A stop could net a job

We stopped the other night at Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch in Hurricane Ridge, TN and stayed in her RV park. On the grounds were two musuems, several stores and gift shops, the office for check-in, her Plantation House and a replica of her Butcher Holler place. A number of people are employed. Most are locals but the campground host, who had recently left for the season, was from Texas. The woman who checked us in got her job because she had come to the ranch for trail riding events.

When you are staying at an RV park or visiting an attraction, check out job opportunties. The woman in the campground store is hoping this year's host couple will come back but if they don't, there will be an opportunity for another one. You can bet that someone who has talked to her and expressed interest will be at the top of the list.

When we worked in the Grand Tetons, a couple who had worked at Hamilton Stores at Yellowstone National Park back in the '60s visited a fellow worker. The couple drove up to Yellowstone and visited the store, talked to the hiring official and were offered a job on the spot! They could have started the next day.

Not only does meeting in person give you an advantage in the hiring process, it also gives you the opportunity to check out the place of employment. See how the place is run. Is it an area you'd want to spend several months in? How are employees and guests treated? Valuable information when finding not just a good, but a great place to work. Jaimie

For more ideas on finding jobs in places you want to work, see Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., at RVBookstore.com.