What I wish was different

The size of the park so we could have more resources for the children

Advice

communication is key when working with a large group of kids.

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Lifeguard

May - September 2019 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I liked the staff that I worked with, and the work environment. I enjoyed leaning how to teach an aqua fitness class.

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

Always be open minded because each day of work in that field brings something different.

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Pool Lifeguard

June - August 2019 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

The work ethic and how I make friends while working.

What I wish was different

Not having to go cover for other locations that are more than 10 minutes away.

Advice

Always apply to the first session for everything.

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Camp Leader

June - August 2019 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I loved working with the group of girls I had. They were so energetic and ready to start camp everyday.

What I wish was different

Advice

Don’t be afraid of the kids

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Recreational Leader

June 2019 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

Being outside, working with kids and experiencing many cultural attractions at the expense of the Park District

What I wish was different

Daily programming was too structured

Advice

Have patience, always be ready for a change of plans, and build your imagination

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Activity Instructor

June - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I loved the freedom of choosing what I got to teach the students and how I got to teach them.

What I wish was different

I wish it lasted longer!

Advice

If you want your son or daughter to have a fun summer activity to keep them occupied as well as have them learn something new then this is the right place to be.

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Laborer

May 2015 - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

Amazing staff, important work, respectful pay, good hours, tons of autonomy

What I wish was different

Less union fees to pay, they were not tailored to me at all

Advice

Pack a lunch

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Activities Instructor III

June - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

The environment in which I teach, the kids attitudes

What I wish was different

Better tennis courts

Advice

Don't be mean to the kids

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Lifeguard

May - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

The social atmosphere of the workplace.

What I wish was different

Not having a lax supervisor. Ended up performing many of her duties.

Advice

Unless you are a freshman in college, forget it. It isn't worth it to guard with CPD anymore, they have way too many checkups, where the sole purpose is to get you written up or reported. CPD is having trouble staffing locations as well so the increased burden of more hours is falling upon the working guards. With all the visits and the short staff, prepared to be burned out by the end.

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Life Guard

June - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I had the ability to interact with the swimming patrons and respond to them professionally when they had any questions. I was able to improve my CPR and oxygen techniques through in service trainings.

What I wish was different

Almost every week, there would be people who are in charge of us who would come and observe us as we guarded to make sure that we were doing everything that we were supposed to be doing. This pressured us to always be on top of everything which is good in a way but also caused us to fear being fired.

Advice

Just do what you're supposed to be doing because that'll allow you to stand out among your other coworkers, and the job will be more pleasurable.

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Seasonal camp recreation leader

June - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

The kids are great and the atmosphere is awesome. We have set rotations on which group goes where which is extremely helpful. Everything is very organized.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have received some more hours as sometimes I don’t get as many hours as I’d like

Advice

It’s a great job if you love kids! Highly recommend working for the park district. I would just recommend being very engaged and present with the kids.

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