Re: Workers with a child

I used to work in Yosemite Valley about 20 years ago. I would like to return. Does anyone know whether there are any families living in the Valley? I know there is a school and a daycare. Are there any private accommodations in the park for employees?
I have a five-year-old. I want to resume a career in Yosemite somehow, but not without my child. Would she be able to come with me?
Any employees know the answer?
What level of management does a person need to be to have a private cabin/tent cabin/dorm room?

There are many families that live in the Valley. There is housing available, but with a family you'll have to pay rent. It's not cheap. Most live outside the Valley on the community. It's not the level of "management" but the level of pay so you can earn enough to pay rent. There are certain jobs that require you to live in the Valley - and you still have to pay rent. By law that rent must be close in price to that of the surrounding community.

Thank you for replying! So with a family (it is just me and her actually) would I not be able to rent one of the tent cabins or dorm rooms at the employee rate like everyone else? Do you know approximately what the rental amount is, and does DNC provide them or would I have to find a rental on my own? (Which is next to impossible from where I sit, unless I pay the vacation rental nightly rate.)
I just cannot get this dream out of my head and heart and I want to find a way to be able to do this.

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mammaseeta
Thank you for replying! So with a family (it is just me and her actually) would I not be able to rent one of the tent cabins or dorm rooms at the employee rate like everyone else? Do you know approximately what the rental amount is, and does DNC provide them or would I have to find a rental on my own? (Which is next to impossible from where I sit, unless I pay the vacation rental nightly rate.)
I just cannot get this dream out of my head and heart and I want to find a way to be able to do this.

I only know about NPS. I would not work for DNC.

I'm assuming that you mean working for the concessionaire?
Children aren't allowed in the dorms, tent cabins, or WOBs (cabins w/o baths).

That leaves you with the houses, duplexes etc which are very limited and aren't available often.
Generally upper management gets those. Housing is granted based on seniority and job level.
Might give HR and/or housing office a call and see what they have to say. Of course they are in
crazy, busy mode right now so, not sure they will give you the proper time.

Like the response above said, some people rent in Midpines , Mariposa, Oakhurst or
El Portal ,if you can find a place there, and commute in to work.

The meager housing can be a struggle and probably why most people move on at some point.

I did mean working for the concessionaire. I don't have the experience or skills for NPS. Is there anywhere else to work? While I would love to work in Yosemite Valley (and still have my daughter) it does not look promising does it?
What are the towns like nearby and is the job and rental prospect weak? Can a regular person with not a lot of money and normal skills just move there from out of town and survive?
I would give anything to get out of the city, although as far as cities go, I guess I am not in a terrible one.

Commuting into the Valley for hours everyday seems like it would be pretty tough.

The conservancy has a presence in the valley, but I don't think they have many jobs. Getting a job with the NPS is about as easy as hitting the lottery. I am more than qualified for a visitor use assistant job and my application never even gets looked at by a real person. The usajobs.gov website is so ruthless in their vetting process. If you can't say you are an expert at every single question on skills they ask you (having training in an area is not enough) your application gets rejected.

I don't have enough fingers to count how many times I got the email that said, "You have been determined to be qualified, but not among the highly qualified." I even had an email exchange last year with (I can't remember his name) the main guy who hires people and he told me that since my name didn't make his list, there really was nothing he could do for me.

This resembles my experience applying for NPS also. I jumped the park's botanist car a couple of times
on the way home one night several years ago and she was interested in having me work for her.
After the application process, one doesn't even feel qualified to pick your own nose let alone be a
fancy ticket taker in a box. Seems like you have to know someone to get hired (ie a climbing partner's sister got him hired)
or maybe getting the Veterans points helps. Hard to believe you need advanced degrees to get a
visitor use assistant job. Or I need to pursue guiding again and get my WFR cert.

Do you happen to know if the Conservancy provides housing or leads on housing?
Always meant to call and ask them that.

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hotrod4x5
The conservancy has a presence in the valley, but I don't think they have many jobs. Getting a job with the NPS is about as easy as hitting the lottery. I am more than qualified for a visitor use assistant job and my application never even gets looked at by a real person. The usajobs.gov website is so ruthless in their vetting process. If you can't say you are an expert at every single question on skills they ask you (having training in an area is not enough) your application gets rejected.

