Workamper Resume

Albert and Karen Phillips

Objective: We are Al and Karen Phillips. We have been contracted for the summer 2015 season. We had owned and operated a drycleaning store in the "Hamptons" starting in 1978 and sold our business in March 2011. We are taking control over our lives and traveling this great country of ours, exploring the different states as we stop and workamp in each area. We are open to any possibilities that come our way. We are currently on the road full-timing,  and would like to be compensated with a camp site and pay. We are flexible on days and hours to work. We are on the younger side, in our 50's, and are energetic, flexible, and completely enthusiastic in our endeavors. Customer service has always been our watchword, and we bring a high level of customer service to any job that we do, along with 30-plus years of experience in the service sector.

Summary: Al has 30+ years of experience in maintenance of machinery, light plumbing, and electrical work. He is good at trouble shooting problems and believes in a job well done. Karen has 30+ years of customer service relations and was responsible for the front counter of the business, the employee management, bookkeeping and office control.

Summary of Workamping Experience

Al

• Security: Park Ranger providing guest services and night time security
• Guest Services: Site escorting, guest services, utility assistance and trouble shooting
• Campground maintenance: site cleaning and prep, landscape work, property maintenance
• Bath House/cabin maintenance and cleaning
• Landscape, mowing, all property maintenance
• Housekeeping, cleaning cabins for a Five Star Guest Ranch
• EMT in Amazon's on-site medical clinic

Karen

• Park Store Supervisor: opening, stocking and running convenience store on property, scheduling staff, end of night bookkeeping, using Quickbooks
• Campground Office staff: use of Campground Manager software, DigiRez reservation software, taking reservations, checking guests in and out, cleaning and staffing store area, balancing and closing drawers at night
• Guest Services: assisting guests in planning excursions in the area while on vacation, assisting in activities at campgrounds
• Housekeeping: cleaning cabins for Five Star Guest Ranch
• Cross-trained in several departments of Amazon.com
• Bath house/cabin maintenance and cleaning

We have become Verified Workampers and our references are on file with Workamper News. 

Background:

Al had owned a drycleaning business with his wife Karen for 32 years. His main responsibilty was the day to day operations of the work area. Maintaining and repair of equipment ( examples: repairing steam lines, plumbing repairs, computer issues, electrical problems etc.) Also doing pressing and spotting of garments, and overseeing the other pressers. Al also has been a Critical Care Emergency Medical Technician for the Sag Harbor Volunteer Ambulance for 31 years. During his time with the ambulance company he served as  president of the department for 7 years. He was also an EMT and EMT-CC instructor for the State of New York and an Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor for the American Heart Association. He is currently a Nationaly Registered Emergency Medical Technician, American Heart Association CPR Instructor and First Aid Instructor, and a certified EMT in the state of Kentucky. With the Sag Harbor ambulance he answered over 5500 calls and has been named member of the year twice. He was also awarded the EMS Instructor of excellence by Suffolk County EMS.

Karen as co-owner of the cleaners was responsible for the day to day operations of the front call office. She oversaw the customer service representitives and helped out with those duties also. She took care of any customer problems and complaints. She also took care of the bookkeeping for the business as well as the financial part of our home life. She has a passion for photography and cooking. For many years she was involved with and taught ceramics classes, overseeing all aspects from the formation of the bisque figurines, to decorating them and firing them in a kiln.  She was president/treasurer of an investment club from 1995 -2010. She is good with computers, and is great with customers.

Skills:

Al

• Plumbing- pipe repairs and installation
• Electrical- install lights, repair fixtures, outlets
• Maintenance- good at trouble shooting to fix problems
• landscaping- cut grass, plant trees ,shrubs
• Medical- Nationaly Registered Emergency Medical Technician
• People- Deal with emergencies, co- workers, customers

Karen

• Customer Service- deal with customers at busy front counter and handling problems
• Bookkeeping- handled the books for our store
• Employees- did all of the hiring and interviewing of prospective employees
• Organizational Skills- ran an investment club and our home
• Crafts and Activities

Remarks: We have been out on the road four years, five summer workamping seasons,four Amazon Christmas seasons, and love it! Thanks to Workamper News, we had a great first summer workamp experience, in a campground in Michigan. We are loved the new experiences, and found our jobs rewarding. Karen worked as store manager in the Park Store, having the responsibility for ordering, inventory, employee scheduling, and making sure the store ran well! The position was challenging and rewarding, and she has learned several new skills, including using QuickBooks Pro for inventory management and flow. The Park Store also deals with hand-dipped ice cream, and food items such as pizza, pretzels and hot dogs, and that has also become a new skill set for her. Al's assignment was working as a  park ranger, mostly the night-time shifts, assisting campers and providing security. The position requires many "people skills", enforcing quiet hours, as well as assisting new campers in learning how their RV systems work on his own time.

