What career should you pursue with Ontario Parks?

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  What is your ideal work environment? 

  • A.
    I'll work inside any day. I like the outdoors, so long as it is on the other side of the window.
  • B.
    I like to spend part of my day indoors, and part of my day outdoors.
  • C.
    I prefer to be outside. I don't mind dealing with different weather conditions, bugs, etc.
• 2.
  What is your preferred workspace? 

  • A.
    Computer work all the way. I don't mind being at my desk most of the day.
  • B.
    I like to spend part of my day at a computer and part of my day out and about.
  • C.
    Computer work isn't my jam. I prefer active tasks.
• 3.
  How do you feel about teamwork?

  • A.
    I do my best work when I am working independently.
  • B.
    I like a combination of teamwork and independent work.
  • C.
    Teamwork makes the dream work!
• 4.
  How do you feel about engaging with the public? (e.g., greeting people, answering questions) 

  • A.
    I love it, I am energized by interactions with other people.
  • B.
    I like interacting with the public, just not all the time.
  • C.
    I prefer not to engage with the public, but I don't mind it sometimes.
  • D.
    No thanks.
• 5.
  How interested are you in public speaking?

  • A.
    I could do this and be paid?! Sign me up!
  • B.
    I don't mind small groups, but speaking in front of larger groups isn't my thing.
  • C.
    One-on-one conversations are fine, just not public speaking.
  • D.
    Nope. Nope. Nope.
• 6.
  How do you feel about creating content for social media? 

  • A.
    Photography, videography, editing, caption writing... love it all, I am a pro.
  • B.
    Filming and taking pictures is fun!
  • C.
    Meh.
  • D.
    Not a fan. Creating social media content is not my thing.
• 7.
  How do you handle conflict or difficult situations with people? 

  • A.
    I have three middle names: calm, cool, collected. I am experienced in handling conflict and I am level-headed and polite.
  • B.
    I can sometimes handle conflict, but I would prefer not to deal with difficult situations all the time.
  • C.
    I dislike conflict and difficult situations and would call my supervisor.
  • D.
    I tend to avoid difficult situations.
• 8.
  How do you feel about working with money? 

  • A.
    Accounting, budgeting, bank deposits, I love it all.
  • B.
    I could handle basic transactions and could help managing money when needed.
  • C.
    I don't mind working with money once in a while, but I prefer not to do it all the time.
  • D.
    Working with money is not my thing.
• 9.
  How do you feel about working in high pressure or time-sensitive situations?

  • A.
    I thrive. Diamonds are made under pressure.
  • B.
    I don't mind high pressure or time-sensitive situations sometimes.
  • C.
    Hard no. I don't like these situations one bit.
• 10.
  How do you feel about routine?

  • A.
    Love it! I want to do the same tasks every day so I can become really competent at them.
  • B.
    I like routine, but enjoy doing a variety of tasks.
  • C.
    I get bored easily. Every day needs to be different.
• 11.
  It's a Wednesday afternoon in July and you're at work. What would you rather be doing? 

  • A.
    Cutting grass with the trimmer or clearing a trail 🥾
  • B.
    Patrolling the beach. Somebody's got to make sure everybody is safe and following the rules 😎
  • C.
    Dip-netting for wetland critters with families who have dropped by 🐸
  • D.
    Welcoming visitors, issuing permits and directing people to the best lookouts in the park 👋
  • E.
    Writing a blog and social media post about five cool facts about the park 📱
  • F.
    Driving to all the offices around the park to deliver $1 and $2 rolls 💰
  • G.
    Keeping track of visitor numbers, reviewing management plans and coming up with new ways to increase capacity without harming the environment 📝
  • H.
    Determining where species at risk are located in the park and the best way to protect their habitat from disturbance 🐢

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  You should be a...Discovery Ranger! 

