A REAL Job Offer on Nov 10, 2011

I wanted to share what an actual job offer looks like.  This is a great example, as it gives the expected duties you would perform.   A pitfall to avoid is jumping into a job without knowing what you are going to be asked to do!  We received the following offer via email:

Highlands Hammock Catwalk - a Favorite!

Thank you for requesting information about the camp host program at Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring, Florida via the online system. I currently have three positions available.  [If you like what you see in an offer, you just have to shoot an email back...but make sure to make a phone contact first to get full job details.]


Our camp hosts primarily clean restrooms, [The fact that she bolded this item makes me think it has been a problem getting camp hosts to do this chore.  Bob and I don't mind it at all...which was a surprise to us.]   mow & trim grass, clean BBQ grills, pick up trash, trim trails, patrol the parks, perform minor maintenance (carpentry/plumbing/electrical), use a gas-powered log splitter for firewood, operate park vehicles (current driver's license required) and other campground-related duties.

Our hosts work five hours a day, four days a week (Sun/Mon/Tues/Weds or Weds/Thurs/Fri/Sat). Special events, heavy day use or camping attendance may require additional volunteer hours from our camp hosts, particularly on holiday weekends or during our high season (Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar). During high season, we also have ranger station support positions that are typically filled by the wives.

[Count on working weekends and holidays because, naturally, that's when you have almost all of your campground business.]


CCC Masonry Masterpiece at Highlands Hammock

Camp host positions can be strenuous at times, requiring the ability to walk over uneven terrain for several hours in duration as well as bend, stoop and twist to clean, mop large floor areas, pick up debris, etc. Moderate lifting of boxed materials, shoveling of heavy cinders from campfire rings, emptying of trash cans and loading firewood will require the ability to lift and carry. Several hours of work each day will expose hosts to high heat & humidity during the summer months and chilly, damp weather during winter cold snaps. Hosts work independently most days and thus these positions are best for self-starters and those that can identify and problem-solve situations. [This is a well-written disclosure.  You can't be sensitive to smoke and ash or temperature changes, or the job will be intolerable.]

We offer a free campsite with water & 30 amp power hookup for our camp hosts. We do not have sewer connections, but have a dump station on site. Hosts camp in the family campground with the general public and our campsites are very close together with little or no buffer between sites. Our lettered sites (A/B/C/D/E/F) are our camp host sites. We are pet-friendly and remain nearly full to capacity from November through May and then experience our low season June through September.

Our campground has 158 campsites and four large restroom buildings. Most campsites are shaded and have a dirt base. Our park is located four miles west of US Highway 27 in Sebring, Florida. Major shopping/dining facilities (Walmart/Publix/CVS/Walgreens/Lakeshore Mall) are within ten miles of the park as are two hospitals. [This is a BIG factor for me...what's close by?...especially whether there is a church.] 

If you are interested in serving as a camp host, please download the attached form and fill it out for both you and Bob and forward any letters of recommendation highlighting your previous host/campground experience with your application.

Please keep in mind that the months of January, February and March are most in demand and that I am holding a waiting list for possible openings for 2012. Any possible openings will be filled from this waiting list so if you are interested in that, please let me know. Our web address is listed below in the event that you would like to browse our site for additional information/photos.
Dorothy L. HarrisPark Services Specialist
Highlands Hammock State Park 5931 Hammock Road, Sebring, Florida 33872
(863) 471-5324 Office





Want to be paid Cash Money?

There ARE many, many camp hosting positions that are paid (in real money).  One of the must varied lists of camp host jobs is found at http://www.simplyhired.com/ .  You can get your free spot without even being in a campground.  Another surprising site is jobsonline.net  with an easy search gadget.  You could be involved with anything from camp counseling to RV sales.

We worked with a couple who had happily been employed by Hoodoo Recreation.  She had been an area manager, and he drove a nice truck around with a spray system mounted on the back.  He could clean outhouses in a whole forest in one quick run.  Word is they all smelled great, too.  The secret?  Jasmine air fresheners and biological agents which contain not only potent enzymes, but also bacteria to break down the mess.  Anyway, click on the following site for an excellent description of both host and attendant jobs... It also explains why some jobs pay more than others:  Hoodoo Campground Host Job Descriptions

Recreation Resource Management has contracts to staff many campgrounds throughout ten states. They hire about 500 seasonal employees per year to work at one of 175 different campgrounds.  You can apply with Recreation Resource Management in one of three ways; you can apply online, download an application from the website and mail it in, or receive a paper application by mail to mail back in.   Click here to learn more or go to CampHost.org .  One caveat:  Some hosts have complained area managers with RRM have given them such a hard time that they felt they had to quit.  We do not know if some situations have really been that bad, do you?

I was told ALL of the state parks in Texas pay their camp hosts.  See How to apply for Texas State Park jobs  It turns out SOME of the jobs are paid.  The State of California has had paid camp hosts in the past but is going toward using more and more volunteers.  Check out their jobs at California Host Positions .    Don't forget Older and Bolder for paid jobs.

Legacy RV Resorts hires for their RV resorts in eight states. Visit http://www.legacyrvresorts.com/ to learn more about the job opportunities available.  Their online application is very easy to fill out.

Are you interested in employment at a Jellystone Park™? Check out the parks who are looking to fill  positions by visiting http://www.campjellystone.com/.  Please contact the individual parks directly for detailed information.  Bob and I paid to stay in a Jellystone campground here in Florida, and it's a great place if you miss having kids around.

If you go to http://koa.com/community/ there's a list of KOAs you can contact for employment.  As always, it's best to go in person to the campground you are interested in.  You want to see what the job is, and the employer will feel so much more comfortable meeting you in person before offering you a position.