Bricks of the trade How I built Legoland job from temp post
When I started at Legoland I discovered the magic
FOR students and school leavers, a summer job is the very first step into the real world of work. Get it right and you could end up launching a dream career.
Jake Wilson, 27, from Windsor is the perfect example – he took a summer job at Legoland and nine years later is rides and attractions assistant area manager. How did that happen? I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do as a career when I left school at 18. I couldn’t find a permanent job but needed to make ends meet. When I saw a seasonal job advertised at Legoland I thought it might keep me going until I found a “proper” full-time job. Living close to the site growing up, were you an expert on Legoland? In truth I only went once as a young child, but I couldn’t really remember it, so when I started work I discovered the magic for the first time. I just loved everything about it from the rides to the visitors and my colleagues. I knew I had found a special place. I’m hooked on theme parks now. I ride my favourites here, which include Fairy Tale Brook, whenever I can. What led to a full-time job? After the first season, where I worked through the summer until the end of October, I was back for my second one before I knew it at the beginning of March the next year. As an “old hand” I was able to help new starters, which felt good. By year three I was a team leader and by my fourth and fifth seasons I was permanent. I got my current job two years ago. What’s a typical day for you? I am 50/50 in my office and out in the park. My area is East which includes the Vikings’ River Splash, a real favourite. My job involves managing and training staff, sorting out the rotas, and making sure the rides are all being operated and manned. No day is ever the same which I like. I’ve found that I love sorting out logistics and solving problems. What does the future hold for you? Next month, I start a new job as wardrobe supervisor which means I am responsible for staff uniforms. With around 2,000 full-time and seasonal staff that’s a lot to manage – I’m looking forward to the new challenge. Legoland is expanding and changing all the time which means there will always be new career opportunities. FIND A JOB With summer fast approaching, we found 15,184 seasonal jobs on offer.
THEME PARKS
Now is a key time for theme parks to recruit, so it’s worth contacting any in your local area direct.
The Merlin Group, which owns Legoland, Alton Towers, Chessington and Warwick Castle, is recruiting 100s of seasonal staff over the coming weeks. Check out merlincareers.com where it currently has 1,000 vacancies.
AMIMALS
Animal lovers should check out Chester Zoo which has 400 summer jobs at chesterzoo.org/footer/careers.
HOSPITALITY
Catering and stewarding companies employ thousands of casual workers for summer events ranging from bar and waiting staff to catering assistants and chefs at all levels.
Also check out caterer.com where we found 1,993 summer jobs throughout the industry including waiting staff at events throughout London to event chefs.
One of the main employers is the Compass Group whose catering branch LSS (lssfm.com) services Wimbledon, Twickenham and Edgbaston.
Students should try student-jobs.co.uk which has 1,022 vacancies from a holiday camp manager in Stratford (£8 to £10 per hour) to jobs at Lord’s Cricket Ground for porters, kiosk assistants and bar staff (varied hourly rates).
We spotted a further 340 jobs at summer-jobs.co.uk including team members for the Youth Hostelling Association (from £7.50) and bar staff at Royal Ascot (£7.10 to £10).
GIGS
The vast number of music festivals across the country need a whole army of workers from rubbish collectors and stewards to traffic marshalls and cashiers. Many of the larger ones use dcsiteservices.com who recruit 2,000 people every summer for car parking and recycling. Applications have just opened. Check out Oxfam (oxfam.org.uk/ stewards) who take on 5,000 festival stewards over the summer.
KIDS AND CLUBS
PGL is recruiting 2,500 people to man its 24 activity centres across the UK, France and Spain via pgl.co.uk. Take a look at fish4jobs.co.uk which has 386 summer jobs including a holiday club playworker in Bristol (£7.50).
And at gov.uk/jobsearch there are 543 vacancies including several cleaners for an outdoor adventure company in Staffordshire, Cheshire and the Midlands (£150 a week).