Jody Duquette is the executive director of Workamper News. As a Workamper herself, Jody knows that a resume is often the first impression someone makes with a prospective employer. A Workamping resume is different than a traditional resume that people often craft to get a professional job. There is specific information that employers are looking for when reviewing resumes from Workampers, and Jody explains how to ensure that information is included so it draws the attention of an employer.
In this episode, Jody describes the myriad of short-term jobs that are available to workampers. They can be part time or full time. Some last just a couple of weeks, some an entire season, and some until the workampers opt to move on to something else. Some involve working with people while others require workampers to work with animals or completely on their own. Some Workampers operate their own businesses from the road, while others simply work as independent contractors for other companies. The bottom line is that there is a lot of opportunity for people to enjoy the RV and travel lifestyle now, and get paid for it.
Evada Cooper’s story may have unfolded in an unusual way, but it was clearly divine inspiration that led her to make some life-changing decisions that would eventually help thousands of other people to follow her path. She faced several challenges in life, but rather than sulk about her situation, she stepped into the unknown guided by her faith and just followed doors as they opened in front of her. Even unfortunate experiences that she faced later proved to be springboards for helping people avoid those same situations and save money in the process.
After COVID-19 disrupted their plans for teaching tech classes at the National RV Training Academy, Texas RV Professor Terry Cooper came up with an idea for hybrid training which combines live two-way online classes with prerecorded videos and the workbooks used for their popular home-study course. It proved to be tremendously successful and attracted even more students than they had anticipated. So, Cooper expanded the hybrid model to include all the advanced training classes as well. It creates an easier way to learn to fix your own RV or make money repairing or inspecting RVs for others.
Hart-T-Trees operates more than a dozen Florida tree lots in cooperation with local businesses, charities and churches. For workampers, it is almost like having a turn-key, short-term business, where they partner with Hart-T-Tree farms to sell their harvest of trees. Workampers are guaranteed a minimum income, but they earn additional money based on the number of trees they sell.
Located at the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park, Ruby’s Inn has grown into a destination itself. It now involves 800 hotel rooms spread over three properties as well as a 150-site, full hook-up RV park. Gift Shop Manager Lu Syrett is still looking for workampers to work a variety of jobs for the family-owned business this summer and fall. Ruby’s Inn is right in the middle of Utah’s picturesque Monument Valley.
Angie Rardon and her husband, Kevin, are from Temecula, Calif. They decided to retire from their jobs as a quality auditor and engineering tech at age 55 to pursue a dream of RV travel. In the process of winding down their careers and selling their home, they opted to get physicals before hitting the road. While Angie passed without a problem, Kevin was diagnosed with an early form of cancer. She talks about contending with that problem and describes all the places they have lived and the workamping jobs she has worked.
Levi and Natalie Henley started RVing about six years ago and accepted their first workamping job in 2015. Their experiences led them to write a book about their time on the road titled Seasonal Workamping for a Living. In it, they talk about how to find and apply for jobs, and what to expect when they arrive. They offer some tips on how to get started in the mobile lifestyle as well as how to make the most of workamping and travel experiences.
Glenn Tucker is the owner of Coastal Kayaking Tours and Acadia Bike in Bar Harbor, Maine, which is the gateway to Acadia National Park. The firm maintains a fleet of bicycles to rent so people can peddle on the car-free carriage roads of the national park. His team also takes people on guided kayaking tours along Frenchman Bay where they paddle among the Porcupine Islands.
Bob Brammer, the president of RV supplier firm Stromberg Carlson, is unique in that he actually owns and uses RVs, and has for most of his life. That gives him a wonderful perspective in creating products to address problems RVers commonly experience. The company also produces products that just make RVing more fun, practical and safer.
Desiree Shultz, or Ranger Dez as she prefers, is the manager of Yogi at Shangri-La, a family-friendly campground in Milton, Pa. The 191-site park boasts of a variety of amenities including a heated pool, splash pad, catch-and-release fishing, a recreation pavilion, bike rentals, a large group campfire and a busy retail store as well as a snack bar. Ranger Dez is looking for workampers yet this summer as well as people for the 2021 season, and she’s rolling out the welcome mat with some pretty nice perks.
Dr. Tom Davis is the founder of TED Consulting, a company that helps other medical service providers transition into a direct pay system. He also helped develop WoW Health Solutions, a company based in Detroit that is not an insurance company, but rather a marketplace that allows healthcare providers to list their services with transparent pricing. What makes Dr. Davis unique is that he and his wife are RVers, too. They live in a 28-foot motorhome, but maintain a sticks-and-bricks home as well.
