Nothing really my whole experience was overall great
Advice
A piece of advice for any one that wants to start working in camps is having patience is key for this type of job. One has to remember your working with kids so one has to be a role model and energetic.
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One person found this helpful
Camp Counselor
June 2018 - September 2019 • Springfield, VA
What I liked
I enjoyed working with kids and being able to teach them about the wildlife.
What I wish was different
I wish we had more indoor activities
Advice
The job is full 40 hours a week outdoors and be ready to constantly on the move.
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One person found this helpful
Aquatics Manager
May - September 2019 • Reston, VA
What I liked
I loved working with new employees and responding to emergencies!
What I wish was different
Advice
This job is a very rewarding experience that has helped me in so many other aspects of life: don’t waste it
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One person found this helpful
Assistant Manager
February - September 2019 • Reston, VA
What I liked
Great work environment. Plenty of growth potential. Flexible work schedule. Allows for the building of essential skills for future job experiences. Competitive pay.
What I wish was different
Less limitation on hours worked due to budget cuts. The location I worked at makes the most money in the park authority and requires the appropriate staffing in order to run smoothly, promoting further profit. Budget cuts should be found elsewhere in order to allow the facility to thrive more fully.
Advice
Work professionally. Even if you are going into a job that might be filled with more college or under-aged staff, it is still a work environment providing customer service. The patrons view the behavior and it reflects poorly on the establishment. If you apply yourself, you will go far and this applies to all work-related experiences.
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One person found this helpful
Summer camp counselor
June - August 2019 • Annandale, VA
What I liked
Splitting my time between working with kids and spending time in the office
What I wish was different
Better schedule
Advice
find a way to have fun
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One person found this helpful
Youth Services Assistant
June - August 2019 • Fairfax, VA
What I liked
It was a very rewarding job and created opportunities for me to learn new skills and advance my understanding of costumer service.
What I wish was different
It was the best job I’ve ever had, i hope everything stay the same.
Advice
Make sure to check everything you do so that there’s no mistakes! Check it twice!
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One person found this helpful
Ecologist Intern
June - August 2019 • Fairfax, VA
What I liked
The people in my office were amazing. They taught me so much and they were always making time to answer my questions. They were very invested in my development even outside of what I could offer them.
What I wish was different
I just wish I could have spent more time with them!
Advice
If you're taking an outdoor position, be prepared to work through all kinds of weather.
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One person found this helpful
Assistant Aquatic Supervisor
May - September 2019 • Reston, VA
What I liked
I loved the environment that I was in, it was a really fun place to work at.
What I wish was different
I do wish that the scheduling would be easier, it seemed more difficult than it should be to schedule my shifts.
Advice
Make sure you act professional when you need to and relax when the time is right.
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One person found this helpful
Head Counselor
March 2016 • Springfield, VA
What I liked
I love the environment and the people! Lots of great skills are learned and I get to meet a lot of really cool families. I also really enjoy that we’re outside all day and are able to teach campers about nature.
What I wish was different
Communication between coworkers and upper management could’ve been much more efficient.
Advice
Don’t be afraid to voice your opinions! Most people want different ideas and you could have one they’re specifically looking for!
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One person found this helpful
Farmers Market Manager
October 2018 • Lorton, VA
What I liked
Working at my local farmers market is a wonderful experience for a variety of reasons, but what I liked thee most would be the connections and relationships that you build with your community. whether seeing new faces or the same ones every week, I have met some great people that I connect with on multiple levels.
What I wish was different
I wish that the market was a bit more flexible with regulations and was able to support more vendors. However, as a volunteer there is a lot of flexibility with what you would like to get out of your experience.
Advice
It is extremely easy and beneficial, on multiple levels, to you and tour community. Even if you can only volunteer one time, or periodically, I think it is important to keep in the loop of what is going on in your community and give back when possible.
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One person found this helpful
Manager on Duty
May - August 2019 • Reston, VA
What I liked
The fast paced work environment and the requirement to work in a big team to make sure the park operates
What I wish was different
Advice
Be the first to mark this as helpful
Rec PAC Counselor
June - August 2019 • Springfield, VA
What I liked
It’s was a joy to be in charge of 40+ 1st and 2nd graders, and trying trying to keep up with all that energy!
What I wish was different
I wish the higher level management had been clearer about their expectations, instead of writing up employees for small things then explaining what they did after the fact.
Advice
With the right team backing you up you can accomplish anything.
