Recreation Workers

Description

Conduct recreation activities with groups in public, private, or volunteer agencies or recreation facilities. Organize and promote activities, such as arts and crafts, sports, games, music, dramatics, social recreation, camping, and hobbies, taking into account the needs and interests of individual members.

Tasks

Enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety.
Manage the daily operations of recreational facilities.
Administer first aid according to prescribed procedures, and notify emergency medical personnel when necessary.
Organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies.
Greet new arrivals to activities, introducing them to other participants, explaining facility rules, and encouraging participation.
Supervise and coordinate the work activities of personnel, such as training staff members and assigning work duties.
Confer with management to discuss and resolve participant complaints.
Explain principles, techniques, and safety procedures to participants in recreational activities, and demonstrate use of materials and equipment.
Complete and maintain time and attendance forms and inventory lists.
Evaluate recreation areas, facilities, and services to determine if they are producing desired results.
Ascertain and interpret group interests, evaluate equipment and facilities, and adapt activities to meet participant needs.
Encourage participants to develop their own activities and leadership skills through group discussions.
Meet and collaborate with agency personnel, community organizations, and other professional personnel to plan balanced recreational programs for participants.
Meet with staff to discuss rules, regulations, and work-related problems.
Direct special activities or events such as aquatics, gymnastics, or performing arts.
Provide for entertainment and set up related decorations and equipment.
Conduct individual in-room visits with residents.
Serve as liaison between park or recreation administrators and activity instructors.
Evaluate staff performance, recording evaluations on appropriate forms.
Schedule maintenance and use of facilities.
Take residents on community outings.
Oversee the purchase, planning, design, construction, and upkeep of recreation facilities and areas.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Clerical: Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Work Activities

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Work Context

Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable: How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Frequency of Decision Making: How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

Interests

Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Work Style

Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Social Orientation: Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Concern for Others: Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Work Values

Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Related Occupations

Social and Community Service Managers

Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

Lay Titles

Activities Aide

Activities Assistant

Activities Coordinator

Activities Counselor

Activities Director

Activity Aide

Activity Assistant

Activity Coordinator

Activity Director

Activity Leader

Activity Specialist

Camp Advisor

Camp Counselor

Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS)

Community Program Assistant

Correctional Leisure Activities Specialist

Corrections Activity Specialist

Director of Therapeutic Recreation

Field Advisor

Field Representative

Field Scout

Field Supervisor

Fitness Plan Coordinator

Fitness Worker

Girls' Adviser

Group Leader

Group Work Program Aide

Group Worker

Park Recreation Manager

Parks Recreation Coordinator

Parks Recreation Director

Play Leader

Playground Director

Playground Official

Playground Worker

Recreation Aide

Recreation Assistant

Recreation Center Director

Recreation Coordinator

Recreation Counselor

Recreation Director

Recreation Leader

Recreation Program Coordinator

Recreation Superintendent

Recreation Supervisor

Recreation Technician

Recreation Therapist

Recreation Worker

Recreational Aide

Recreational Assistant

Recreational Counselor

Recreational Facilities Hotel or Motel Manager

Recreational Leader

Recreational Specialist

Recreational Therapy Technician

Social Director

Special Events Coordinator

Summer Counselor

Teen Counselor

Therapeutic Recreation Assistant

Therapeutic Recreation Director

Therapeutic Recreation Leader

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $10.69 hourly, $22,240 annual.

Employment (2008):: 309,730 employees