Holidays and summer jobs: national parks are looking for seasonal employees

All national parks need workers, but since most of them have their peak seasons, workers are also seasonal. Offers like these give nature lovers the chance to immerse themselves in beautiful surroundings on a low budget and earn some cash at the same time. Although such work is quite popular, there are still a few vacancies this year. The widespread labor shortage due to the coronavirus pandemic has hit national parks as well. About what to do and where to look for seasonal work in national parks, the publication told The Washington Post.

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“The salaries for these start-up positions have increased significantly and there are more incentives than before,” said Kelsey Fowler, President coolworks, a website that lists jobs in national parks and other places of interest in the United States.

Entry-level jobs typically pay anywhere from $13 an hour for a housekeeper to $16 an hour for a maintenance worker. The cost of housing varies from $20 to $125 per week. There are also bonuses for work at the end of the season.

Traditionally mostly college students and retirees covered many seasonal jobs, but now more middle-aged people are filling these positions.

“Things have changed dramatically over the past few years,” Fowler said, noting that more and more professionals in different fields are choosing this experience. She attributes this to people reassessing their priorities as a result of the pandemic, as well as the popularity of "van living" where Americans trade their homes for a four-wheeled existence.

Parks rely on multiple employers

The National Park Service employs about 7500 federal summer employees.

Common seasonal positions include park rangers, trail workers, visitor service assistants, and maintenance workers.

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She also offers internships through non-profit partners, youth programs и Experienced Services Program for people over 55.

Private companies contract with the National Park Service to operate park houses, restaurants, and recreational areas, and are required to fill seasonal positions such as shuttle drivers, waiters, housekeepers, and cashiers. Job seekers can visit each company's website and find seasonal jobs by park and position.

One of these companies is Xanterra, which typically has 3500 year-old employees and manages park operations in Yellowstone, Glacier, Zion, the Rocky Mountains, and others. Second - Aramark, which has about 3000 summer workers in Yosemite, Mesa Verde, Denali and elsewhere.

Small companies also enter into contracts. Bright Angel Bicycles, for example, operates a bike shop and cafe on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and offers lodging in a park in northern Arizona.

Jobs available at the end of the season

Positions in the National Park Service are currently limited; a recent search on the federal website usajobs.gov showed only three seasonal jobs. (Search by keyword and/or location, then filter the results by "National Park Service" as the agency and "seasonal" or "summer" as the job type.)

But opportunities abound with private companies, which usually post summer jobs from November.

“It is very difficult for us to find employees for all available summer positions,” said Shannon Dierenbach, Xanterra's director of human resources.

Aramark is hiring until the end of April, but also expects vacancies to open after that; spells, which operates in the Badlands, Bryce Canyon, Big Bend, Grand Teton and elsewhere, is now hiring most of the staff for the season, but according to Kim Clancy, director of human resources, they continue to hire employees throughout the summer.

There are short term offers

In addition to summer jobs, there are also lesser-known opportunities to work just four weeks in the fall after students return to college and some workers quit. Parks "always need an influx of labor at the end of the meson," CoolWorks' Fowler said.

As recruiters focus on filling summer positions, short-term positions go unnoticed.

“It's kind of a secret menu. You have to know it exists to get it,” Fowler said. Strategies for finding these jobs include applying and listing only fall dates when you can work, or contacting employers in August to inquire about opportunities for September and October.

Do your research

Anyone considering a seasonal park job should consider what they want and why the experience is attractive. Hiring managers say the answers to these questions can determine the right job.

Fowler advises researching a potential employer to determine if they are right for you. In one company, people can work six days a week, and in another they have two days off.

All experience levels are acceptable

Some jobs are specialized and you will need managerial experience for leadership positions. But many jobs are in entry-level positions where a positive attitude and willingness to learn can suffice.

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“If you have the will and a positive attitude, that's 90% success,” Glaser said.

Don't worry about being seen as overqualified if you're a professional in some industry.

“This is a great opportunity to take a break or switch from one career to another and take a few months off,” explained Andy Stiles, General Manager of Xanterra Services at Glacier National Park.

The desire to work in a national park can come from people, perhaps during vacations, said Stiles, who knows this firsthand. He grew up in Tyler, Texas and never saw a mountain until he traveled with friends after graduating from high school. While in Yellowstone, an employee jokingly asked his friends if they would like to earn extra money.

“It was something new. I didn't know people actually work in national parks unless you're a ranger,” Stiles said. After graduating from college, he worked at the front desk at Roosevelt Lodge in Yellowstone. What started as one summer turned into a 20-year career in various roles across multiple parks.

Housing is cheap but communal

Each company has its own housing in the park under a federal contract. Living conditions vary, but most often it is a hostel with meals in the canteen for employees. The cost deducted from the salary is only a fraction of what tourists pay for a room in the summer.

Most of the workers have roommates and the couples live together. When selecting roommates, housing managers are interested in personal preferences and avoid combining people who work on different schedules so as not to disturb sleep.

“This is probably one of the great puzzles that our housing managers solve,” Glaser suggested.

Friendships develop faster and deeper than under other conditions; industry veterans compare it to the early days of college or summer camp, when everyone meets and decides who they want to hang out with. As different generations work, live, and dine together, unexpected friendships develop, like a 70-year-old and a 20-year-old becoming weekend hiking partners.

Bridget Byrne, 26, spent the summer from 2017 to 2020 as a trainee and then ranger in Michigan's Isle Royale National Park. The remote island in the middle of the lake can only be reached by boat or seaplane, Byrne says, so a tight-knit community of employees was critical.

“These are the people you depend on day in and day out,” she said. “We live and work in places that people can only dream of visiting.”

It's a job, not a vacation

The parks are bustling with activity all summer long, and hard work is an integral part of that.

“It's all about your mindset when you're in these places,” said O'Brien-Ducharme, a seasonal worker from Yellowstone. “If you are the type of person who is easily confused or you are not used to change, this may not be for you.”

Experience pushes you out of your comfort zone, which is why Fowler advises patience along with hiking boots.

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