Working at Geauga Lake: Questions

Tomorrow I am headed to SFWoA (soon to be GL) to interview to work in rides.

I was wondering if anyone who has worked either there or Cedar Point has any pointers, especially pointers on how to convince them to give me a good ride if hired.

Another question has to do with my age. I have heard that the employees at SFWoA have tended to be younger than at Cedar Point, and was wondering if my age (22) would benefit me in consideration for work, or if it would enable me to more easily get a position with more responsibility and/or higher pay.

Having never worked at a park, I am curious about how people are hired and promoted, and about oppertunities for college students that are interested in possibly pursuing future careers in the industry.

Yet another question deals with compensation. Does anyone know SFWoA's pay rates, or know if their pay structure will be similar to Cedar Point's this year? Although $7 an hour (including the bonus) would be a pay cut for me, I would not want to work for a little over $6.

My last question has to do with professionalism at the interview. Would dressing in a shirt and tie (or suit) and bringing a resume be overkill? Since it is a seasonal job, and many teenagers apply, I wonder if such presentation would make the people think I am overqualified.

Thanks ahead of time for your responces,

Sam
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Avalanche Run - My first Roller Coaster.
Magnum XL-200 - The BEST Roller Coaster!

The most important thing is to just be yourself. They will hire a wide variety of personality types. If they get a sense that you will be able to be courteous to the guest and will be able to work well with other employees you will have a good chance at getting a job.
Your age shouldn't be a problem. What could be your biggest problem is work availability. If you are able to most of the season that increases your chance for employment.
As far as getting a job with more responsibility, I doubt that would happen. Being that you're a first year and no experience working in a park they will place you in an entry level position. That doesn't mean that you can't be promoted mid-season though. I know of some people who have been promoted to ATL their first year so it does happen.
For the interview I really see no reason that you would need a resume for a seasonal job. You probably would want to dress nice though just to be presentable and look professional.
Hope this helps and good luck.

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Mine Ride/Gemini 2003
Top Thrill Dragster 2004

GO BUCKS!!!!!!!!

A shirt and tie would be ok. Although I've never had a face to face interview at CP. A resume might be a little overkill, but it shouldn't matter either way. I wore a shirt and tie, and took a lengthy resume to a Taco Bell once. (The manager laughed at me) But, it doesn't hurt to bring a resume. Especially if your interested in a career, it will just give them a much better sense of your experiences and who you are. I can't give you much more infor than that, since I don't know the people at GL to tell you how they may go about doing things.

I can probably say with conisderation from what I have talked with employees at other parks is that, as long as you have a personality, and a reliable way to work, and your not an active criminal, you will more than likely be hired.

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- Chris -
Monster/WW ATL 02
Monster WW TL 03
Antiques/Swings TL 04
*** This post was edited by Flisk 3/30/2004 2:51:46 PM ***

I say prepare like you are preparing for any job interview. Dress nice, bring your resume, etc. It can't hurt and might help. As an "older" person you might catch someone's attention and get an opportunity at something like a entry level supervisors job.

As a former park manager I was always excited when an "older" person interviewed because I immediately put their name in the back of my mind as being a potential leader for the younger group.

Frankly, not seeing a recruit come in with torn jeans, nose rings and spiked hair will probably be refreshing for the person interviewing you.

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"You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world...but it requires people to make the dreams a reality."

The culture shift is not going to happen overnight. A suit would be overkill, but a tie couldn't hurt (I've personally not worn a tie to an interview since 1996, but that's just me).

If you hang out here you obviously know something about our expectations as CP fans, and the many shortcomings left by Six Flags. Don't act like you know it all, but emphasize that you are all about seeing to it that every guest has a safe and fun day. If you really want to get them excited, tell them about the cornerstones...

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - My Blog
Blogs, photo albums - CampusFish
What time does the water show start?

