Advice for New Employees

Since it seems like most of us have been at CedarPoint a few seasons, what advice do you think all new or prospective employeesshould know. This summer will be my second most likely and I know that therewere a lot of things that I wish I had known before I went that I think wouldhelp new employees know the reality of the job. Not just info about housing andpay checks but the tips and ways to enjoy your time. If anyone else hasanything to add or any new employees want to ask a question, feel free. It wouldbe better for all of us if our coworkers know what they are getting into anddon't spend several months complaining to us.

1.) Talk to former employees and try to get a feel for the highs and lows ofCP. I saw a lot of people leave early or unhappy last year just because theythought that everything was going to be much different than it actually was.I'll admit, when I first applied and thought about working at Cedar Point a fewyears ago I thought about it from the view of a guest and the CP website, notan employee. Thankfully I talked with people who had been there before I gotthere. I'll admit my ideas were very naive, especially since I was just aboutto graduate high school and had never really lived in a dorm before. Try to getinformation but be mindful of the source, people who constantly bash the placeare not all that reliable so take whatever you hear with a grain of salt but beprepared.

2.) Learn how to sleep through noise. If you are a very light sleeper, this isprobably not the job for you. Before CP I hadn't really thought about the factthat not everyone cared about sleeping. I guess I took for granted the ideathat my roommates and the whole floor would be quiet. The truth, which Iquickly discovered, was that while 2am was supposed to start "quitehours" that was usually when those on my floor got out of the bars or offwork and started shrieking down the hallways. That was an adjustment but Ilearned how to sleep through it.

3.) You will probably spend part of your summer sleep deprived. There will besome point that you will work O-C several days in a row. While it may seem likeI am trying to scare you, I'm not. It will not be all summer or very often butchances are it will happen. If you cannot deal with getting back to your room,sleeping only a few hours and then turning around and doing it again you may beupset and threatening to quit like several of my coworkers last year.

4.) Your dorm or apartment is not going to be perfectly clean. I will admitis...I am a huge germ-a-phoebe and was not thrilled with the dorms but I livedand stayed my whole contract without flipping out about the bathrooms or rooms.I was actually expecting worse than I found in the 1500's after some of thehorror stories I heard and have seen on this site even. I was not overlydisgusted with the girl's bathrooms, they certainly weren't home but they wereactually nicer than those in my extremely old college dorm. Invest in showershoes and a shower caddy that you can hang on the peg and you'll be fine.

5.) Smoke Detectors happen, get over it. I didn't understand why we couldn'thave microwaves in our rooms until I got there. 30 min. into moving into the1500's and they went off...30 seconds later the sunny skies turned into adownpour. The source of the smoke? Someone tried to cool Ramen noodles withoutthe water. The housing supervisor was standing next to me holding the bowl. Idon't know about the other buildings but in mine it was not only common butexpected for the fire alarms to go off once a day or at least every other day.One day they went off 3 times while I was in my room, all 3 because of themicrowaves and a lack of common sense. (When you see smoke, don't just watch itand when you leave a plastic spoon in your food, don't laugh at it melting,take it out!) Thankfully, you will be at work for at least some of them. Thepoint? Instead of being pissed and complaining about it, most likely you willat least get a few good stories to tell later on.

6.) Not all jobs are created equally. I noticed that often the job you diddetermined how your summer went. Admissions was pretty good to me. I dealt withstupid guests but the employees were mostly great and my summer went prettywell. Two of my three roommates worked in foods. There summers were pretty muchhell and they can't figure out why I want to go back. Do some research andfigure out what you really want to do. Each job has its own headaches andbenefits so figure out what you can deal with. There were things I didn't likeabout admissions but they were things that I could live with. You may find thatthe problems that the foods employees face are things you can deal with but thethreats in admissions from adults who want their 17 year olds to get in on ajunior ticket would drive you up a wall.

7.) If you aren't bringing a friend along, try to meet people and find aroommate before you get there. I met a few people online before I left who werealso just about to graduate and enjoyed similar things as I did. One wasarriving a few weeks before me and put in a request to room with me so thatwhen I arrived in June I got one of the last spaces in the 1500's. It was niceto know that I had someone who knew how everything worked to show me around andhelp e get settled. We didn't work in the same department but that was probablybetter since 24 hour of each other a day would make me nuts.

