I loved the environment, you get to work both on the ground and in the trees, all the staff are friendly and fun to interact with
What I wish was different
Advice
This can be a very social role, the job requires you to talk to people throughout the day
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Grounds Monitor
September - November 2020 • West Bloomfield Township, MI
What I liked
I loved the energetic and welcoming culture of the other staff working with me in the park. Supervisors were flexible, understanding, and really fostered a solid team culture. The job itself was an excellent opportunity to get outside, which is helpful both for staying active while in school and also being able to work in a place with less risk for COVID-19 transmission. A huge perk is that climbing is free for employees.
What I wish was different
I wish that training had been more thorough. I learned everything I could on the job, but there was no one available to train and certify me for working on the courses themselves due to a lack of upper-level staff legally allowed to do so, and everyone else was so busy making up for missing leadership that there was little time to train me on even basic things like radio codes or maintenance.
Advice
At 25 years old, I was one of the oldest people on staff, so be aware that there are pros and cons to that- there are real opportunities to advance in the company, but also a lot of responsibility falls to young people in positions of leadership they may not have been properly prepared for in terms of professionalism and public relations. Aside from that, be ready to get an arm workout from processing equipment and to sometimes stay after your scheduled hours in order to get everything done before closing. This is a great job for outdoorsy people looking for some extra income, but unless you get into management it will not give you enough hours to support yourself alone.
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Supervisor
April - October 2019 • Grand Rapids, MI
What I liked
Got to work outside.
What I wish was different
Better management and organization.
Advice
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Course Manager
August 2017 - October 2019 • Grand Rapids, MI
What I liked
Being outdoors was enjoyable and working with guests can be very rewarding.
What I wish was different
I wish there had been more productivity with regards to handling employee concerns.
Advice
Stand by your decisions and be firm when you think something needs to be changed.
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Park Monitor
June - August 2020 • West Bloomfield Township, MI
What I liked
It was a very fun job. The staff is awesome!
What I wish was different
Not much but we were understaffed.
Advice
Would highly recommend working here, it was a great summer job.
