September Job Fair in Deadwood, SD

Another job fair for Workampers is coming up September 20 and 21. The job fair will be held at the Marin Mason Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota. Eight area employers are registered so far. This is a beautiful area to work in with lots to do and see. Check their website and RSVP if you plan to attend.

Check weekly for other job fairs specifically for Workampers at Workamper.com under "job seekers."

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.

National Employ Older Workers Week

Yes, there is a "National Employ Older Workers Week" celebrated in the U.S. This year it is September 21-29. A few activities are listed at the U.S. Dept of Labor website, including job fairs for seniors and mature workers in several cities.

At the website for the Baltimore Employment Guide, I noticed some diversity job fairs that are "Official Older Worker on Board Job Fair Participants." One coming up on August 28 in Atlanta includes Home Depot, Babies R Us and Borders, companies who are on the AARP National Employer Team and who recognize that older workers make up a very important part of the workforce. At least Home Depot hires seasonal and temporary workers who can then transfer to other stores.

There are sorts of work possibilities for the worker on the RV road. The Employment Guide is one of several free employment newspapers found in many cities in newspaper dispensers and bins on street corners and grocery stores. Looking up their viritual job fairs led me to this information and other job ideas that RVers may not traditionally think of. Think outside the box! Jaimie

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.

A t-shirt and donuts

RVers can always use another t-shirt so when George and I were asked to help out the brother-in-law of my son-in-law we said yes. Athan was having a tournament at his miniature golf course, ParTee Golf, in Baltimore.

The Tournament of Tees would not only raise money for the Kennedy-Krieger Institute to benefit children with cerebral palsy and spinal bifida, the two top scorers would go on to the National Harris Miniature Golf Finals in October in Clarks Summit, PA for $10,000 in prize money.

It was a gorgeous day. We were given our t-shirts and assigned a hole to judge. Athan went over the rules. Our main job would be to verify that each golfer had written down the correct score for our hole. We then got our "bonus pay:" coffee and delicious donuts!

We had 41 golfers, including a young man with spina bifida who played from his wheelchair. At the end, door prizes were done and prizes were awarded. Two tied for first place with scores of 44 and will go to the finals in October with their expenses paid by ParTee Golf.

We don't mind gigs like this now and then. It wasn't much pay for a morning's work, but we helped a worthy cause and it was more fun than work. I'll rotate my new t-shirt into my collection and faze out a stained one. After all, RVers only have so much space. Jaimie

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.

Keep your eyes peeled

You never know where you might see a job opportunity.

Yesterday, driving down I83 through Harrisburg, PA, I saw a billboard with one of those rotating messages. I caught a glimpse of "Big Farm Show. Now hiring. Call...." I missed the number but a Web search or checking in the phone book could uncover a phone number. Those type of events are usually a few days long with people hired to take tickets and various other tasks.

Events can be a fun way to work on the RV road, especially if you are interested in what it has to offer. You get an insider's view of the grounds and plenty of time to look around. Since they don't last long, even if you have long hours, they are over soon and you move on.

So if you are looking to pick up some money along your travels, keep your eyes peeled. You never know where you could see a moneymaking possibility. Jaimie

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.

Count inventory will travel

We are in Pennsylvania, about to visit family and friends in Maryland. I was looking again at Employment Times, a free employment paper that I picked up in Maine. I noticed an ad for inventory counters with RGIS, a company specializing in this. They have more than 40,000 employees in 400+ offices around the world. Since training starts at $9/hr, this could be a way to pick up money as you travel. Once you are in the system, you could work a few months in one location, then obtain assignments in another. Temporary agencies in metropolitan areas are another source of jobs inventory counters.

Workers on the RV road may think that RV parks are the only places they can work. By thinking outside the box, you may find you make more money and have more free time to explore the area by getting a low-cost RV site and working elsewhere. Jaimie

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.

When do you talk about compensation?

Often in ads for RV workers, it will give you a general idea of compensation and whether or not you work a certain number of hours for your site.

