YMCA of the Rockies

Maintinence

May - August 2021 • Granby, CO

What I liked

Relaxed and kind coworkers and boss. Fun-filled environment.

What I wish was different

I wish I was able to work mornings more consistently as opposed to half mornings and half evenings.

Advice

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Craft and Design Instructor

May - August 2020 • Estes Park, CO

What I liked

Everyone I worked with was so helpful in every step from moving to Colorado to daily tasks. Working with families and helping them make vacation memories was an amazing experience.

What I wish was different

I worked during the pandemic, meaning we had less guests and more regulations. I wish I would’ve been there during a normal season.

Advice

Take advantage of your location, the Rocky Mountain National Park is your backyard. Make friends with your coworkers and go make some memories.

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Food Service Assistant

May - August 2018 • Granby, CO

What I liked

I loved the people and the training I got. I got to work with and get to know a lot of internationals and got experience training some of them. The people were all really supportive and fun to work with and the management cared for and helped us.

What I wish was different

I wish I had spent more time getting to know people outside of work

Advice

Make sure the place you work has a good culture and good people. if the people are good and a few other factors are in place, you can be happy regardless of the work itself.

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Janitor

May - August 2018 • Estes Park, CO

What I liked

My co-workers and supervisors were kind and encouraging while demanding quality performance. The living conditions were fairly nice and the Rocky mountains are absolutely beautiful

What I wish was different

I wish the food would have been a bit better and that I had taken more time to venture to other parts of Colorado more often.

Advice

Take every opportunity to go on an adventure and interact with coworkers and guests, who are from all over the world with cool stories and cultures.

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Food Service Worker

May - August 2020 • Granby, CO

What I liked

The people were incredible, the environment was a blast, I got to be in the most beautiful place on earth for a summer.

What I wish was different

The pay was rough, and the management deals with a lot of turnover, so they are very strict and overly enforce rules.

Advice

Don't go for the job, go for the outdoors. A summer in this job isn't about making money, its about spending time in nature.

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Family Programs Supervisor

May - August 2020 • Granby, CO

What I liked

Loved the work environment and office culture, the highly supportive directors in the Program office, the ability to have variety in my work day, the ability to work outside, the flexibility of my schedule and responsibilities, and the friendships formed with supervisors and co-workers.

What I wish was different

I wished the room and board was not so high (causing me to have to get second and third jobs). I also wished that the organization handled the quarantining of seasonal staff better, but understand that they were trying their best in this unprecedented time.

Advice

Be open with your supervisors, make your voice heard, and make the job the experience you want. You will gain the tools you need for leadership and growth, but you might also have to ask for what you need.

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Housekeeping

May - August 2020 • Estes Park, CO

What I liked

I loved all the people I worked with and the other experiences I could have since the Y was connected to Rocky Mountain National Park. I could go hiking as much as I wanted and spent so much time outside.

What I wish was different

I wish that housekeeping hadn’t been short staffed and (they provide room and board) that the dining food had been better.

Advice

Even though the job wasn’t ideal the location was so take advantage of that you might also make some really good connections with people. So take advantage of where you are living and get to know everyone you’re working with.

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Lead Adventure Activities Facilitator

May - August 2019 • Estes Park, CO

What I liked

Gave me leadership experience and allowed me to live in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. A super fun job that allowed me to gain a ton of knowledge of ropes courses, zip lines, climbing, and much more. It allowed me to interact and provide experiences to disabled children that wouldn't have the opportunity otherwise.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Laundry Worker

July - September 2019 • Estes Park, CO

What I liked

I really loved the staff that work there.

What I wish was different

I wish we got paid more. Our salary was only $5.75 per hour because they provided food and housing.

Advice

I would try working here. It was really fun.

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Accounting Intern

May - August 2019 • Estes Park, CO

What I liked

Super fun place place to work and the supervisors were extremely patient, helpful, and willing to teach.

