Standing Out...Or Just Standing Around

Standing Out...Or Just Standing Around

Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of the job for many new Counselors is the standing. Standing, standing, standing - something that will possibly do wonders for your posture and calorie burning but make your feet hate you SO much for not spending more money on comfortable white trainers before you signed on for your contract.

There are two sides to this which can be looked at glass half-full and half-empty and they are:

1) I'm getting paid to stand around here and not have to do much. Easiest. Job. Ever!!!!

or

2) I'm wasting my time just standing around all day. Worst. Boring. Part. Of. My. Job. Ever.

Make no mistake, there will be parts of your job that have you scheduled to do little more than stand, fixed in a location for half an hour at several different times during the day. 

Examples of this will be:

• standing next to the slide to watch for injuries/inappropriate behavior
• standing next to the restrooms to watch for adults/kids washing their hands
• standing on the snorkel beach on Castaway Cay for a few hours to make sure no one's playing in the sand or putting beach chairs down by the water.
• standing in the Oceaneer Club or Lab in case Counselor next to the restrooms needs help
• standing at the Front desk
• standing in the secret passage
• standing to observe children during meals
• standing to guard an exit door
• standing by a stairwell during a transition
• standing by the front of the space to greet guests and give information
• standing next to one of several different exit gates in Scuttle's Cove to prevent escape

Some managers will attempt to sweeten the idea by saying "You can still play games and interact with the kids in that area! You can make it fun! You can use that time to think!".

And oh think I did. I thought about how much more I could be better using my time than standing around. I thought about whether I'd rather be standing behind a Mcdonalds or Starbucks counter or next to this restroom. I thought about whether I was doing this job for the money or the experience of standing. I thought about whether standing on a beach was better than standing outside a pub handing out flyers.

Needless to say, there were a lot of conflicting emotions here. But prepare yourself for it; some Counselors might call it being a glorified security guard, some might call it "bitch-work" but at the end of the day if you're looking to make some money at this (why?! why!?): You've just earned about $3 standing around not having to do much. Not too shabby!

If you're doing it for the experience: You've just spent 30 minutes of your life standing around on a ship/on a beach. Not too shabby compared to worse things you could be doing.

But please, please invest in comfortable shoes. Because honey, if you get caught sitting down, you know a managers gonna come swooping in and telling you to stand back up. And take your hands out of your pockets. And stop reading or doing anything else when you should be looking focused. Disney show, after all.