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  As a Discovery Ranger, communicating with the public in inspiring and meaningful ways is second nature to you. You're passionate about connecting visitors of all ages with the unique natural and cultural resources your park protects. You are equally eager to hunt for worms on the forest floor with a kindergarten class as to listen to an older gentleman reminisce about how he's been camping in your park for 50 years after a stellar evening amphitheatre performance with your team. When you hear the first White-throated Sparrow singing in May – this is big news to share. You're willing to do it all in the name of ecological integrity for your park – pull invasive plants, install fencing to keep reptiles off the roads, even organize litter clean-ups. When a crisis comes your way, you dress up in a squirrel costume, record yourself dancing across a road, put it on your park Instagram story and... what crisis? You’re truly gifted at creatively telling the stories of the park that you’ve learned to love, in-person and virtually. You may or may not be an expert, or self-proclaimed “nature-nerd”, but every day you’re excited by the opportunity to learn something new about the history, natural environment or Indigenous relations that make your park so special.7 tasks you could do as a Discovery Ranger:1) Assist with the delivery of educational programs 2) Contribute to species at risk research and monitoring efforts in the park3) Lead a drop-in Exploration Station for visitors that gets them out searching for insects or frogs4) Support community science efforts by submitting observations on iNaturalist 5) Remove invasive species6) Answer questions and educate visitors about the natural and cultural resources of the park while staffing a Visitors Centre7) Contribute to the creation of props, displays, informative signage for the park Two quotes you live by: "Through interpretation understanding, through understanding appreciation, through appreciation, protection." – Freeman Tilden It is enough to open minds; do not overload them. Put there just a spark. If there is some good flammable stuff, it will catch fire." – Anatole France How to ApplyDiscovery Ranger opportunities with Ontario Parks range from seasonal student to year-round, full-time positions across the province. To learn more about student summer employment opportunities with Ontario Parks, including how to apply to available Summer Student Jobs, click the link below.Be sure to specify that you are interested in being a Discovery Ranger in your application.Submit your application early to have the best chance of spending your season with us. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, starting at the end of January.To search and apply for non-student Discovery positions, visit GoJobs.on.ca, select "Parks" under "Select Job Category", and hit the search button.
• 2.
  You should be...a Park Warden! 

  Park wardens play a vital role in protecting Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage. These officers are responsible for ensuring that our provincial parks are protected and peaceful places where visitors, both present and future, can come and enjoy the benefits of nature.A park warden’s responsibilities are as diverse as the parks they work in. Some common responsibilities include:Ensuring public safetyEngaging with park visitors while providing professional customer serviceSupporting park operations in a variety of ways, including general maintenance and cleaning, visitor registration, or assisting with water system operationsHighlights of this career opportunity include: Gaining valuable experience working outdoors in law enforcement and complianceBuilding natural resource management, problem solving, leadership, and communication skills while applying policies and legislationHow to Apply It is recommended that interested applicants have previous enforcement experience, or summer student experience with Ontario Parks. To learn more about student summer employment opportunities with Ontario Parks, including how to apply to available Summer Student Jobs visit: Summer Employment OpportunitiesTo search for Park Warden job postings, click the link below, select "Parks" under "Select Job Category", and hit the search button.
• 3.
  You should be...a Park Clerk!

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  Park Clerks have a very important role in Ontario Parks. They work hard behind the scenes to keep the park and all its staff running smoothly; without a Park Clerk staff wouldn’t be paid! Other tasks Park Clerks do in parks include: • Providing human resources related functions like completing contracts and hiring documents for staff• Assisting with training, orientation, and providing group leadership to student employees, especially gate attendants• Performing revenue functions, cash handling, balancing, and recording of all expenses for the park • Handling inventory, ordering, invoicing, projections, etc.• When necessary, providing customer service to park usersHow to Apply It is recommended, but not required, that interested applicants have previous experience in a summer student role with Ontario Parks. To search for Park Clerk job postings, click the link below, select "Parks" under "Select Job Category", and hit the search button.To learn more about student summer employment opportunities with Ontario Parks, including how to apply to available Summer Student Jobs visit: Summer Employment Opportunities
• 4.
  You should be a...Maintenance Worker!

