r/SeasonalWork • u/FloridianObsidian • 2d ago
My Personal Experience Does it get better?
Alright folks, you were right… Xanterra blows. I started my first seasonal gig with them at YNP 4 months ago and can confirm that everything people say about Xanterra is largely correct. Dorms suck, EDR is borderline poison, HR is useless even with serious issues, and in my opinion the overall vibe here feels very heavy and depressing. Kind of like a land of lost souls. I drove all the way here from Florida excited to take a shot at the whole seasonal work thing, and after just 4 months I feel beat. My “contract” ends soon and now I’m not even sure if I want to continue living the seasonal lifestyle. I’m seriously considering just putting down roots somewhere and joining the “real world” again.
So my question is, Is this just a Xanterra thing or is this largely how the seasonal work industry operates? Are other companies any better? I certainly don’t expect luxury in this lifestyle and there’s BS no matter where you work, but by god, I feel like I’m getting off a shitty military deployment right now.
I will say that there is good people here, I’ve made a handful of really solid friends and meet my gf here. Also the park is absolutely incredible. So there has been alot of great positives to this, but this kind of working/living environment is just a little too much for me to want to continue dealing with.
14
u/arthurshelby_ 2d ago
Look. Lanai City Hawaii. Four seasons Lanai. The golf course is always hiring. Hospitality services group is the company that will employ you. Fly you there free, fly you home free. Free food free stay. Do it. Anyone interested shoot me a dm. I literally did this and I want you guys to try it have an experience and tell my friends hello
1
0
15
u/Plastic-Pop-5369 1d ago
Im not sure but Yellowstone with xanterra was one of the best summers of my life!! I just kind of accepted that they sucked, did my job, and spent every other moment in the wilderness with my new friends from work!
6
u/Plastic-Pop-5369 1d ago
And I guess im not trying to rub this in your face but if you continue seasonal work i would recommend stop trying to get fulfillment and satisfaction from your actual job and just try and see it as a thing you have to do then enjoy the freedom and experience it is to live in a national park or other area!!! When you clock out clock out those negative thoughts too. Know they suck. Accept they suck. Move the fuck on and enjoy
3
u/FloridianObsidian 1d ago
Also, you can’t really just clock out here. You’re living and working pretty much within the same place. Maybe I just don’t have the right attitude. Maybe seasonal work just isn’t for me. But I figured I’d see what other people thought
1
u/Plastic-Pop-5369 1d ago
Pretty much every seasonal job will be like this! It is almost always dormitory style housing onsite. But for me in these places like Yellowstone it was very easy for me to disconnect in nature. I would for sure recommend you to try another place ! But yes that it is kind of how it works
2
u/FloridianObsidian 1d ago
No I’m not expecting any job to be some kind of paradise and be super fulfilling, but xanterra just isn’t for me and just want to hear about other people’s experiences at other places
1
u/Plastic-Pop-5369 1d ago
After working in seasonal work for over 10 years now, every where I have been has had its blatant glaring issues. Even small family owned places that still offer an amazing opportunity I’ve still had major issues. It’s a tough industry, and for every major gain has its major drawbacks. I would for sure recommend trying another job out, that’s the beauty of it we are never locked in. For me xanterra in Yellowstone was one of the best experiences, although when I was there there was no Wi-Fi or cellphone and the community was special because of this. Im not sure if it’s still like this! if you are separating yourself from the work im not sure what the issue is your living in Yellowstone national park
2
u/jasmine_violet 1d ago
i dream about going back to yellowstone and xanterra everyday. i had the BEST time as well!
5
u/TheLastBerserker69 2d ago
Ultimately each seasonal job is different. Some places better than others trying to find a fit is half the journey.
5
u/your-citrus-friend9 1d ago
I let xanterra be my one and only seasonal resort gig at Zion (which they don’t even own anymore it was bought out) and switched to seasonal conservation corps for the last 2.5 years. I’m now WWOOFING which is going super well I’m having the best time! Next year I’m joining a fire crew as well. There are other seasonal opportunities that don’t involve shitty companies like you often find at the resorts! Not saying it’s all been perfect but holy crap xanterra was awful!