Well, some time ago when it was still GL, i used to work there. Now since it has gone through 2 new owners, i don't know exactly what they are looking for. i know that when i was 17 and i started working there, for my application/interview they asked what dept. did i want want to work for, i said ride op. they said cool. as far as what ride to start off working at, well at that time, they made any new people start off in kiddy land and as soon as they got used to working on rides then they "promoted" us to bigger rides. to get a ride you want, brown nose a little. otherwise they may just stick you on a ride they feel they need you at.

being 22, may not get you more responsiblity for the fact that you have never worked there before, (be kind of hard for someone to run a ride area if they don't know much about the rides in their area, meaning how to run them, etc.)

about promotions, i would assume that since under a new owner, they would do promotions differently for the fact that SFWoA sucked when it came to management and ride operations professionalism. they will probably make sure that you can maintain a professional attitude when dealing with different situations.

as for the interview, this may only be a seasonal job and really what's the big deal, but if you have been reading the lastest news about how they are changing how things were done from the way that SFWoA used to do it, i'm sure they are looking for professionalism. so just to impress the people doing the interview, i would were a shirt, tie and a jacket, (just to be on the safe side) you might as well WOW them than just, OH, O.K. them.

best wishes on your interview

p.s., if you do get the job, where sunglasses all the time. because the girls will probably wonder why the heck your staring at them.

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If your not having fun, what are you having?

I would caution you NOT to go in saying things like..."I know you have this problem and that problem and I can help you fix it." Stay away from criticizing because you don't know if you are going to be interviewing with someone who is a SF hangover or a CF new addition. You don't want to tick someone off.

In rides I would agree that you aren't going to get a Lead position in the beginning but if you were willing to be flexible I wouldn't be surprised if they needed leaders in other departments.

Every year I had first year employees who started out as line employees but got promoted when there was a need. The turnover just puts us in the position to advance people even with relatively little experience. And, to be quite frank, it is a lot easier to teach someone to push a button than it is to teach them how to be good leaders.

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"You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world...but it requires people to make the dreams a reality."

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Jeff said:
If you really want to get them excited, tell them about the cornerstones...

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Uh oh! I don't really know them. I am pretty sure safety is number one, and courtesy is in there, but can you please refresh my memory for the rest?

One of the reasons I might be afraid about a suit being overkill is I dressed in shirt and tie for my interview for the Apple Store in Lyndhurst, and didn't get the job. But then again, that is probably a good thing, since now I can think of a job at an amusement park.

I was also thinking of basically saying that the park was making an improvement in 2003, and that I want to help accellerate the pace of that improvement.

-Sam
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Avalanche Run - My first Roller Coaster.
Magnum XL-200 - The BEST Roller Coaster!

Safety, courtesy, service, cleanliness, and integrity. I think they're pretty self explanitory.

-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew
2003 Magnum Crew
2004 Magnum ATL

I'm currently a supervisor at the park in rides and the biggest thing I can say is just be yourself. Go in a shirt and tie but remember to have fun. These guys interviewing you are just like you and enjoy this stuff as much as you do. Smile, be honest and dont worry about getting a ride you want. 9 out of 10 people hired got their requested areas. Oh and your age its a plus, when the high schoolers are gome you're there. I'm 20, and the youngest sup in rides. it'll be my fourth season and things have improved every year, this year is sure to be the best. Good luck.

Like everyone else said being 22 wont get you a lead position. However you must respect that some leads will be 17 or 18, and just because they are younger then you they deserve your respect. They put the time in and earned their spots. Again Good luck.

*** This post was edited by XFlight 3/30/2004 5:34:37 PM ***

XFlight, where will you be working? Maybe I could work for you;).

Thanks for all your help everyone. Thanks for the cornerstones, Matt. I did IM you about this, right?

-Sam

EDIT: I am not expecting a leadership position right away, as I have no experiance, but I do aspire to someday work for Cedar Fair full time (if the benefits are good and the pay is enough to cover my student loans). And I actually am used to having supervisors younger than me. That is just the curse of being 22 with yet another semester to go in college.
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Avalanche Run - My first Roller Coaster.
Magnum XL-200 - The BEST Roller Coaster!
*** This post was edited by Avalanche Sam 3/30/2004 5:43:24 PM ***

Im in Western, thats Villain down to RWB and everything in between. The rides include Villain, D. Loop, RRE, HayBaler, Carousel, Dodg'ems, Texas Twister, BKF, Grizzly Run, and RWB.

