How did we learn about the position?

We happened upon this position in a Workamper News Magazine.  Workamper News www.workamper.com/ is a website devoted to helping full-time and seasonal RVers find employment in and around the country.  Not only do they announce “help wanted” ads on a daily basis, but they have a magazine that is published every two months including descriptions and benefits of job opportunities in almost if not every state.

A blurb about Desert Rose RV Park located in Fernley, Nevada was posted in a 2014 November/December issue requesting assistance in the office and outside on the park grounds for the coming 2015 year.   We jumped right on this as we were wanting to not only begin our work camping experience in a campground and also explore northern Nevada (our home state at the time) during the summer/fall months, but we were anticipating working in that area for Amazon Camperforce in November. (We later discovered that  Amazon closed their doors in Fernley and reopened in Texas for the 2015 winter season. We applied to work in Texas with Amazon for the winter, instead. That will be featured in a separate job article.)

What were our duties?

Our official start date was June 15th of 2015 and we signed up to to work four full months till mid October.  As specified by the owner of the park and our contract, Levi and I would be on duty the same days and have additional days of the week off together.  We would, however, have separate responsibilities in the park.  Levi was assigned to outside maintenance duties and I was given in- house/office tasks.

Levi’s general maintenance duties included: site cleanup, mowing and edging of sites; trash pickup, cleaning around dumpsters; cleaning of  restrooms, and  maintenance; propane filling; escorting guests to sites, showing the site and hook-ups; washing of rags and janitorial supplies; irrigation system, repairing as needed and maintaining; trimming of trees, with authorization; raking of leaves; other projects as assigned; operate lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and edgers; maintain cleanliness of dog area; painting and other misc projects.

Working in the office, my duties included: Assist customers checking in/out of the campground, utilize Hercules,  a reservation software, as well as utilize the software program for Keepsake Mini-Storage; take care of store/boutique and cashiering; general janitorial duties; take payments for the RV Park as well as the Keepsake Mini Storage; sort mail and operate general office machines; listen to any customer requests, concerns, and complaints while assisting them with a resolution.

What were the perks?

Each week, we worked anywhere from 3-5 days, 5-9 hours.  An agreed upon amount of hours per week was set aside as payment for the RV site (including all hookups).  The remaining hours were paid to us (the employees) at minimum wage.  In addition, we were allotted a laundry allowance and discounted propane.

The location of Desert Rose RV Park is an additional perk in that it is located anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour from noteworthy sites like the pristine Lake Tahoe, bustling downtown Reno, old west Virginia City, and historic Carson City, to name a few. Much of our days off were used experiencing these sites.  There were  tons of community activities occurring at these and other locales weekly.

What did the hiring process entail?

The job posting for Desert Rose RV Park required applicants to send their resumes and pictures of selves and rig to the park’s website.  We made sure to attach a cover letter introducing ourselves, touching on our abilities.  A few days after sending, I phoned the park and asked if our resumes were received.  I also asked what steps we needed to take from there.  Our information was sent to the park owner/manager and we were phoned within days for an interview.

Our phone interview, like many more we have experienced, included the owner explaining the position requirements and benefits.  We had the opportunity to share our work experience and background with full-timing.  The majority of the phone interview, though, was a question/answer session.  Preparation, we learned, is the key to work camping interviews.  This includes having a list of questions ready to ask about the position(s), park information, and payment/incentives.  A more detailed list of questions we ask during a work camping interview can be viewed here.

We were offered a position with the park shortly after the interview.  A contract was sent to us via email detailing the duties and job incentives.  We promptly signed, scanned and returned the email.  This entire process occurred in the month of December 2014.  Between December and our start date in June, we kept in touch via email and phone verifying start date and asking additional questions we missed during the initial interview.

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