I don't have enough fingers to count how many times I got the email that said, "You have been determined to be qualified, but not among the highly qualified." I even had an email exchange last year with (I can't remember his name) the main guy who hires people and he told me that since my name didn't make his list, there really was nothing he could do for me.

Someone told me that my application was my interview. I took that advice seriously and after a dozen attempts I beefed up my application, not lied, but put it ALL in there along with reasons why I wanted to work in Yosemite. I got the job. Being a Vet helped too.

Thank you all for the advice. I will not give up. I won't accept that just because I had a child, I can never work the park again.

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Dave

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hotrod4x5
The conservancy has a presence in the valley, but I don't think they have many jobs. Getting a job with the NPS is about as easy as hitting the lottery. I am more than qualified for a visitor use assistant job and my application never even gets looked at by a real person. The usajobs.gov website is so ruthless in their vetting process. If you can't say you are an expert at every single question on skills they ask you (having training in an area is not enough) your application gets rejected.

I don't have enough fingers to count how many times I got the email that said, "You have been determined to be qualified, but not among the highly qualified." I even had an email exchange last year with (I can't remember his name) the main guy who hires people and he told me that since my name didn't make his list, there really was nothing he could do for me.

Someone told me that my application was my interview. I took that advice seriously and after a dozen attempts I beefed up my application, not lied, but put it ALL in there along with reasons why I wanted to work in Yosemite. I got the job. Being a Vet helped too.

Yeah, you get extra points for being a Vet. I assume you are talking about beefing up your resume. Mine is pretty extensive, I try to tailor one for each position. The last time I applied they actually wanted to know if I had experience running the NPS specific cash register. Well, no, but I was a cashier in a major chain supermarket for over 10 years. I know how to do it and can learn any machine in 15 mins. But since I cannot put that I at least know how to use their machines, I am screwed.

I figured as much about NPS. I had some email exchanges and found out I am basically out of luck in the housing department, unless I actually get a job as a year-round manager AND there is availability ... AND availability is probably also based on seniority I imagine.
I bet it is not that easy to find vacancies that are not vacation rentals outside the park. Even in the towns.

Ahhh. Is the dream over? It can't be.

Keep trying. I would think the job would come first. Then find someone in Midpines or Mariposa renting a couple rooms.

Here is the employment section for the Yosemite Conservancy and it does not look like they currently have much. http://www.yosemiteconservancy.org/employment

Yosemite is high on the list of parks that people want to work in but if you are diligent and patience something will eventually come along. Jobs are tight even in the surrounding communities so I would not move to the area unless you already have a job. Keep trying and don't give up the dream yet.

How does one go about finding people renting rooms? I can't seem to find anything at all?

They come up occasionally on the Daily Reports on
myyosemite.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2013 02:15PM by nomenclature.

Have you checked craigslist for room listings?

Those Fed job announcements are sometimes customized to the point where only the person they already have in mind will qualify. Indications of a customized job are very specific requirements, and the announcement being open for a short period of time, like 1 week only.

The Vet points preference is a sweet deal for the Vets, but can sometimes make it impossible for everyone else.

I have checked Craig's List and can't seem to find anything close. I am not sure I am even looking in the right place, actually. Would you happen to know? Gold Country? Or is their a better category?

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mammaseeta
I have checked Craig's List and can't seem to find anything close. I am not sure I am even looking in the right place, actually. Would you happen to know? Gold Country? Or is their a better category?

Yosemite isn't really near much of anything.

'Gold Country' might work, but I interpret that as being the foothills of the Sierra from at least Oroville to Fresno, i.e. hundreds of miles.

Try 'fresno / madera', I think that'll be along the Hyw 41 corridor.

Check Fresno, saw a listing for Mariposa room there.

If there is anyone who knows another source to find vacant residential housing outside the park, please let me know!

There are a number of listings in Craigslist for one to two bedroom rentals for $700-$1000 per month located in Groveland.
(About an hour and 15 minutes drive to Yosemite Valley.)

http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/search/apa?zoomToPosting=&query=groveland&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=&bedrooms=

.