Admiral
Lodi, Ohio
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Joined: 06/08/2003
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We got our first position without any references at all, just on a standard resume. I was wondering how important past hosting/workamping references were? Is quality or quantity more important?
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wepampercampers
Full-Timers Tillicum Beach, near Waldport Or.
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For me, experience just allows me to skip certain questions during an interview...after a few questions that let me know they do have experience...just like in the other world we used to work in.....who is gonna put down a bad reference?????????....
Also, I am just about convinced we can train people with a positive attitude to do just about any part of hosting. It really isn't that hard to catch onto as long as you want to do it.
Anyone is gonna use a reference who will rave about them, and then let them know that their references were being checked by who.....
a reference works with us if it is someone we already know and trust.
We have had other managers in our position within the company lie to our face about an employee who they just want to get rid of. then they don't have to step up and help the employee get better....as a matter of fact within the last week.
Jo 'n Don
www.PamperingCampers.com
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Kirk
Livingston, Texas.
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Part of the question probably depends upon what kind of hosting. The previous post, from "Jo'n Don" is talking about paid positions for the contract hosts such as the Forest Service now uses. At least that is what the website that they run is for. We have been working volunteer positions where we choose an agency by what we will do and if we support the purpose of the job, but do not get paid. It used to be that campground host was a volunteer position in a public park, but no longer.
The reason that I point this out is that there is a different type of position and selection process. In the 23 positions that we have now held, references from a previous position do help, especially when the reference is from a park with the same agency as you apply with. For example, if we apply with the National Park Service, we list our references from the Park Service first. For positions with the National Wildlife Refuges, we list references with the USFWS first.
Generally, there are enough locations seeking volunteers to work for an RV site and amenities that you can pretty well be sure to find one somewhere, but references are important to get into the more popular locations and parks. Without references, you should be able to find a position somewhere, but you may not get your first choice.
I suspect that would also be true with positions in the commercial RV park world as well. The very most demanded positions probably do go to people who have a list of references from previous positions, but I have known many who found positions with no prior experience at all. The main skill for most positions in the RV world is to truly like people. If you can demonstrate that, you should have no problem in locating a paid or a volunteer position.
So my advice is that if you have good references, by all means do use them. If you have no prior experience in what you see, don't worry about it, but apply anyway.
Good travelin! ........Kirk
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DianneOK
Donnelly, ID
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LOL...yes, references do help. Last fall we were volunteering at a NWR. We had applied to another for this coming summer. I was working at the VC and got a call for my super. Turns out it was the NWR super we had applied to and she was checking our references 
BTW...we got the position 
We also applied to a KOA for last winter while at the NWR. We got a call from our cg owner whom we have worked for for 4 summers. He said the cg owner had called and with the report he gave her we should get $100/hour We got that position, too, tho not for that kind of wages
So, yes, we feel references are important, and have found that they are checked......
Dianne
Donnelly, ID
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wepampercampers
Full-Timers Tillicum Beach, near Waldport Or.
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OK...........if I ever see applications from you two (Dianne and Kirk), I definetly will check them.........but I doubt I will get that opportunity....and if either of you get a chance to check mine....well, rest assured they will be glowing recommendations too......we only use family members who don't have our same last name......and don't want us in their driveway for the season........hahahahahahaha. Shoot, for all I know corporate probably does background checks on everyone we hire since we are so easy......hahahaha
happy trails
Don
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firedude
On the road
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Joined: 01/21/2003
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DianneOK wrote:So, yes, we feel references are important, and have found that they are checked......
I agree and actually for Ca. state parks they do check your references, every one of them and even then before you get the position a background check and record check is done and you must be finger printed. I and sure Dianne as well has seen the result of not checking references thoroughly. it can be pretty bad. I am all for it.
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Kirk
Livingston, Texas.
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Background checks are pretty common and in our experience, almost always are done if you will be in contact with the visiting public. We have had maintenance positions as volunteers that there was no background check, as far as we knew. In most cases they do ask you to sign permission for the background check so you would normally know if they did.
We have also frequently had our driving records checked as well, when we are in positions to drive the agencies vehicles. I believe that the NPS always does a background check, or at least both that we have been in did so. The USFWS sometimes just verifies that a previous refuge did one. I think that the same has been true for driving records. We are presently with the COE and they did both checks as we did sign permission for them.
I can't tell for sure which places we have been who did or did not, but the majority of them have done so.
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beaverdance
Corvallis, Oregon
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Nowadays, any prospective employer (or, whatever the term would be when someone "hires" you for a volunteer position) can subscribe to a web service that for twenty bucks or so can tell them everything about you: where you've lived since birth, every job you've ever had, every speeding ticket you've ever got, your credit history, who you've ever kissed, and where, and that library fine you had to pay in third grade (the librarian wasn't bluffing when she said that it would be put on your "permanent record"!!). So the tendering of references (indeed, the filling out of applications/resumes in general) is swiftly becoming obsolete. Employers know full well that you would only give GOOD refernces; so in all but the most casual hires, they'll put you through the x-ray machine anyway. This is especially true with government agency hires; the whole thing is about CYA, where if you go berserk and kill 37 campers with an axe some day, they can document that they did indeed follow all the requisite hiring procedures.
So to answer your question, no, YOUR supplied references hardly matter. If you EVER worked for ANYONE for longer than five minutes, that info is in your internet database file anyway (and easily accessible, along with all sorts of information that you might have thought was "private" (ha!)).
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DianneOK
Donnelly, ID
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beaverdance, my supers have all checked references....that way, especially if they are experienced with the process, they get firsthand info on the prospect. Especially what is NOT said about him or her .........
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beaverdance
Corvallis, Oregon
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DianneOK wrote:beaverdance, my supers have all checked references....that way, especially if they are experienced with the process, they get firsthand info on the prospect. Especially what is NOT said about him or her .........
I would reiterate my point about applicant-supplied references not making much of a difference, because employers know that virtually no one supplies a reference that won't be a glowing testimony to the applicant's ability. They also know that the sporadic nature of many applicants' employment history (seasonal work) makes it easy to conceal a possible BAD reference. Therefore, they use the web-based tell-all services, if they're at all diligent. Certainly, any government hiring agency (BLM, NPS, USFS, etc.) will put your name and SSN into the x-ray machine. Resumes, and applications, are becoming obsolete for these reasons.
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