While your experiences are still fresh in your mind, take time to look at what happened. Use this to your advantage for future positions.

Review: Look back on the season. Posting about your experience in the members-only "Workamper Experiences" forum can help you identify the good and bad in your recent experience.

1. Are there new tasks you did, skills you acquired, or responsibilities you took on? Add these to your resumé.

Sam returned to Riverside RV park for the second season. This year he worked in the office, registering guests. He learned to operate the electronic cash register. He opened in the morning, closed in the evening, and had to reconcile the cash in the register.

These skills demonstrate the ability to handle money and added responsibility. He is also dealing with people and solving problems. Employers value these skills.

2. Looking back were there some surprises, some things you did not anticipate when taking the job?

Sue and Tom ended up being parked next to a workamper couple with two small dogs that barked continually whenever their owners were gone. When the A/C was on or their TV they didn’t notice it. At night, with the windows open, or early in the morning on days off, it could be annoying.

As a result of your experience, you may have some questions to add to your list when you next interview. Next time Sue and Tom will ask about the pet policy and if they can be parked away from others with pets.

Reflect: Come back or move on?

If you were offered a position here next year, would you want to take it?

Jack and Helen have been trying to get a good position near Colorado Springs for several seasons so they can be near their grandchildren. They enjoyed their season and plan to come back if they can.

Todd and Mary had a wonderful season in Yellowstone National Park. They liked their co-workers, got along with management, and had fun exploring the area. They have been asked back. They are torn because they want to explore other areas too.

Evaluate your season in terms of your travel and workamping goals.

• Did you make the income you need?
• Do you hope to see different parts of the country or do you want to be able to return to a nice or convenient place each year?
• Do you like getting to know people and making deep friendships or do you prefer change and getting to know many different people and places?

Going back to the known is usually easier but you may be missing some great adventures!

Regroup: Start planning for next year

1. In light of your reflection, do you want to change directions in your work? Would you like to try a different type of work or another geographic area? Are you meeting your goals? Is there a special goal you’d like to aim for? We concentrated one year on working in Alaska. Others have always wanted to work at Disney World so made it a point to do that one winter.
2. Take a look at opportunities for next summer, or even for the winter. It's not too early to begin contacting employers and applying for positions for next year. With winter jobs in snowbird areas not as plentiful, many Workampers volunteer or do an exchange to obtain a provided RV site, or perhaps head to the desert to live cheaply on BLM land.
3. Redo your resume and begin applying for next year’s positions. Even if you have pretty well decided you will return to this year’s position if possible, apply anyway. You may find something even more desirable or it could be your ace-in-the-hole if something happens to this position: change of ownership or management, budget cuts, or you can’t make it back. Be sure to alert your former Employer ASAP if you do change the plans/agreement you made with them.

Happy Workamping!