• Work 20 hrs/week for full-hookup site


• Work 15 hrs each per week for site, all other hours paid


• All hours paid, free RV site

If this is enough information for you, postpone discussions about pay until after you have found out about the job and get an offer. Then it's time to sell yourself and ask for more.

If the ad is pretty vague and/or you have a certain amount in mind, you will probably want to get a ballpark idea of compensation so you don't waste yours and the employer's time interviewing for a job that is clearly not a match. In that case, you can ask if you get paid for all hours or how many hours per week you will receive pay. Ask, also, for the salary range. At this point don't get into negotiations. You want the chance to find out more about the duties and to also sell your value. Also, you could end up with less if you name an amount up front; she could be willing to pay more to a good worker.

If you have a lot to offer the employer, you could even get more money. In the Workamper forums recently, a couple said that after they had explained all their skills, the employer offered them a free RV site and more money where the ad required hours for the site. Bill, my late husband, successfully negotiated higher compensation based on our skills for a job we applied to also.

What if the employer asks you the salary you want up front? If you need or expect pay for all hours worked, it's best to confidently reply, "I require a free RV site and pay for all hours worked. However, I'm open to negotiating; it will depend on what the final job looks like." If you are more flexible, use only the last sentence.

So the rule of thumb is: Find out if the employer's compensation is in the ballpark so you don't waste time on something clearly not a match but save actual negotiations until after you have been offered a position and sold yourself. Jaimie

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.

Converting a hobby to money on the road

Let's say you like to take photos, paint, write, do woodworking or have another pastime. Can you convert that into a moneymaker on the road? Possibly.


If you are counting on income from your hobby, start building your hobby into a business before you begin traveling. Perfect your craft and find ways to sell your work. The first step is to identify your market. Who would purchase your writing or your photos? Do you have contacts with galleries that might sell your paintings? Do you go to shows where you could sell your beadwork or woodworking?

Develop a marketing plan and begin implementing it. Look at how you may have to modify it if you are traveling. A website can be used and maintained no matter where you travel. If you sell you work in galleries or shops, can you sell them on consignment? Will you need to be in certain areas each year to participate in a show?

Network with others in your field. You may find others on RV forums, YahooGroups, or through local or national associations. People you meet can be a good source of ideas and may have suggestions or contacts who will help. Writing conferences can give writers an opportunity to meet agents and publishers.

You can also start a hobby on the road. It normally takes several years to build a business so plan on having other sources of income until your business produces what you need.

Working at a hobby while you travel can be fun. You're not only productive, it gives some structure to your day. As you grow your business, you'll be able to deduct some expenses. Your hobby may turn out to help pay for your travels. Jaimie

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.

Negotiation

When you get a job offer when working on the RV road, think negotiation. With a large corporation, strict salary guidelines may be in place but with a small business that is usually not the case. And even the larger companies may have some flexibility elsewhere.

Like other aspects of Workamping, do some research. Have an idea what workers on the RV road are being paid. One source of information is ads in Workamper News. Forums on working on the road at RV Travel and Workamper.com can also give you information.

Test the waters with a statement like, "Considering my background and experience, I thought your offer was rather low." Or, "Is that the best you can do?" Then wait for an answer—even if it takes a whole minute. If it seems like even a possibility or that the owner is considering more, sell yourself. In one case, my late husband said, "We are not retired; we are hard workers." The owner offered a higher wage.

If the owner will not budge on salary, see about perks. Will they provide free propane, free laundry, free or discounted meals if they serve them, or store discounts? Ask if they will consider a raise after the first month or an end-of-the-season bonus if you do a good job.

During this process, keep it a win-win situation and keep selling yourself. Do not issue a "take it or leave it" ultimatum unless you mean it. Of course, you should know what your bottom line is and not take an offer before that. But backing the owner into a corner is not the path to getting more money.

If you negotiate a dollar more per hour and are working 40 hours/week for six months, that’s $1000 more. Additional perks can add money to your budget too in savings. It’s worth taking a few minutes to ask. And, believe it or not, the boss will respect you more and feel he has a better value for his money. It often works like that! Jaimie

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.