Career Opportunities with Cedar Fair...

So I'm a recent college grad and would love to work at CP (marketing or sales), but when I go on CF.com all I see are opportunities with jobs for people with a lot of years of experience. Does CP offer internships or entry level positions or anything? I don't see anything of the sort on the websites (CP.com, CF.com). I feel like it's a place where you work your way up, like starting as a ride op. for so amount of years and then move forward...

Thoughts?

There are certainly internships at the parks. Here's the thing though, and I don't mean this as a point of discouragement, there are a whole lot of people who want very badly to work in the industry, and working your way up is a steep climb. If you're interested in a profession that is not unique to the amusement industry, you're better off getting your start and experience elsewhere (marketing, finance, etc.), because you'll get that experience faster.

Thoughts?

That if you would love to work at Cedar Point in marketing or sales, you should get whatever job you can and focus on working your way into the job you want.

That way you can develop the years of experience the company would like to see in employees representing the park.

>> And what Jeff said while I was being inarticulate.

Jeff said:
There are a whole lot of people who want very badly to work in the industry, and working your way up is a steep climb.

I feel like that's all too true of many industries at the moment. haha

To the OP, have you considered looking at parks beyond CP? With CP being CF's flagship park, and with corporate being in its backyard, I'd assume CP is one of the more competitive parks at which to try and find a full-time job. Also consider that CP is seasonal. Maybe it would be easier to get some experience at a "less desirable" park elsewhere?

It's a small industry, and when a position becomes available, applying is very competitive. Internships are a plus, but don't put all your eggs in one basket. For a college graduate, focus first on building experience in your profession. This will make you more appealing when applying for Cedar Fair, Six Flags, or perhaps Disney.

^Lot's of good advice. Don't discount building experience in unrelated industries either. Being well rounded experience wise is a good thing in many fields and if you are putting everything into it you'll get alot out of it. May be surprised at what you learn and how it applies down the road.

You're in Michigan? There are still places that have active internship programs.

Best advice I ever heard from a full-time employee was simply "Be flexible."

I've taken that to mean many things, including: take any opportunity given to you, be ready for change, get outside of your comfort zone, and find a way to work in an enviorment with people who have different viewpoints than yours (many of them are better than your own!).

At the end of the day, you might still have to be in the right place at the right time because jobs are scarce. Just do everything you can to improve your employability and you will give yourself the best chances of being successful!

There is plenty of good advice in this thread so far and I would add that you should never underestimate the power of networking. Get to know people both in and outside of the industry. You never know when a connection that you've made with someone will lead you in a direction that'll put you one step closer to achieving your goal.

CPboy77 said:
So I'm a recent college grad and would love to work at CP (marketing or sales)

The big questions are (in no particular order)

1. What is your college degree in?

2. Associate, Bachelor, Master?

3. What would you like to do in marketing or sales? Management? Creative work? Grunt work?

4. How many years of seasonal work (maximum 39 weeks per year if they LOVE you, usually quite a bit less) can you take, financially?

5. How many years of minimum wage or near-minimum wage can you take and survive?

Even without answers to these questions, there is one thing you should know: All things being equal, assuming you do not have connections high up in management or an AMAZING, documented talent, you have approximately a 0.00% chance of landing an entry level year round position with Cedar Point / Cedar Fair. Entry level jobs in general are filled for the season in the Spring, and are let go at the end of the season in the Fall. Attrition is VERY low at the year-round full-time level, and there is essentially no increase in permanent staffing year to year.

So, ignoring all that negativity, here is what I would do in your shoes. Make an appointment to speak to a marketing and/or sales manager, giving them your information, and asking them how you should proceed to build an employment relationship with them that could benefit them and yourself.

Good luck!