San Diego opportunities

We are in San Diego with grandkids after George's son's wedding in L.A. last weekend. In the Job Giant I saw an ad for an RV resort for shuttle bus drivers and janitorial staff. You get discounts on boat rentals and resort stays as perks. This resort also advertises in Workamper News.

Another ad by a staffing company had positions in both San Diego County and Imperial County in construction, delivery drivers, light industrial and office.

In an area like San Diego, jobs are available most any time because of turnover. In fact, many tourist areas have nearly constant job openings because they lose workers all season. If you only want to work for part of a season, filling a mid-season opening can be the way to accomplish that. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com

Thousand Trails hit by layoffs

Thousand Trails, the San Francisco-based operator of RV camping and outdoor preserve communities, is being purchased by Equity LifeStyle Properties. When that sale is complete, 144 positions at its headquarters will be eliminated. An additional 97 employees working off-site will also lose their jobs.

Mergers and acquisitions frequently cause staff reductions. It could also be affected indirectly by fuel prices. If income is down then reducing expenses is one way to improve the bottom line. What some executives forget is that the staffers can make or break the visitor's experience. Let's hope the quality of service does not go down or they may find even fewer guests wanting the Thousand Trails experience.

If you are thinking of working for Thousand Trails (which also has some concession contracts in national forests) you might want to check to see if this park or area is marked for staff reductions so you don't get surprised mid-season. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Looking for short term work

Not every worker on the RV road wants to work for 4-6 months in one place. There are too many places to see!

If you are looking for short-term work, consider events like fairs, spring training, races, conventions. You can check at the location (like a fairground), concessionaire (spring training) or temporary agencies. Sometimes you can get a job at the beginning of the season at a place that has a longer season, or for just September and possibly October after the college kids have gone back to school. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com

Tip: always know the next step

Tip for workers on the RV road: When you are job seeking, before you end a conversation with an employer, make sure you know what the next step is and the time frame so you can follow up if you don’t hear back by then.

This way, you'll always have a reason to call back and touch base if you don't hear anything by the agreed upon time. Otherwise, you can be left hanging for sometimes a long time. The employer's schedule for hiring may not be as fast as you would like. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com

A chuckle about references

I saw this blurb in the free Flag Live paper last week.

"Authorities searching for Sharon Platt after she was accused of stealing $5,000 while working as an office manager for Murphy Motors in Williston, N.D., located the suspect in Pittsburgh, where she applied for a job and listed Murphy Motors as a reference. Williams County Sheriff's Capt. Bob Stancel said Platt was arrested after the owner of Murphy Motors reported her whereabouts when the Pennsylvania company called to check her reference."

You should always check with a company before using them as a reference to make sure they remember you and that it will be a good one. However, use some common sense! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Think about safety- carrying an axe almost cost a life

My son-in-law, Rich, was taking a break from chopping down a tree with an axe. He walked down the slope in the backyard to the house, carrying the axe over his shoulder. One slight problem - he had the sharp side sticking up. He slipped on the grass and fell backwards onto the axe. The cut was 2 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inches deep. When Rich went to the doctor the next day (I know- but he's a man!) because his vision was blurred and he was dizzy, the doctor said he had a concussion. If the axe had cut him two inches over from where it did, he would be dead.

Our first summer working on the road at the Grand Tetons, one of the other maintenance workers was helping the carpenter with a roofing job. Our boss had us do other tasks first because the early-morning frost on the metal roof made it very slippery. Ron started before the sun had dried the roof. He climbed up the ladder, stepped on the slick roof and fell off, landing on his back. He wasn't injured but he could have been seriously hurt. He didn't take the time to check the roof and test how slippery it was before attempting to walk up the slope to where the carpenter was.

Workers on the RV road who worked in a manufacturing or industrial setting undoubtedly had safety drilled into their head with weekly or biweekly safety meetings. Others of us might not be so conscious of things that could injure or kill us.

Carrying tools so the cutting edge or sharp end is pointed down, testing your footing on a potentially slippery surface, wearing eye and ear protection when called for can save you from injury. These apply on the job but also around your RV. An RV roof can be slippery too. Tools you get out for repairs could hurt you if not used properly. Knives used in the kitchen can be dangerous if not used with care.

Be conscious of safety in all your actions, particularly on the job. An injury hurts and takes time away from productive activities. Rich is missing a whole week of work as a result of unconsciously swinging and axe over his shoulder instead of deliberately pointing the sharp side down. He's uncomfortable too. Don't let that happen to you. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com

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What's a key word?

When you send your resume in to an employer after seeing an advertisement, make sure you use the right "key words." Large companies often use electronic scanners to search for key words or phrases for the particular opening. While smaller companies don't do this, an employer's eye is still going to be drawn to a resume that uses the same words he does. And, if you use Workamper's Awesome Applicant database, employers can search for key words to select resumes to consider.

Key words can be classified into three categories:

• Position: manager, front desk, secretary, dealer
• Type of work or tasks: maintenance, reservations, registration, management, housekeeping
• Characteristics: self-starter, hard worker, initiative, attention to detail

Before you send off your resume, look at it and see if you are using the same terms that you see in the ad. If not, add or substitute. If you use the word "janitor" and the employer is looking for "maintenance," you might not be seen as qualified. Using the key words that an employer uses in the ad will increase your chances of getting an interview and getting hired. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com