Working a resort job can be a great way to spend a season, year or longer. Resorts offer a lot of the same perks as cruise line jobs, but can be much easier to obtain. Moreover, these jobs offer valuable experience that should help in your search for a cruise line or tour guide position in the future if you decide to go that route.

Here is a look at what's out there.

Some Background

Resort hotel employees keep these fantasy lands running smoothly on a day-to-day basis. Housekeepers, waiters, dishwashers, and front desk personnel work behind the scenes as an integral part of a hotel's operation. Often requiring little or no previous experience, resort support jobs are the easiest way to break in to the hospitality/service job market. Hotel jobs are in many ways similar to jobs on ships: they include front desk staff, room attendants or housekeepers, wait staff, bartenders, kitchen staff, and concierges. There will be small differences between the day-to-day duties of shipboard workers and land-based employees, but the general job descriptions are essentially the same.

Entry-level hotel jobs aren't always the most glamorous, but they will give you a chance to work in a resort setting and provide experience for other positions. In addition, as a resort support staff member you'll meet people from all over the world with interests similar to your own. As a former resort worker says:

"There's a great sense of camaraderie. It's like one big family. There are a lot of people there to help you and support you. It's a great escape from reality."

Once you've spent a season on the staff - in any capacity - you'll be better prepared to go after the job of your dreams. The contacts you make and the skills you learn your first time out will be invaluable when you apply for a transfer, return for a second season, or pursue a position with a cruise line or tour company.

Some cruise lines have begun to operate hotels in the cities they serve by ship. Their intention is obviously to increase their profits, but the hotels create benefits for you as well, since they provide additional jobs.

Hotel jobs are generally far easier to get than cruise line jobs, so working in a cruise-owned hotel may be a good way to get your foot in the door of the company that interests you. Contact the cruise companies you like to find out if they have land hotel divisions.

The Rewards

Working at a resort will give you the chance to see the world, meet people from all over, live in a spectacular setting, and learn new skills.

Your summer or winter spent working at a resort could be a fantastic break from school or the "real" job hunt, or it could even turn into a career of its own.

The Working Vacation

While most of your time will be spent working, you will have opportunities to enjoy your surroundings. Better yet, most employers allow employees free use of resort facilities while on their time off. An insider who spent a summer working at a resort in Mexico sums up the perks of the job:

"They provide you with awesome food - the chefs are amazing ! - with big huge buffets. But you never gain weight because you're always so busy. There is also plenty of fun stuff to do, such as windsurfing, SCUBA diving, land sports like volleyball, and meeting people. And you'll be given a place to live."

Another former resort worker sums up the rewards of the job for him:

"It was an incredible experience to work in the beauty of the desert, with the clean air and the nice facilities."

Meeting people is one of the biggest rewards of working at a resort, say many who have done it. As one former resort worker in the Rockies reports:

"The guests come from all over the country, and I made friends and connections that I still keep in touch with. There was an opportunity to connect with people from all over the world that I otherwise wouldn't have met."

Another resort worker agrees:

"Because of working at a resort I have a book full of names and addresses of people I can go visit-in Europe, Japan, all over!"

Resort Staff Compensation >>>