First of all, I was a cart vendor at Adventure Island, a water park owned by Seaworld. There were no specific options for this.
Free park entry and employee discounts were both very nice. They also gave me a bunch of free tickets for things that I never used. My coworkers and supervisors were all very cool.
What I wish was different
Shifts were canceled very often due to weather. There are only like 2 stations that have pads to make standing more comfortable, everywhere else you were standing on stone for 6+ hours. Higher pay would have been nice, I was doing fine but if you have to pay rent its not nearly enough. Often stations would not be set up for you yet when you arrived.
Advice
It's not bad for a first job. Buy inserts for your shoes. Figure out who the supervisors are ASAP. Wear sunscreen.
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Merchandise Cashier
May - October 2019 • Tampa, FL
What I liked
the discounts
What I wish was different
Advice
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Ride Operator
June - August 2019 • Orlando, FL
What I liked
Everyone at the company was very supportive and understanding.
What I wish was different
I wish the hours were not as long so it'd be easier to balance the job with school.
Advice
Always set expectations from the beginning and let your supervisor know ahead of time of anything that would affect your job.
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Lifeguard
June - August 2019 • Orlando, FL
What I liked
I enjoyed the overall new experience. I enjoyed working at the #1 waterpark in the US with a high tourism volume and meeting new people. I also liked meeting new friends that were my age and similar to me. I enjoyed test riding rides and being able to go to almost a hundred different parks and attractions across FL for free! I liked the layout of the app that SeaWorld required us to use. Finally, I enjoyed the sense of freedom and importance that came with the job.
What I wish was different
I wish I would've had a choice of my preferred locations in the park, I wish the park had more locations near NJ, and that I would've lived with friends instead of with my boyfriend's family so I could've experienced more. I wish it would've been simpler to change shifts with other guards.
Advice
If you ever feel something is not possible, try it anyways. I weighed 325 lbs my freshman year of college and moved to Orlando to do Disney College Program when I was a junior at 140 lbs. It was my first time working outdoors nonstop, especially in the FL summer heat. I never could've imagined being a lifeguard from a morbidly obese past and being generally unhealthy. When I was going through multiple surgieries and complications in April 2018, I applied to Aquatica from the emergency room at Valley hospital out of bordeom for park operations (front gate) which would've been $9/hr. I landed an interview, flew to FL the next week, and I was offered the lifeguard position at the interview at $13.50/hr and ALMOST said no. I trained endlessly when I decided to try it out and take the test. I felt hopeless when I couldn't pass the deep test and became a shallow guard ($12.50/hr). But then I realized, I could've never even passed the shallow test a year ago. After a month, a decided to try the deep test again and passed! I got a raise, a new hippack color, and a new whistle color. I climbed 5 story towers every day, jumped in to make rescues, and rode every ride in the park at least twice (I used to be afraid of all rides!!).
Takeaway: TRY. Never think any job is out of your reach. I have no regrets over the flights back and forth, the gym days of endless swimming, the 50 hrs of waterpark training in 3 days, the long 14 hr days in the 105* FL heat, or any of the other struggles along the way.
I returned to Ramapo with CPR, First aid, Deep Water Lifeguard, Bloodborne pathogen, and multiple other certifications that would help me land a new job immediately at home and be offered a higher pay rate.
Every chance is an opportunity !
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Assistant Store Manager
October 2013 • Orlando, FL
What I liked
The different guests I may every day was fun and interesting, especially picking up some new words in a different language.
What I wish was different
I wish the work culture was as it was years ago. Everyone is so negative-minded now and the energy was off after the layoffs kept happening and budgets were cut.
Advice
Be outgoing and always come to work with a positive attitude. Make another person’s day even if you aren’t having a good one.
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Camp Counselor
May - August 2018 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
Absolutely everything! The other counselors truly became my best friends, the kids were so much fun, and I got to play with the animals, watch the shows, and ride the rides! Could it get any better?!
What I wish was different
Advice
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Lifeguard
May - August 2018 • Williamsburg, VA
What I liked
I loved the work enviorment and having the opportunity to work with people from all across the world. I also enjoyed teaching swim lessons
What I wish was different
N/A
Advice
Be ready to work a lot
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Camp Counselor
May - August 2018 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
I enjoyed teaching kids about conservation and animals. I loved interacting with animals like dolphins, killer whales and many different animals that live at SeaWorld.
What I wish was different
I wish I had had time to spend exploring San Diego and going on adventures. I did do things like snorkel with Sea Lions, go to DisneyLand, Universal Studios, learn to surf and just hang out by the ocean.
Advice
I would say to just live life to the fullest and take everyday at a time.
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Education Intern
May - August 2017 • Orlando, FL
What I liked
Had the privledge of working with so many amazing full-time educators who not only guided me but helped me grow as a person!
What I wish was different
I wish that the training was more hands on.
Advice
Have fun during training but most importantly be able to take feedback from your primary. Every primary works differently and every camp is different so don't assume they all work the same. Don't be afraid to ask for help, we are all one big family and they really want to see everyone succeed. Most importantly HAVE FUN!!! It will be the best summer of your life!
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Culinary
June - September 2018 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
Very friendly team members and staff.
What I wish was different
More flexible hours
Advice
As a culinary job in the summer, it is very fast paced and intensive.
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Education Intern
May - August 2018 • Orlando, FL
What I liked
Everything
What I wish was different
Less hot
Advice
Don’t be scared to be silly
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Cashier
September 2016 - June 2017 • Tampa, FL
What I liked
I was able to develop my customer service experience.