If I think of any more I'll add them but if anyone else has an idea, disagreeswith me, or has advice of their own please add it.
Sorry it is so long, lol.

Thank you so much. Any help like this is greatly appreciated (from anyone here for that matter). It's nice to know what we're (us new employees) are walking into. I have taken your advice and talked to a few people online and come to find out me and one of the guys I met have the same interest in Drum Corps and such so its nice to find someone that you can not only relate to but refer to to questions that you have about the inner workings of the park. Hopefully this summer ends up being great regardless of the good and inevitable bad that goes on. Definitely can't wait! Thanks for the help :)

#2 on your list, the noise factor. In 07 when the cavs were playing the pistons in the playoffs, omg. DEEEEEETTTTTTRRRRRROOOOOOOOIIIIITTTTT Basketball is all you herd all night. Then CLLLEEEEEEVVVEEEELLLLAAANNND back and forth. The 1500 building for guys at least is mostly returners, because we know about it, so its not that loud. #4. Microwaves, i remember the ramon soup thing, and then an international burnt his toast to nothing, and didnt relize what he was doing. They will go off 4-5 times a year. Stupid people. and BRING FLIP FLOPS for the shower.

1.Dont wear your i.d.'s unless you are in uniform, they will go everywhere with you, just keep them in your wallet or car.

2. If you are living in the doorms, there are lockers, so bring a lock, and meijers/walmart has plastic dressers 3 or 4 drawers that fit nice in the locker. You dont get much dresser space in the room. A clip on lamp is nice for your bed. Bring your own fitted sheets and a cheap foam pad makes the plastic beds a little better.

Ill add more later if i can think of any.

I think the ramen noodles and the day I walked into the office to see an international watching as smoke poured out of both microwaves, after the alarms had gone off 3 times that day, while the supervisor wasn't paying attention was the best. It was A LOT of smoke. Like I said before, while it is annoying at the time, they make great stories once you go home. I have a few friends who are convinced I made it up, lol.

And I definitely agree...bring your own sheets and towels. They may have them but the towels aretiny and the sheets can be a problem. I was in the office area whensomeone brought a blanket back because it was giving them a rash andhousing said they wouldn't switch it out since they were running out.Save yourself the hassle and either bring them or but them at Wal-martwhen you get there.

Another thing is to take advantage of some of the perks you get. Go to some ride nights and if you can, visit another park while you have a chance. It isn't that hard to find someone willing to head to King's Island for a day off, even if it is kind of far. I wish I had done more and if I end up back this summer I'm planning on having a bit more (reasonable) fun. Cedar Point is what you make it.

They don't have to talk to former employees, when new people move in they can talk to their crew. I think it would be better because then you know what you are getting into when talking to crew memebers... whereas if you just talk to a random former employee you dont get accurate information because some departments have different rules and expect different things....

I hope nobody expect it to be quiet in the dorms... I mean its tons of young adults and teenagers living together during the summer... of course its going to be loud and crazy.

Who cares? if people don't get enough sleep and threaten to quit just say stop bitchin and do it then....

Actually 1500s isnt bad... I mean theres 2 bathrooms per hallway and if one was bad you could just walk to another... most of the time the bathrooms werent that bad...

Not to be mean but the smoke detectors didnt go off that much.... yeah i think I remember that happened maybe like 4 times but it happens every summer... yeha it sucked being outside in the down pour but I mean it happens and I wanst suprised since it happened the day before... i just tell people go to your friends dorms if it happens.... I dont think people need to worry about it though because its not going to interfer with thier sleep...

Hahaha no offense but admissions doesn't seem that bad...working on a big coaster you get use to being screamed at and threatened... stuff gets thrown at you and you call the cops a tons of times... it gets frustrating but you have to do it and be friendly... but looking abck on the summer all the frustrating things seem funny and are interesting stories...

The summer is what you make it.... if you try to have fun and meet people then you will have an awesome time... if not sucks for you...

I will say that working in rides is a bit of a challange, but as cmm2229 said, you just have to smile and be patient and they do make great post-work conversations.

No matter what department you are in you do have to remember that the guest may be annoying, they might get on your nerves, BUT its because of them that you have a job and it is your responsibility to show them hospitality and make sure that they are having the time of their lives. Im not saying its easy but the job is what you make it. Have fun with guests and your day will go by a lot quicker.