Waldenwoods Family Resort

David Greutman 810-632-6400

We then turned our attention to Campbellsville, Kentucky, where we worked as warehouse associates at Amazon.com. It was an intense 9 weeks, to be sure! Al had applied for a position in the AmCare clinic, being a nationally registered EMT, and was accepted to the position. Karen was a warehouse associate, and held several jobs while there; she had been part of a select group that was trained for several different jobs, so they could be moved to different departments as they needed the additional help during the peak Christmas shipping season. 

Winter 2012 saw us as volunteer camphosts in a county-owned campground in north Central Florida. The job entailed various campground duties, making sure the sites are clean and ready for new arrivals, bath house cleaning duties, trash patrol along the hiking paths and campground, as well as assisting with other projects needed.

Summer 2012 found us in a private campground in Nathrop Colorado. Karen worked in the office here, greeting guests, doing check-ins and outs, handling both telephone and internet reservations. She has mastered the Campground Manager software program, which will prove useful in future jobs. Al worked on the grounds, doing site maintenance, general campground maintenance, security patrols and guest relations. We both assisted in the social activities for the season, consisting of weekly potluck dinners, Bingo games, and rubber duckie races :-). We have completely enjoyed our time here, and are quite proud of the fact that we've been told we should be tour guides for the area, as we have learned so much about things to do and see in this beautiful little patch of land. That is one of our objectives as we travel and work, to learn as much as we can about each individual area.

Chalk Creek Campground

Lars and Tamara Karlsson 719-395-8301

Fall 2012 we resumed our duties at Amazonin Campbellsville Kentucky, working our second season as Santa's elves at Amazon. 

 While spending time with our families during the winter season at our homebase in Florida, we have been doing volunteer work at Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, a Florida State Park in Homosassa, Florida. This is a wonderful wildlife park dedicated to native Floridian species. Every animal here is a resident because they have been unable to be rehabilitated to the wild, either through injuries, humanization, or becoming a nuisance. The park is also dedicated to education about these animals, and it has been a privilege to join the volunteer force. Al has been working as a transportation volunteer, piloting the boats that ferry guests from the entrance to the park itself. Karen has been working as an interpretive cart speaker at the panther exhibit. This job involves speaking to the guests about the panther and cougar on exhibit, telling their stories and answering questions from the guests. It has been very interesting and educational. Our volunteer co-ordinator here is Trish Fowler, 352-628-5343. 

May 1, 2013 we started working at Mount Desert Narrows Camping Resort in Bar Harbor, Maine, outside of Acadia National Park. We have the jobs of “second lead” workampers for the resort, sharing the responsibility of the campground office, store and maintenance with another couple. Karen’s duties as lead in the office include reservations, registrations, guest relations, store inventory and merchandising, while co-ordinating with the full-time managers. Al’s duties as lead in maintenance include site management, guest relations, grounds maintenance, public area cleaning, and making sure all outside activities are running smoothly.

Mount Desert Narrows Campground Contact: Dave Fiore

1219 State Highway 3 Bar Harbor Maine 04609 207-288-8106

October 2013 : At Amazon.com for a third season of fulfilling Christmas orders. We are also returning to the Homosassa springs Wildlife Park for the winter months of January through March. 

Summer 2014: Housekeeping at Luton's Teton Cabins, Moran Wyoming. Our first experience at housekeeping and we learned from the best! This facility is a top rated guest ranch, known for its meticulously clean cabins. We learned how to clean to perfection, and will be returning to this task for the summer 2015 as well.

October 2014: Returned to Amazon for the fourth season.

Summer 2015: We returned to Luton's Teton Cabins for a second season, this time in lead workamper positions. We love the area and the job, and will be returning for a third summer season in 2016. 

October 2015: Our fifth season at Amazon. 

We are traveling with our 2 dogs, who are excellent campers, but want this to be known out front. They have adjusted quite well to this lifestyle, waiting quietly in our RV while we are at our assigned duties. Our managers have actually finding this a plus, as we walk the grounds several times a day with them, and have a very good idea of what's going on in the campground at all times!  We have no problems working different shifts in order to accommodate their and your needs. We believe that we will bring a lot of experience and pride to any job that we do. The best way to reach us is via  email  karen41262@gmail.com. We have started a blog for our family and friends to follow at http://www.wishuponanrvstar.blogspot.com/.  Thank you so much for your time and consideration.