Introduction To Outdoor Part Time Theme Park Jobs
There are lots of part time outdoor jobs out there; different jobs to suit different types of people, depending on your interests, experience, skills and commitments. Outdoor jobs can be work that runs throughout the year, or they can be roles where you are doing seasonal work; especially during the summer months.
Whether you are looking to work outdoors for a few hours on a seasonal basis, or you want to work throughout the year on a part time basis, part time theme park jobs could be worth your consideration. There are theme parks dotted about all over the United Kingdom, operating under different ownership and enticing customers with their varied themes and, if you live near to one, you could find some roles here that would suit your needs.
Part time outdoor jobs at theme parks will vary depending on the size of your local theme park and the facilities it offers but most theme parks have at least a fairground with rides for both children and adults. There will also be catering facilities and again, depending on the size of the theme park, this could be anything from snack food stands to canteens to luxury dining facilities that cater for events such as weddings and business conferences.
How Do I Find Outdoor Jobs At Theme Parks?
Part time theme park jobs, working outdoors, suit a variety of people because many roles will be entry level jobs whilst others will require specialised skills, qualifications or previous experience. Part time team member jobs, supervisory roles, coordinator jobs and managerial positions could all be available and could all mean you get to spend a lot of time, if not all of it, working outdoors.
Part time outdoor summer jobs at theme parks – If it is seasonal outdoor summer jobs you are interested in, then theme parks usually have recruitment dates where they advertise for staff to apply for vacant positions. Lots of these are usually entry level jobs; ideal if you have little previous experience. If you don’t want to miss out on these types of roles, make sure you are aware of the recruitment dates at your local theme park. Check the website of your local theme park and, of course, sites like this – UK Part Time Jobs – often advertise outdoor theme park jobs and other similar roles in their vacancy listings.
Permanent part time roles at theme parks could also be found on UK Part Time jobs. Again, these are roles that could suit people of a variety of ages. Check out our current part time job vacancies to see if there is anything to suit you.
What Are The Duties And Roles Of People Who Work Outdoors At Theme Parks?
There is no one theme park job description that fits all roles. Those of you who are looking for part time outdoor jobs at theme parks will have a variety of positions to choose from so there should be something to suit your personality and skills. Theme parks can be fairgrounds and other tourist attractions that host a whole range of people for different purposes. Let’s take a look at some of the outdoor roles you could do when doing part time work at theme parks.
- Fairground ride attendant: Working around the fairground rides is perhaps one of the most popular part time jobs that comes to mind when you think about outdoor work at theme parks. For entry level jobs, fairground ride assistants have duties such as making sure people are sitting safely on the ride and are wearing any necessary safety equipment correctly. Have you ever been to a fairground where there is a minimum height for the ride? Well, as a ride assistant, you could be responsible for monitoring the height of people and measuring anyone who you think might not be able to go on the ride safely.
- Fairground ride engineer: If you have more experience and are looking to work outdoors with your mechanical skills, then outdoor part time theme park jobs as a fairground ride engineer could be perfect for you. The safety of guests at the theme park is obviously paramount so constant maintenance, repairs and setup of fairground rides is necessary.
- Cashier: If you like dealing with cash and are confident in handling credit cards then theme parks need people right on the front line taking people’s payment on entry to the theme park.
- Food assistant: If you are interested in working with food, there are different roles that could be possible at theme parks. Part time, entry level seasonal jobs could be working in fast food stands, for example, serving hungry customers with themed snacks. Or you might be serving ice creams. But don’t forget, we did say theme parks offer varied services, these days. Other seasonal outdoor jobs could be waiting on tables or serving canapes to wedding guests or attendees at business conferences, for example. Working with food at theme parks can be both informal and formal.
- Outdoor drinks assistant and bar jobs: Canned and bottled drinks, soft drinks, ice-cream cocktails, iced slush drinks, hot drinks for colder days: these are all the types of drinks you could be serving from drinks areas around theme parks. For outdoor bar work, you could be working the bar at wedding receptions, work parties or children’s parties. People come to theme parks for many different reasons and all will need drinks service at either formal or informal level.
- Sales assistants: Theme parks are also tourist attractions so part time outdoor jobs could be working as a sales assistant, selling souvenirs to customers who want a reminder of their special time at the theme park.
- Actors / Entertainers: Yes, it’s not just all about working the fairground rides or serving food and drink when working outdoors at theme parks. If you are a wannabe thespian, you could be the children’s entertainment, for example, wandering around the theme park in costume so that families can take photographs. Or you might be part of an outdoor stage show. Other roles could involve getting into character and leading groups on guided walks around the park and grounds. There are lots of different part time seasonal opportunities that could be available for those who want to work outdoors at theme parks.
- Photographer: Have you got a passion for capturing people in photos or video? If you have the technical knowledge to take great photos and videos, then seasonal part time jobs at theme parks working as a photographer could suit you down to the ground. Take photos and video of theme park visitors enjoying their time at the park and offer them a great momentum of their day. It could be kids on water slides, big kids (parents) enjoying the fun of the fair or photos of guests in costume. If you have got a good eye, outdoor part time photography jobs could be perfect for you.
- Gardener: We have written about the different types of outdoor part time gardening jobs in the past and working as a gardener in a theme park could be an option for you if you are green-fingered. Theme parks often have impeccable grounds and you could be doing entry level work as a gardening assistant or, if you are an experienced horticulturalist, you could do part time work in a more supervisory role or in design, for example.
- Maintenance: If you are a bit of a handyperson around the house, then part time theme park jobs doing general maintenance job around the grounds could be perfect for you. This could be simple duties such as repairing lighting or barriers and fencing. A great way to be work outdoors, earning some extra cash.