As far as the O-C situation...Yeah they are rough but its only when we have limited staffing that they come along more than twice a week. Usually in May to early June and in August. Your body gets used to it.

I encouraged a lot of people from my hometown to come and try CP for the 2009 season just because its my favorite part of the year. Reuniting with friends and making long friendships is a big part of it.

The dorms are not the best in the world, BUT you are hardly in them because you are working 6 of 7 days a week. SHOWER SHOES!! buy some and pretty much everything CJ and cmm2229 said about them is true.

Most important thing...HAVE FUN!!! Your job is what you make it! Having fun with guests can really make the day go by much faster and it puts you in a good mood too!

I didn't mean talking just about departments and specific jobs with former employees. If you have a specific question of course that is who you should ask. If it is something more along the lines of living arrangements or what there is to do around Sandusky and just in general the environment then talking to a variety of people helps.

As for admissions, I am not under any impression that I had a hard job. I know I lucked out with working with a great group of people and not having a lot to do. It is a repetitive job, simple job for the most part. All I was trying to point out is that not everyone can stand the challenges of every job. Everything pretty much has its own set of problems, it is just a matter of what you can tolerate and what makes you nuts. We had some people transferred from rides over the summer and hated admissions. They had no problem in rides and loved it even but had to be transferred for other reasons. To them, the down side to working rides was more tolerable than the downside of working admissions.

cmm2229 said:

Hahaha no offense but admissions doesn't seem that bad...working on a big coaster you get use to being screamed at and threatened... stuff gets thrown at you and you call the cops a tons of times...

like fake boobs?

^ lmao. I remember that. BEST SUMMER MOMENT

How bad is Cedars? I always hear people saying bad stuff about it.

Well ceaders was the old resort for cedar point. There is no air and has some of the older furniture, it is the cheapest, and is right on point. The bad thing about it is it gets over run by internationals, because its cheap, and they seem to like to play soccer all night in the hall ways.

CJ said:

cmm2229 said:

Hahaha no offense but admissions doesn't seem that bad...working on a big coaster you get use to being screamed at and threatened... stuff gets thrown at you and you call the cops a tons of times...

like fake boobs?

Hahahaha i totally forgot about that but unfortunately I wasn't there for that :( but I got many calls about it... hahaha

I dunno, I've never had the kinds of threats like the threats I got while working in admissions. I think the fact that the admissions process is very close to people's wallets makes things a lot more heated.

We just get the opposite end of the height requirement complaints. As angry as they can be over their kid not getting on the ride for being too short, they are more upset when you tell them they need to pay more than twice as much for their kid. There were a few times we went and pulled security over because the threats were getting pretty bad.

At Millennium Force the security is called like at least every hour or two, people just don't understand the whole "no bags allowed" thing. People complain when they don't get their way, so be ready for that come May.

haha That Ramen noodles story is funny. Someone just did that at work a couple of weeks ago. It was the cup of soup, and she forgot to add water. The entire room filled up with smoke. We still havn't gotten the smell out of the microwave.

[url][url]Cedar Point Job Description (In regards to EVERYONE): Must possess unique, charismatic and outstanding guest service and leadership skills. Personally establish leadership skills that consistently maintain the parks quality, family entertainment atmosphere. Also must be able to complete tasks quickly and efficiently. Able to expand your skill set and work in a fast paced environment full of new challenges daily. Must have the ability to multi task, be detail oriented, and problem solve to efficiently deal with unusual internal and external guest issues.

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Make it a point to attend as many Employee events as possible. Go to the opening night debuts of each Live Shows performance (cast parties always held afterwards!), Ride Nights, Booze Cruises, etc.

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Aquaint yourself with the city of Sandusky. Many people have worked there for 4 years or more and all they know is "Louies", "Club X" and "Sandusky Mall". That is a shame. :(

The city has a very rich history and its worth exploring all of its aspects. Visit the Erie County Visitors Bureau online and request a pamphlet or local information.

*******************************************************

On your days off- gather some friends (with cars) and make day trips,e specially if you're unfamiliar with the area. There are a LOT of fun opportunities around Northern Ohio...all within an hour drive.