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GL rides sup 2004

I don't know how they are at the beginning of the season but towards the end of the season last year I was hired as a casual (if you want to call it hired) and within a week I was running coasters. They always scrap for workers so I'm sure if you request an area it can't hurt you. Also, when all the college and high schoolers go back at the end of summer you could end up working with a much much younger group. That is at least how the scenario was last year. Good luck with your interview.

Hopefully CF will build dorms at the park so we can eventually rid ourselves of that younger crowd.

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GL rides sup 2004

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Avalanche Sam said:
... I am curious about oppertunities for college students that are interested in possibly pursuing future careers in the industry.

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Funny how this question is never really answered by anyone. What are you looking to do in the amusement park industry? What kind of degree are you seeking in college. I am 22 and have nearly 2 years left (working full-time has slowed me down quite a bit from that 4 year thing). As far as opportunities for college students, they're pretty much the same as opportunities for anyone else, except you've advanced further than some in your education. I wouldn't worry about career opportunities this summer, just use this year to gain experience and knowledge that might be beneficial a couple years down the road.

Full time is hard to come by, as there arent that many positions open at seasonal parks. Usually less then 200. I dont know exactly most people I know that have gotten fulltime jobs have been with the park for close to 10 years as seasonal help. Its a hard field to get into, but something I would love to do as well. But realistically Im working on my Criminal Justice degree to enter law enforcement. If I'm offered a fulltime job would take it in a second.

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GL rides sup 2004

I have to disagree Matt- Take a look at your fill-time rides supervisor. If jobs were hard to come by, would someone without a college degree have that job? I would like to believe from talking to full timer at parks, that if you work hard, there will always be a job for you.

One more thing, I was not one of those 9 out of 10 to get their requested area- and in fact I was placed at the one place I didn't want to be my first year- Boomtown. I didn't "do" anything wrong during my interview- it's just that they needed people in Boomtown. Lesson being that, you should be a team player no matter where you are placed.

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Jes
JesLive.Com
Six Flags Worlds Of Adventure Ride-Ops Crew 2002-2003!
Cedar Point Raptor Crew 2004! (Find me, and win a prize!)

Jes thats because we didnt like you and we knew you'd be leaving us in the future! j/k I know many full timers dont have college degrees Im just saying the ratio of full time to seasonal is pretty great. Also, that for the most part there isnt a high turn over(except for maybe SFWoA who had a new GM every season so far).

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GL rides sup 2004

Full time positions at amusement parks. Quite a topic indeed. There is no doubt that getting a full time position at a park is no easy task. Part of that is because the jobs usually go to people who have been seasonals year in and year out. That is particularly true in a department like Park Ops. Just an example: Dick Nunis, President of Walt Disney Attractions...started out as a ride op on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland back in the day.

Often times at parks (and other places for that matter) people are promoted to supervisory positions because they were good workers...not necessarily because they have great leadership qualities. That is why it may not be a surprise to find a full time manager who never took a management class in college...or may not have even completed college.

It is possible to get a full time position at a park with little experience there. I personally know of a few examples including myself. But you might have to settle for something other than Park Ops. Food positions at parks open pretty regularly. If you can work at a park one season and then do an internship there the following season that may help you get into a park.

But the poster above who said that there are limited jobs at parks is correct. Think about it. I think CP has over 200 full time jobs, give or take....most of them in maintenance. Of the remaining jobs there may be 1,000 seasonals aspiring to be full time. Even if it is only 500 that is a pretty big number. So, if one full time person leaves than there are going to be a lot of people wanting to get in.

Another example: When I worked at WDW a full time position opened in one of the departments and Disney advertised the position. There were over 10,000 resumes sent in for that position. Even if you are an outstanding candidate you still have some pretty steep odds.

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"You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world...but it requires people to make the dreams a reality."

Full time is only a dream as of right now. Basically, I have never worked at a park before, and decided that Geauga Lake might be a good place to start, and see if I like it.

I wanted to work at Cedar Point, but GL is closer to my parents, and I can save money by staying with them. My big concern though, is about the pay scales. I presume working starting out I would be payed less than I have gotten payed at school or work study jobs ($8.45 minimun), but I would like to know if the pay cut would be more like a dollar, or two or three dollars. If it is the latter, I am afraid I might not be able to take the job if it is offered.

-Sam
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Avalanche Run - My first Roller Coaster.
Magnum XL-200 - The BEST Roller Coaster!