- Cleaning: Part time cleaning jobs at theme parks can also be outdoors and could be related to maintenance jobs. Duties could include power washing public areas, picking up litter, emptying bins and putting safety cordons around areas that could be unsafe due to spillages.
- First Aid: From small cuts, grazes and bruises right up to dealing with more serious medical emergencies, if you love to help people and have first aid qualifications then working part time at theme parks could be ideal for you. Everyone goes to theme parks to have a fun day out but sometimes, unfortunate accidents or illnesses occur so people like you need to be on hand to deal with those occurrences.
So that is just a few ideas of the types of roles you could do and the basic duties that might be expected of you when doing part time theme park jobs in the outdoors. Perhaps you can even think of some more. Now we have looked at this, if you think there is a role here that might suit you, let’s take a look at the sort of person theme park recruiters might be looking for to fill their vacant positions.
What Type Of Person Does Part Time Theme Park Jobs?
If you will pardon the pun, if you are looking for an easy ride, then permanent or seasonal outdoor part time theme park jobs might not be for you. Yes, they are fun places to be but a lot of hard work and organisation goes into making sure guests have a fun and memorable time in a safe environment. It’s about being serious about fun.
Whilst the hours could be long, if you are someone who is serious about fun, then outdoor theme park jobs could be perfect for you. Hard work doesn’t have to make you miserable; it can be very rewarding and lots of fun, too, and that’s what theme park jobs should be like for you.
Are you enthusiastic?
You don’t have to have particular qualifications for lots of the outdoor roles that could be available at theme parks. If you can demonstrate you are enthusiastic about working at the theme park and can show that this will continue once you are in your role, then this can be enough to land yourself a job. Guests at theme parks don’t want to see miserable, lethargic staff wandering about the place – they expect you to be as enthusiastic as they are as that the contributes to their experience.
Are you approachable and friendly?
Many permanent and seasonal outdoor jobs at theme parks will mean you are dealing with public whether directly or indirectly. If you are a naturally friendly person who is approachable, confident in speaking to customers and dealing with any queries they might have, then you could find theme park jobs really rewarding.
Do you think you work well as part of a team?
Being able to work well as part of your team is essential to the effective running of theme parks. This does not necessarily mean you will be constantly in the company of your team mates but you will all be carrying out your own particular duties and know what is expected of you from team meetings before your shift begins.
Would you enjoy socialising with team mates?
Work hard, play hard as they say. If you do any type of work at theme parks; not just part time work outdoors, lots of companies will organise social events or work parties so that you can all let your hair down occasionally. Great for team spirit and making new friends.
Can you work under your own initiative?
And whilst you might have your own tasks to carry out for the day as part of your teamwork, because you are working outdoors in a theme park with lots of people around during opening hours – well, the unexpected is always going to happen. Sometimes you will need to think on your feet and make a decision on your own about how to deal with a situation.
Could you be committed to making people smile?
This is a very important one. If you are working outdoors at theme parks, you will know that the people attending have gone there for an enjoyable experience. There might be times when you are feeling tired or perhaps something has happened at home that is making you feel down. When you are working part time at theme parks, whatever your role, you need to be committed to making your customers smile. And you never know, this commitment can also rub off on you and give you that energy boost that you needed.
Are you prepared to work flexible hours?
These days, theme parks are not just about giving people a ‘day out’ experience. They are diverse places which cater for different events so this is not a weekday, 9-5 type of job. Part time outdoor jobs at theme parks will see you working at night as well as in the day and also at weekends and bank holidays. After all, this is when lots of people’s leisure time is most likely to be.
Many theme parks host evening events such as firework shows or performances and rock concerts as well as private parties and, depending on which type of part time role you are in, you could be required to work at these events. Of course, if you are looking for outdoor work that offers flexible hours, then all of this could be a bonus for you.
Enjoy theme parks, yourself
It’s not essential but it would be great if you were the type of person who loves theme parks. After all, even though you are working, it would be a bonus if your enthusiasm for theme parks could shine through, too. One of the perks of working at some theme parks is that you get discounts and free entry to the place where you work as well as other theme parks that are part of the same group. So your part time job can see you working outdoors and also getting the benefit of playing outdoors, too, at much reduced cost.
What theme park staff DON’T need to be
Lots of people assume part time theme park jobs working outdoors are for young people. And yes, it’s true that lots of young people do this type of part time work but for some roles, it is not essential that you are young. If you are older or even retired and are looking for a bit of part time outdoor work so that you can meet new people and make sure customers have a great time, then
Where Do Theme Park Staff Work?
There are around 50 theme parks around the United Kingdom and you will probably be aware of your nearest one. As well as theme parks, there are hundreds of other amusement attractions where you could find similar types of work to the roles mentioned above.
Not all of these places are purely fair grounds. You could be doing part time outdoor jobs around castles, safari parks and places like Legoland.
This is not the case for all theme parks but, because of the amount of space they need, many theme parks are in rural settings so some part time outdoor theme park jobs will require you to have your own transport if it isn’t already provided.
What Are The Entry Requirements And Opportunities For Future Progression If I Work Outdoors At Theme Parks?
For part time jobs working outdoors at theme parks, many of these roles are entry level jobs. Some, of course, such as maintaining rides, will require previous experience and, in some instances, professional qualifications. If you really enjoy your part time work at theme parks then of course, there could be opportunity for progression. Some of the larger groups that operate theme parks around the world could have their own training and development programmes which can suit people of all ages and backgrounds. For younger people, there could be apprenticeships and graduate programmes available so that you can build a permanent career in your chosen field.