Maumee Bay State Park, Marblehead, Cheese Haven, Westfield ShoppingTowne Franklin Park, The Docks restaurants- Toledo, downtown Toledo, Perrysburg Farmers Market, Toledo Zoo "Music Under the Stars" series, Bass Pro shops- Rossford, The Flats- Cleveland, Crocker Park, Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, Lakewood, etc.

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Bedding: I mentioned this in a previous post, but I highly recommend purchasing a Allergen Resistant Mattress Pad, along with Lice spray (Bed, Bath and Beyond & Rite Aid, respectively) as precautions for your bedding. As a former Housing Supervisor, I will openly tell you that this is a very wise decision. The bedding supplied by Housing is thin and threadbare. The mattresses? Well.....just trust me on this one. These purchases will be VERY wise investments.

bring lots of socks! Bring atleast two pairs of white tennis shoes, one for sunny days and one for rainy, and lots of quarters lol to dry then when they're wet.

haha, 1400 fire alarms. In 06 I spent 2+ hours sleeping in the grass because they wouldn't let us back in. Yes, I am a chick and i lived with 4 other guys and another chick. hehe, boyfriends rock lol. Also,the second time the fire alarms went off, we all just slept in my apartment, or tried to sleep hence no air conditionerso it was hard. That was why my friend and I moved into our boyfriends room.

also, alarm clocks are a plus, make sure they are battery and electric because when the electric goes out, it's not an excuse when you come to work at 11:30 and suppose to be there at 9:00 lol. That was a fun day.

always have a padlock on your locker! If you bring a laptop, lock it up if rumors are going around about your roommate getting fired (joke). mine was stolen when my boyfriends roommate was fired. so was a bunch of his things.

make friends with people because they will be your de-stressers.

all the friends I have ever made at CP are still my friends and i love them. even though I wasn't there last year working. It sucked. I missed everyone.

i for one am looking forward to Bar Louies because I am old enough to buy my own drinks! Yay!

Ryan Mahaffey said:
[url][url]Cedar Point Job Description (In regards to EVERYONE): Must possess unique, charismatic and outstanding guest service and leadership skills. Personally establish leadership skills that consistently maintain the parks quality, family entertainment atmosphere. Also must be able to complete tasks quickly and efficiently. Able to expand your skill set and work in a fast paced environment full of new challenges daily. Must have the ability to multi task, be detail oriented, and problem solve to efficiently deal with unusual internal and external guest issues.

******************************************************

Make it a point to attend as many Employee events as possible. Go to the opening night debuts of each Live Shows performance (cast parties always held afterwards!), Ride Nights, Booze Cruises, etc.

******************************************************

Aquaint yourself with the city of Sandusky. Many people have worked there for 4 years or more and all they know is "Louies", "Club X" and "Sandusky Mall". That is a shame. :(

The city has a very rich history and its worth exploring all of its aspects. Visit the Erie County Visitors Bureau online and request a pamphlet or local information.

*******************************************************

On your days off- gather some friends (with cars) and make day trips,e specially if you're unfamiliar with the area. There are a LOT of fun opportunities around Northern Ohio...all within an hour drive.

Maumee Bay State Park, Marblehead, Cheese Haven, Westfield ShoppingTowne Franklin Park, The Docks restaurants- Toledo, downtown Toledo, Perrysburg Farmers Market, Toledo Zoo "Music Under the Stars" series, Bass Pro shops- Rossford, The Flats- Cleveland, Crocker Park, Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, Lakewood, etc.

******************************************************

Bedding: I mentioned this in a previous post, but I highly recommend purchasing a Allergen Resistant Mattress Pad, along with Lice spray (Bed, Bath and Beyond & Rite Aid, respectively) as precautions for your bedding. As a former Housing Supervisor, I will openly tell you that this is a very wise decision. The bedding supplied by Housing is thin and threadbare. The mattresses? Well.....just trust me on this one. These purchases will be VERY wise investments.

Being one who lives in ohio, I think it's funny that some of our "hot spots" are places people visit while working at CP. People who live in Toledo are genuinely bored outta there mind with nothing to do and can't wait till summer to go to Cedar Point to visit (not work)! It's ironic.

I'll agree with what was said about locking things up in your locker. Even if you know your roommates, you'd better be willing to part ways with anything you have in your room that isn't kept locked up.