What I wish was different

More work duties

Advice

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Craft Shop Instructory

May - August 2019 • Winter Park, CO

What I liked

I really enjoyed getting to experience a different kind of work environment. I was working with people that were on vacation for a few days at a time. For the first time ever, I was hands on with customers, sitting next to them an guiding their hands on how to do unfamiliar crafts. It was also really fun to teach them a craft that I had only done one other time (when I was learning how to teach it). It was also a much more laid back environment than I've ever experienced before, it was all about customer service and all about creating a personal experience with children and guests. One time, I actually went outside and played with a kid to keep him company (it was only my first week), and it was abnormal to receive praise for that from a manager. I also really enjoyed getting to work in the valley of the mountains and to live on-site where I worked, with the rest of my co-workers that I would get to see often, so we created a personal friendship off the clock. This job was so much fun, 10/10 would do again.

What I wish was different

Honestly, the only thing that was negative about this job was that sometimes there were tasks I didn't know how to do because I wasn't familiar with the craft or I wasn't good at it, but I always had help and there was always someone else who could do the task.

Advice

It's okay to not be stressed out, this is a laid back job and everything will be more enjoyable if you don't take it so seriously. Laughing off certain things is okay, it's a creative environment!

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Food Service Worker

May - August 2019 • Estes Park, CO

What I liked

Fun people, great hikes, good schedule

What I wish was different

They will try to overwork you because there are large numbers of guests, but overall a good challenge.

Advice

Keep working hard and enjoy the guests

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Sous Chef

May - August 2019 • Granby, CO

What I liked

I loved the people and the opportunity to live in the mountains!

What I wish was different

I wish I spent more time connecting with people and building community

Advice

Just go do it! It was so much fun!

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Lifeguard

May - August 2019 • Granby, CO

What I liked

Great weather outside of Phoenix for the summer. Fun place to work and not far from the Rocky Mountain national park.

What I wish was different

I wish I had found more time to explore the national park.

Advice

Make friends and be adventurous with them!

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Outdoor Education Instructor

August - November 2019 • Granby, CO

What I liked

Loved pretty much everything about working here! My schedule was different every day, which kept things exciting and fun. The work environment was relaxed and I had a lot of freedom to be creative and take initiative on things I felt like needed to be done around the workplace. The supervisors were awesome and the property/surroundings were unbeatable!

What I wish was different

During the height of the OED seasons our days got quite long and hectic. Some days I worked 8am-9:30pm, which got to be exhausting for multiple days in a row. I wish we had more time to decompress during the busy season.

Advice

Be creative, take initiative, be confident in yourself and your abilities, and have fun!!

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Hiking Guide

June - August 2019 • Estes Park, CO

What I liked

I loved being outside every day for my job and getting to meet people from all over the world.

What I wish was different

I would have liked to be in a better place personally so that I could have donated myself more fully to my work.

Advice

Working at the YMCA is a life changing experience, and you should prioritize interpersonal relationships while you are there. It is easy to make life long friends, and learn from people vastly different from yourself.

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Arts and craft designer

May - September 2014 • Estes Park, CO

What I liked

Working for the YMCA of the Rockies is something I encourage everyone to do. It’s an amazing place to work, and grow as a person.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

If you’re looking for a job that allows you the experience of working with people from around the world, while developing a greater sense of who you are, this is the job for you! That summer changelled me, taught me, and mostly importantly helped shaped me. Definitely an experience I carry close to my heart. The Rockies are stunning! You won’t regret the job :)

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Front Desk Attendant

May - August 2019 • Granby, CO

What I liked

I loved my coworkers and managers -- the other staff members were excellent and so gracious while I was training. The location of the YMCA is gorgeous.

What I wish was different

The hours of the shifts I worked started early or ended late, depending on the shift. The staff housing was subpar.

Advice

Patience is key for a customer service job like this! There is a lot to learn for this job, so take it easy on yourself while you are in training, but learn from your mistakes.

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