Why not apply? Just as other hosts had told us, applications did not work for us (at first). It was much better to call...and best to visit in person about openings. We applied at Workamper.com over a year ago and never heard a whisper. And it was a great application! We did run into some of their employees in a rock shop just outside Bryce Canyon. They said they loved being Workampers and said to join the mailing list online. We did, and still nothing. The same thing happened with our online ap to Recreation Resource Management at
Host Jobs . If you want to see the online ap
click here. But when Bob CALLED he was able to talk to the Area Manager in Florida and find out everything we wanted to know about working in the campgrounds they managed. The problem was...they had no current openings.
Why apply? We found applications (written just the right way) really DO work...if you make a friendly call first. Take lots of notes, listening carefully to what the position requires, and then specifically, enthusiastically write on your ap how your qualifications match the requirements. Leave out all of the details of your life and experiences that don't match the job so your comments will be concise and your message clear: YOU are the best person for the job!
How? The next posts will detail how we got each job offer...and were we ever surprised by the number of offers. It's well advertised that we baby boomers are flooding the market with our efforts to get that wonderful spot for our rig in the out-of-doors. And it's true...you almost have to "douse yourself in gasoline and set yourself on fire" to get the attention of those filling campground positions. They are SWAMPED with applications. If you ever want to hire me to apply for you, just let me know. We've been told our applications garnered a job offer for
every opening in Florida. Funny.
, and the coordinator, Jenny, was super nice and helpful. She had no openings, but she explained the best way to apply: Don't just fill out the ap (by clicking here: Volunteer Opportunities ) ...but call the park you are interested in and then follow up with a hand-written ap. You can get the contact info at the bottom of the home page for many campgrounds by going to ReserveAmerica.com or Recreation.com and searching the campground or area you are interested in. Here's a link: Campground Addresses and Phone Numbers According to Jenny, the campground managers get a steady stream of emailed applications...and they often just get lost in the deluge or deleted. But a good application that comes in the mail (especially with a picture and a friendly note of introduction) gets filed for when an opening does come up. We followed Jenny's instructions and mailed our explanation of what we hoped would happen...and sure enough....the next month she called with an offer to work for a one-month opening she had. We wanted something for the whole winter, but she promised to hang onto our ap in case something "bigger" opened up. [If you need help doing any of this, just email me at camphost.white@gmail.com ]