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  Maintenance Workers provide crucial services to the park and visitors, employees work to ensure parks are maintained, pristine, and ready for guests. 7 tasks you could do as a Maintenance Worker:1) Use a variety of power tools to clean and maintain campsites2) Assist with general maintenance tasks around the park (e.g. painting, signage) 3) Attend to visitor facilities to ensure cleanliness 4) Use chainsaws and lawn care equipment to maintain trails and day-use areas (e.g. building a boardwalk)5) Manage recycling and garbage around the park 6) Assist with water quality testing for potable water and beach areas 7) Respond to customer inquiries and complaints when necessary How to Apply Maintenance Worker opportunities with Ontario Parks range from seasonal student to full-time, year-round positions across the province. To learn more about student summer employment opportunities with Ontario Parks, including how to apply to available Summer Student Jobs, click the link below.Be sure to specify that you are interested in being a maintenance worker in your application.Submit your application early to have the best chance of spending your season with us. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, starting at the end of January.To search and apply for non-student maintenance positions, visit GoJobs.on.ca, select "Parks" under "Select Job Category", and hit the search button.
• 5.
  You should be a...Marketing Specialist!

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  Marketing Specialists are expert non-personal storytellers and communicators. You're equally likely to find them out and about in parks with their phones or tech equipment snapping pictures or filming videos as you are to find them at a desk writing a new blog post or responding to comments on Instagram. How to Apply It is recommended, but not required, that interested applicants have previous experience in a summer student position with Ontario Parks. To learn more about student summer employment opportunities with Ontario Parks, including how to apply to available Summer Student Jobs visit: Summer Employment OpportunitiesTo search for Marketing Specialist job postings, click the link below, select "Parks" under "Select Job Category", and hit the search button.
• 6.
  You should be a...Park Planner!

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  Park planners have an important and rewarding job in Ontario Parks. They use legislation, policies, and guidelines to write park-specific management plans that guide the protection, operation, and development of a provincial park for a 20 year period! Talk about long-term impacts of their work! To write a management plan, planners consider a park’s ecological, geological, and cultural features, recreational uses and opportunities, infrastructure needs, and development possibilities. They use this information and consult with Indigenous communities, stakeholders, and other members of the public to develop the best long-term plan that ensures the protection of a park.Beyond management plans, park planners contribute to all sorts of cool initiatives, including:small development or maintenance projects that ensure the smooth operation of our parks;restoration projects that improve ecological health in and around a park;strategic initiatives like incorporating climate change adaptation into park planning across the province! How to Apply It is recommended, but not required, that applicants for Park Planner positions have previous experience in a summer student role with Ontario Parks. To learn more about student summer employment opportunities with Ontario Parks, including how to apply to available Summer Student Jobs positions visit: Summer Employment OpportunitiesTo search for Park Planner job postings, click the link below, select "Parks" under "Select Job Category", and hit the search button.
• 7.
  You should be a...Gate Attendant!

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  Gate Attendants are the frontline of Ontario Parks. No pressure, right? Every visitor to our parks will interact with a Gate Attendant at least once during their visit. 7 tasks you could do as a Gate Attendant:1) Welcome and direct visitors around the park 2) Register campers and issue day-use and campsite permits3) Manage cash flow and complete credit or debit transactions 4) Respond to visitor inquiries and complaints in-person or on the phone5) Facilitate communication between departments within the park to respond to visitor concerns 6) Communicate important park messaging to visitors (ie. safety risk, how to bear-proof campsites) Inform visitors of activities in the park (ie. events, trails) or outside of the park in the local area 7) Assist with administrative tasks in the main park officeHow to Apply To learn more about student summer employment opportunities with Ontario Parks, including hot to apply to available Summer Student Jobs, click the link below.Be sure to specify that you are interested in being a Gate Attendant in your application.Submit your application early to have the best chance of spending your season with us. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, starting at the end of January.
• 8.
  You should be a...Park Biologist!

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  Park Biologists are responsible for monitoring the ecological integrity of a cluster of parks. That means they assess how well a park is doing in supporting and maintaining the community of species that live there. Biologists approve applications to conduct research in parks. They are consulted on planning and development projects to make sure ecological integrity is not negatively impacted. They also do research to help inform Ontario Parks on management decisions. This research often means Park Biologists are in parks monitoring anything in the natural environment ranging from an invasive disease in trees to endangered Blanding's Turtle nests, to deer and wolf populations! How to Apply It is recommended, but not required, that anyone interested in being a Park Biologist have previous experience in a summer student job with Ontario Parks. To learn more about student summer employment opportunities with Ontario Parks, including how to apply to available Summer Student Jobs positions visit: Summer Employment OpportunitiesTo search for Park Biologist job postings, click the link below, select "Parks" under "Select Job Category", and hit the search button.