what is it REALLY like working at Universal Orlando? (employee, current)

[brinkofsunshine]

Originally Posted by annerk

The problem you're going to run into is that they want full availability for even part time work. You'll have to commit to two weekend shifts and you can't change your availability for the first six months of employment.

While I agree about having full availability when you start, it doesn't take 6 months to change the availability. At Universal I was able to go from full availability to three days a week after a little under 3 months.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by brinkofsunshine

While I agree about having full availability when you start, it doesn't take 6 months to change the availability. At Universal I was able to go from full availability to three days a week after a little under 3 months.

They are different than Disney and Sea World then. But you still need to give weekend availability though, something a lot of mom's don't want to give up.

[sillyleo]

I totally assume that part-time folks are expected to work weekends. It's that way in any restaurant/bar I've ever worked. Since I'll have both kids all summer and my husband works from home, weekends away are not a downer

I'm just hoping they'll actually do part-time! A lot of posts seem to suggest full-time but they don't actually specify so I may just be reading into wording. Though by full availability, do you mean 24/7 Sun-Sat? If that is the case, then I guess I may not be getting hired because I'll need to be home til at least 2pm ish each day so my husband can actually work. Paying for day care for both kids will totally negate any money I'd make, especially since I haven't seen but one or two places that do drop-in care, so I'd have to commit to days at a day care when I may not be working. Unless any one knows of something I haven't been able to find!

If ability to work M-F for dinner/late night shifts and then open availability on Saturday/Sunday equates to full availability, then I'll be in business. I didn't expect to get contacted for a phone interview within 20 minutes of submitting my food server app so things are kind of just moving on their own. I put after 3pm weekdays on the app but not sure if the system/manager (however I was tagged so quickly) actually cross references the availability part before offering a phone interview. I also put my start date as mid-June so that also surprised me that I was contacted so quickly. But, again, if it's an automated processing system, who knows what triggers a contact and what is not factored in. But I would think those would be big items since that's a lot of wasted time doing phone interviews with people that might not work out due to scheduling factors.

Now I'm just rambling

[IAm_FloridaBorn]

It's not the same as other jobs. No matter if your cooperate or service, the atmosphere its just awesome. If you like people and like to help them and see them smile, then Universal is awesome. it's always fun to see them changing a ride or blocking the walk way for a movie or special guests, or an event.

I did service. Management sucks, hours can suck if they don't like you, and if your in fooods it sucks from 11 AM to Park close. People are always hungry, even in the winter months.

All in all I enjoyed my free ticket to BG, Sea world. My overall experience there was great . I disliked the point system and uniform system but other than that I enjoyed my work.

[IAm_FloridaBorn]

Originally Posted by brinkofsunshine

While I agree about having full availability when you start, it doesn't take 6 months to change the availability. At Universal I was able to go from full availability to three days a week after a little under 3 months.

Actually as of last year, it's 3 Months until you qualify to be part time if hired seasonal, full time availability comes if your department has room and you have enough points. Now that being said after 3 months you can always transfer via applying to another department in house for a full time availability position without waiting to move up after whoever is in front of you.

[brinkofsunshine]

Originally Posted by IAm_FloridaBorn

Actually as of last year, it's 3 Months until you qualify to be part time if hired seasonal, full time availability comes if your department has room and you have enough points. Now that being said after 3 months you can always transfer via applying to another department in house for a full time availability position without waiting to move up after whoever is in front of you.

Yeah I understand that, I was talking about availability (as in, when you are available to be scheduled), not going from part-time to full-time. No matter if you're full-time, part-time or seasonal, they want people who are willing to give their full availability so Universal can schedule them whenever they need them.

[IAm_FloridaBorn]

Originally Posted by brinkofsunshine

Yeah I understand that, I was talking about availability (as in, when you are available to be scheduled), not going from part-time to full-time. No matter if you're full-time, part-time or seasonal, they want people who are willing to give their full availability so Universal can schedule them whenever they need them.

Oh ok. yeah thats true. They will even schedule around days you request off.

[jessizadorable]

I have a friend who works in attractions operations and even though he was hired as part-time only (so he could devote some time to finishing his business degree) he still ends up working when they need him or when it's convenient for them. He has been working 12+ hour days for the last 11 days in a row now. No days off. No weekends off. No ability to change availability or to switch shifts. He also has worked at Disney and he found it much easier to get a reasonable schedule at Disney and said it was much easier to advance in his position at Disney (he started as merchandise/retail and ended as a park manager). He said that it was harder to advance at Universal (though he's not really trying to at this point because he's about a year from being through with his bachelors degree).

[brinkofsunshine]

Originally Posted by jessizadorable

I have a friend who works in attractions operations and even though he was hired as part-time only (so he could devote some time to finishing his business degree) he still ends up working when they need him or when it's convenient for them. He has been working 12+ hour days for the last 11 days in a row now. No days off. No weekends off. No ability to change availability or to switch shifts. He also has worked at Disney and he found it much easier to get a reasonable schedule at Disney and said it was much easier to advance in his position at Disney (he started as merchandise/retail and ended as a park manager). He said that it was harder to advance at Universal (though he's not really trying to at this point because he's about a year from being through with his bachelors degree).

He must be making a lot of overtime money, then. OT starts after working 10 hours in one day, or if you work over 40 hours in a week. Are you sure he didn't ask to be scheduled like that? Universal rarely approves overtime hours.

[jessizadorable]

He is getting overtime money...which is good because he's in need of the money with the expense of school. I asked him further about it and he said he has ended up working a bunch of shorter shifts (sometimes 2 shorter shifts per day) which put him as work for long hours and for multiple days in a row. So his "12-hour shifts or longer" was a bit of exaggeration...but that's what he told me. I do know that they schedule him for almost every day...including the ones he has no availability for. He is hoping his hours will be less crazy now that colleges are finishing for the season. He has, however, reiterated the fact that he had much more opportunity to advance at Disney but he knows people who have been very successful in climbing the career ladder at both Universal and Disney.