Summer Opportunities Monday, March 30, 19873
Amusement park jobs: good pay, good times
By MARTY MICHAELS
Staff Writer
As you consider upcoming
summer employment opportunities,
do you face the inevitable ethic of
"all work and no play?
If the thought of an indoor desk
job prevents you from rationally
assessing your financial straits,
perhaps a job with an area amuse
ment park would brighten your
outlook. All theme and entertain
ment parks hire additional employees
during the summer season.
"Summer work with theme parks
gives good work experience," said
David Mandt, public relations direc
tor with Carowinds park outside
Charlotte. "Everyone is looking for
an internship, and this is a great
chance, so that when the job hunt
rolls around, the student's summer
has been profitably spent."
Amusement parks in the Southeast
Tour guides for historical sites
By ALSTON RUSSELL
Staff Writer
Now is the time when parents start
nagging their children about summer
plans. For those who have avoided
the summer school trap, these plans
may be far from crystallization. If the
thought of working as a bank teller
or waiting tables reeks of monotony,
historical sites may offer a fresh
alternative. Some college students
find the experience of working as a
tour guide at a historic site more
valuable than the tips left on the
restaurant tables.
"You do it for the reward, not the
money," said Bob Stern, director of
information and public relations at
Old Salem, in a recent telephone
interview.
Old Salem, located in Winston
Salem, hires several college students
each summer to serve as hostesses.
Dressed in 18th-century Moravian
attire, these students answer ques
tions and tell the history of the
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area are so varied that the student
who is willing to apply persistently
can almost suit the job to fit personal
needs and expectations. There are
several large parks, including Caro
winds, Walt Disney World, Six
Flags, King's Dominion, and Busch
Gardens. The more immediate
North South Carolina area also
contains more small-scale and per
sonalized parks Tweetsie Rail
road, Grandfather Mountain, and
Lakewood's Magic Harbor at Myrtle
Beach.
At all parks, both the positions and
pay scale vary widely. Many of the
parks add an additional 25-cent
bonus to the hourly pay rate if the
employee meets certain require
ments. At most parks, positions
include ticket sales, ride hosting and
operating, concessions, and food
service.
Some specific opportunities may
various buildings and crafts in the
village. Stern said.
New Bern's Tryon Palace, the
home of several North Carolina
colonial governors, also hires college
students for the summer. Wearing
traditional 18th-century dress, they
"describe the social history of the
century while leading visitors
through the palace," said Nancy
Blades, director of education at
Tryon Palace.
Colonial Williamsburg offers an
even larger variety of historical
interpretation jobs to students,
according to a recent interview with
Terrence Burwell, employment spe
cialist for Colonial Williamsburg
Association.
"Interpreters work in the areas of
textiles, food programs, blacksmi
thing, foundry, print shops, silver
smithing, and musical instruments,"
Burwell said. "They relay specific
information to the visitors about a
certain trade or craft as it was done
in the 18th century."
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be found at specialized parks. Tweet
sie Railroad has a country fair
section, a petting farm and a gift shop
which must all be staffed, according
to Nancy Wilson, assistant to the
operations manager.
An interesting challenge for hang
gliding buffs exists at Grandfather
Mountain. "We classify ourselves as
North Carolina's top scenic attrac
tion," said general manager Tom
Huskins. He said the park now has
about 14 employees, but in the
middle of summer that number
should rise to about 60. There are
no rides, just the animal habitats and
gift shops, but he said there are three
or four positions open for hang
gliding demonstrators.
Davjd Mandt of Carowinds said
the park hires over 1,500 seasonal
employees. The pay for new
employees is minimum wage, with
pay for those with previous Caro
These hostess and interpreter jobs
require approximately 40 hours of
work a week with some weekend and
holidays included, Stern and the
others said. Pay ranges from min
imum wage at Old Salem and Tryon
Palace to $4 to $6, depending on
experience, at Williamsburg.
Jobs in the restaurants, hotels, and
gift shops attract those students who
prefer waiting and sales jobs. Stu
dents are often hired to work in one
of the five hotels or 10 restaurants
associated with Williamsburg, Bur
well said.
Biltmore House and Gardens in
Asheville hires college students for
positions in its winery, also. A few
UNC students have worked as wine
servers and sales clerks in the winery,
said Jennie Carpenter, administrative
clerk of Biltmore, in a telephone
interview.
If one can sacrifice money for
knowledge, the Atlanta Historic
Society warrants close scrutiny.
The Society's Walter McElreath
winds experience slightly higher.
"There are positions posted in the
personnel office which pay more," he
said. "These are more managerial
oriented positions and would be good
for students interested in such areas
as business and public relations."
King's Dominion near Richmond,
Va., hires about 2,000 seasonal
employees each summer, according
to park personnel clerk Claire
Powell. Prospective employees do
not need an appointment, but must
be interviewed at the personnel office,
she said.
Busch Gardens at Williamsburg,
Va., also offers a wealth of positions.
According to Martie Ann Brasher,
personnel specialist at the park, there
will be approximately 2,100 seasonal
positions. "We have a turnover of
almost 3,500 people throughout the
year, and we really depend on
students for the summer rush,"
find work
Museum uses volunteers to catalog
and register items, care for exhibits,
and occasionally plan upcoming
exhibits, according to Mary Carter
Whitten, curator of education and
public programs.
Students can work in the library
and archives or the education or
publication departments as well. "We
would love information about their
(students') interests," Whitten said.
"We try to match jobs to the person's
interest."
Two Atlanta historical mansions,
the Telley-Smith House and the
Swan House, also provide the typical
tour guide opportunities. Volunteers
can "learn historic house site man
agement," Whitten said.
Prospective employees should not
let the historical trivia associated with
these sites intimidate them. Most of
the sites do prefer an interest in,
history, but prior knowledge is not
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Brasher said, adding that most
student employees work from May
until August.
Jackie Emhof of Lakewood's
Magic Harbor in Myrtle Beach, S.C,
said she assesses the need for approx
imately 40 additional employees this
summer. "We will open the water
slide on April 18 and will need about
20 people who are certified lifeguards
to supervise the area," she said.
About 20 people will be hired to fill
various positions such as ride oper
ators and food hosts. Emhof said
there is no application deadline, and
the park will be hiring people through
July and August.
If these or other entertainment
park opportunities in the area interest
you, contact the park through its
personnel division. A job in the
pleasant environment of an amuse
ment park may be just the ticket to
summer employment:
in the past
required. Places such as Old Salem,
Tryon Palace, and Colonial Willi
amsburg train their tour guides once
they are hired.
" We want students who like people
and enjoy relating to people." Stern
said. The employers interviewed said
they were basically looking for
interested, dependable students who
enjoy people and learning.
Interviews have already begun for
summer positions at these sites. Tour
guide openings fill rapidly, but
positions in restaurants, gift shops,
and volunteer services are still open.
For application information, con
tact the desired historical site.
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