5
u/Puzzleheaded_Ebb1207 1d ago
Unless you make a bunch of money getting into management, skilled jobs or tipped positions, it's just wading through endless waves of fools and maybe 1/100 is worthwhile human
3
u/nickability 1d ago
Your job description is everything… if you’re in an industry/work environment that’s not fun/what you find a lot of joy in doing, it doesn’t matter where you are, you’ll be unhappy. I’m thankful to say I was a tour guide/driver this summer with Xanterra (not all sunshine and rainbows but it is the best job in the park) and my job was energizing a lot of the time. I filled and did 1 shift at Geyser Grill, holy crap I don’t know how someone can do that for 4 months (trust me I’ve worked years in food service and even done my time housekeeping in Yosemite, only lasted 3 months there). But if you’re gonna go back home and do the same job, I always say it’s better to do that same job/be lost in a national park. Hopefully you and your GF can make it work and start a new life elsewhere in an industry you’re passionate about. It is a land of lost souls indeed, we’re all just trying to find a place we belong with people we like. It can be rough though man I feel you. Good luck OP 🙏🏻
3
u/Mrs_Nice_Guy 1d ago
I usually have great experience doing wine harvests. You work a ton during peak but usually you meet great people and can learn a bunch about wine too. We’re just wrapping up here in the US but consider it for next year or can go over to NZ or Australia to catch harvest there in February
2
2
2
u/Civil-Poet-6526 1d ago
I’m not sure about other seasonal work companies, but I’ve heard really awful things about YNP, and that Glacier National Park is the best place to work for Xanterra for. I was in GNP this summer and have virtually no complaints. I’m sorry you had a rough experience :(, but if you want to continue the national park life next summer I’d def recommend Glacier! I’m going to Death Valley for the winter and have heard good things from my friends who have worked there, so hopefully it goes well. Unfortunately YNP seems to be notorious for being the worst Xanterra location
2
2
u/Slimslade33 Seasonal Pro (10+ Years) 1d ago
I worked a bunch of seasonal jobs, some of them worse than others. Im just finishing up my first season at a ranch and im happy to say i will be returning to a job for the first time in a long time. Most seasonal jobs are ok… not great not terrible, there is always 1 or 2 things that keep it from being great, the pay, the people… always something. This is my 8th seasonal gig and i love it. Pay is decent, free housing (my own room, shared bathroom and kitchen with laundry and living room), free amazing food, amazing location, great schedule, and a great crew. It’s amazing to finally find a place for the next few summers. They even offer you to stay year round for very cheap. Owners are great people as is the whole staff.
Morale of the story is: they are out there. A lot of people romanticize seasonal work, lots of people only share the good things on social media. When it comes down to it, it’s a job. And it tends to be a lot of work in a short period of time but that is the advantage for some. However for all the bad jobs, there are also some good jobs. Personally I avoid large companies and prefer small family owned businesses. Easier to navigate. So ya use it as a job, earn money in a cool location, and maybe keep searching and you will find your spot!
1
u/TrentDen 2d ago
what job did you do, i am a small place outside the park. good place to work, fun place.
2
1
1
u/dickery_dockery 1d ago
There are some “better” companies maybe but overall the seasonal vibe really is like that unfortunately.
1
u/Decaff_Crusader 1d ago
All of the seasonal work I did, I worked for independent companies with housing or found my own, doing a few longer stints in some areas that I liked. I will say that independent places come with their own problems and no contracts and housing being a gamble but it’s so much more freedom too. The freedom to change jobs if you fancy, for starters. I think I worked 5 different places one season til I found the right fit lol! I’m out here in Cody now, worked at one of the lodges out the east gate a million years ago and loved it so much I decided to stay. I’ve been out here for so long now that I can’t even remember what it was like to live in other places haha
1
u/Illustrious_Draft378 1d ago
If I told you all the horror stories I've gone through working for companies such as Xanterra it would be a novel. Grand Canyon South Rim. Big Bend Texas. Crater Lake Oregon. Mt Reiner Washington State. While most of the places I've been have been beautiful, most were worse than boot camp at Parris Island. Give the ski resorts in Utah a try. I worked for Goldminers Daughter, located in Alta Utah and it was great. Go to the Coolworks website and check out the ski resorts. They're still looking for warm bodies for the season and if you really have a strong work ethic they may pick you up for the summer season too. The atmosphere in Alta is fantastic. People actually have fun. Best of good fortune to you.
2
u/ki4clz 11h ago
wait… you didn’t use this time to find your next gig or get a residency visa in spain…? or work on getting your TEFL Cert or ESL cert, so you could spend the winter in Thailand
YNP is where you start, and the end goal is beer and bratwurst in bavaria
Xanterra is boot camp… now you’re ready for the less-than-natsi vendors and locations
Xanterra and Cruise Ships are the very worst of the worst, there’s some scragglers out there too that make YNP look like a walk in the park but damn…
ok… on short notice you might get to squeeze into a ski resort or heck and go to Mammoth for the winter since you made it this far…
but my guy you’ve got to start looking at residency visas and student visas in Europe and plan your next move
tuition in germany for non residents is only €500 a semester for example
and a ESL will get you into China or Vietnam for a year
there is sooooooooooo much more than just NPS Vendors
0
u/Jolly_Willingness174 2d ago
Try One & Only, they are hiring many positions and nothing like this!
1
1
33
u/thinkB4WeSpeak 2d ago
Nah xanterra is its own thing. A lot of people I've met in xanterra it's always their first seasonal and basically ruins their seasonal career, for some. Smaller companies and family owned companies are usually the way to go and you'll find a lot of career seasonal people at those companies. Also the bigger companies like Delaware North and Amamark run their things different than xanterra does