En español | From national parks to ballparks to amusement parks, seasonal hiring is heating up at a whole host of summer vacation playgrounds. For many retirees, this is the perfect time to scoop up short-term work that lasts anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
See also: Looking for a work-at-home job?
Ask Rich Bartkowski, 67, of Perry Hall, Md. A couple of days a week from April to November, the diehard baseball fan dons his Baltimore Orioles polo shirt and heads to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, where he leads 75-minute walking ballpark tours. He recites fun stats and team facts as he strolls through the stadium. "It's dream job time," he says. "I get paid to be outside and talk about baseball."
Bartkowski started working for the Orioles as a tour guide in 2002, not long after he retired from a 34-year career with Constellation Energy. "My wife didn't want me sitting around the house, and I wanted something to do," he says.
You have to be fairly fit and like to walk … and, of course, not be bothered by all kinds of weather, he says. The best part of the job: meeting and talking to people. "Everyone's a kid when they come to the ballpark," he says.
Rich Bartkowski leads tours of Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland on March 25, 2011. — Simon Bruty
Now Bartkowski trains most of the new guides and leads two tours a day. Until last year, he also worked in the box office. The Orioles' front office employs 25 tour guides during the season; most of them are retirees, Bartkowski says.
While the $8.50-an-hour pay isn't eye-popping, the perks can be. He gets free tickets for about 20 nonworking games, free parking, free Orioles shirts and other discounted merchandise to wear on the job. And, yep, all the game day giveaways you desire. Can you say bobbleheads?
Here are five great summer jobs to consider. Pay ranges, which will vary based on factors such as experience and geography, are derived from U.S. Department of Labor data.
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