Blog on working at SC

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p51
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Blog on working at SC

Post by p51 »

http://www.escapenormal.com/2012/10/19/ ... ob-review/
I know current SC employees shouldn't comment on this. Any former SC folks who'd like to give their 2 cents?
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Re: Blog on working at SC

Post by Boomerang »

I wish i could say everything the blogger said was completely false. I can't and i have a few aditional things i could add but anyone who would like those details can pm me i won't go into them here.

I will say however i think this blogger expected too much and seemed to have a chip on their shoulder. Does working at space camp have some problems yes is it perfect not at all. Is it worth the experience? If you have a thick skin, don't mind hard work and have a love of space and aviation and working with kids YES YES YES!!!

A couple points i'll address. The work schedule it is crazy there is no other way to put it. When i worked there 80+ hours a week was not uncommon not 80 every 2 weeks. And atleast they pay overtime now we didn't get overtime when i worked there. but they don't hide this they tell you upfront first when your hired and then again in training that you will be working these kind of hours. If you can't handle it then don't take the job. They never hide this from a new employee and they tell you as much first day of training if you can't handle it then leave now. Also Friday till Sunday is usually slower for most counselors though not all and you will have some break most weeks.

Food we all know the food is lacking. After about 2 weeks i was eating frequently on the public side or finding other sources of food. If you have a car you can go shopping. Also you are allowed a dorm refridgerator in your room and their is also one in the ward room. Use them get some better food. If you can't get away make friends with lower level counselors who don't have the same insane schedule and see if they can pick some stuff up for you. If you are on support you still get meal breaks use those to eat the better food if you have a team deal with what you get its free and its no worse than most other cafeteria food. Mexican wendsday speaks for itself just ask the nursing staff their views on it.

Rooms ok i can't argue with much here. i lived in hab 2 and referred to my room as the cave or prison cell. It had no windows bare bones furniture and climate control was a joke but i use to do a lot of camping and lived in worse over the years it won't kill you.

The ward room or staff lounge. I worked at camp for 3 months. The ward room slow computers and all always was suficient for the people in there. We never had any problems. A note here you will be scheduled to help clean it every so often though on a prticularly tough week they were usualy pretty understanding if it lapsed as long as it wasnt a total pig stye.

Management i will not touch here too much if you want my opinions on that ask me in pm. I still have friends there and would like to keep them that way.

Pay ok its pretty low but when you live and eat for free there and you are working lots of hours and now you get overtime as well i wouldn't complain too much.

Space camp has its problems when you work there i won't lie and i wont sugar coat it either but it still isnt as bad as that blog makes it out to be. The summer i was there i was told by management and staff who had been there for some time was a rather tough one. We were understaffed do to bad planning with summer hiring. this was made worse by the 25th anniversary being such a big event. And we were hitting 113 defrees fareheit or around there many days that summer and it still was not as bad as that blogger describes.
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Re: Blog on working at SC

Post by Hotdog »

although I was admittedly curious to meet a real live southern racist, I never met one racist person in my time at space camp. Huntsville seems much more socially liberally than I expect other areas of the deep south are.
WOW. Never ceases to amaze me the warped expectations yankees have when they visit The South for the first time. Movies and TV feed you full of so much garbage and BS! This reminds me of a Space Camp story from 1991. Checking into our room in Hab1, a kid from Colorado was taking the locker next to mine and stashing his belongings. With a straight face, he asked, if I was from Tennessee how come I had shoes and all of my teeth? And where were my overalls? Talk about racism.

I always wanted to come back and be a counselor once I reached my 20s, but if I had read this kind of review then, I don't think it would have stopped me from wanting to do it. When you are young and invincible, you can handle the stress and the less-than-ideal conditions. Most college kids are very used to getting by with very little in the areas of home comforts and quality vittles (my college apartments had just the bare necessities, and I often got by on just ramen noodles and canned chili). I would imagine that the adventure and the experience would totally make up for its shortcomings, and the memories and stories you carry with you from this unique moment of your life would be something you would look back fondly on for the rest of your days! Is that about how you would sum it up, Boomerang?
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Re: Blog on working at SC

Post by Boomerang »

Well said hotdog. I will say as alumni because of the memories we have we may have a somewhat higher tolerance than non alumni. However i also think college aged kids don't have a thick enough skin sometimes and if it does not go the way they want it they will complain, and write blogs like this about it.

I only worked there for a summer and put up with alot of BS because of my disability not from other counselors but from other parts of camp. I stuck it out did more than was asked of me to make sure noone had any excuse for saying i shouldnt be there and out up with all the stuff the regular counselors put up with. Believe me when i say the experience is worth it and is one a person never forgets. I still have some amazing friends from that summer. I still have amazing memories of that summer. and if i could do it all again I would. Is it for everyone No but then no job is. If it was everyone would do it.

Its also easier to address specific questions or comments on this article and would be happy to for anyone who asks.
Jason original callsign Loverboy
SC 1991
SA Level 1 1993
AC Intermediate 1996
ASA 1998
Corporate Space Camp 2005
AC Counselor Summer 07 callsign Boomerang
Adult Alumni Camp 2007
Adult Alumni Camp 2008
Official Space Camp Ambassador
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