Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Employee Review

Current Employee – been working at Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Pros – Working at the pools is a great place to work as long as you know what you are doing and have a positive attitude. Mid-shift during the off-season are laid back. As an MOD you are generally concerned with two things: your guards doing what they should be doing, and keeping the pool chemicals balanced. Its a pretty straight forward job that often pays off in the satisfaction of your patrons. Summers are the same way, but with more patrons comes more responsibility, and you have to stay on your toes.

Cons – During the summers, things can get pretty hectic as far as dealing with patrons that are not satisfied with the facility, especially when MNCPPC is overall a very bureaucratic atmosphere and everything is not in your control. For example, working with the indoor pools it is common to hear patrons complain about air or water temperatures, which are really out of the MOD's scope of duty. As and MOD, you try to satisfy your customers, but thermostats are generally in the control of maintenance or senior managers.

Other things that will make the job unpleasant are the troubles of working with pools that have major leaks, or equipment that does function properly. Recent budget cuts will also make getting decent hours pretty difficult.

As an employee for almost 4 years, I would not suggest keeping this job as a main source of income. It pays well for what its worth, but you won't be happy with the hours you get (especially on the off season). Its a job that keeps you busy on your weekends or nights.

Advice to Senior Management – The priorties of funding are not where they need to be. With so much money being put into the appearance of the facilities, the behind the scenes operations are often sub-par. At my main facility, major leaks plague the smooth operation of the pool. Why wouldn't you fix a leak in a pool that can leak over 10,000 gallons of water a day and cost $1.4 million a year to keep filled?

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend