Hostelling International Cape Cod

Jobs at HI-Cape Cod

Hostelling International is currently looking for driven, dedicated people from all walks of life to help keep us on the cutting edge of our industry!

Jobs Currently Available

Positions currently available

Hostel Manager - Martha's Vineyard (April - October 2007)
Hostel Manager - Nantucket (April - October 2007)
Hostel Support Staff - all locations (seasonal Summer 2007 - dates vary by location)

 

Job Description - Manager

Managers

All Hostel Managers actively engage in achieving the mission of HI-USA, "to help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people, through hostelling." Each Manager is responsible for all facets of the hostel's day-to-day operations as well as general oversight of the hostel operations in accordance with the purpose and goals of HI-USA and the policies of the Eastern New England Council.

Oversee all aspects of hostel operation, including daily operation. Provide high quality guest service, ensuring a safe, clean and welcome atmosphere. Promote hostelling and environmentally sound practices. Train, supervise and evaluate all volunteer and paid staff, and contract labor. Manage all fiscal aspects of operations. Supervise the maintenance and upkeep of hostel building, equipment, grounds, furnishings and fixtures. Ensure compliance with all HI standards. Represent the hostel to local officials, neighbors, media and the general public. Maintain ongoing communication with supervisor. Maintain educational programs. Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Live-in job experience desired. Experience managing a hostel or a closely related operation, or be a graduate of a hospitality related program. Demonstrated ability in staff management. Skilled in financial management, record keeping, building maintenance, conflict resolution and crisis intervention. Demonstrated public relations skills.  Willing to work evenings, weekends and holidays, as needed. Excellent oral and written communication skills and attention to detail. Knowledge of hostelling and previous hostelling experience essential. Computer savvy; must maintain and train staff on a computerized reservation/registration system. Managers must be available full season. Managers for Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket must give at least a two year commitment and all managers must have a reliable car.

Salary and Benefits:

Salary commensurate with experience, but no lower than $455 a week, own apartment with free utilities. Benefits if you work full time for more than 6 months. Free nights at other Cape and islands hostels. Potential for advancement within the organization.

Before applying for a Manager's Position, please read full Job Description and ensure that you are qualified. Thank You.

Manager Trainee

Manager Trainee positions are given to people who have the potential, desire and motivation to become future managers for the Eastern New England Council. Manager Trainees will be trained in all facets of running a hostel and will be responsible for different aspects at different times. If you think you have what it takes, can convince us of that and are willing to commit to coming back next year to work as a manager, you may apply for this position.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Live-in job experience desired. Prior hostel employment or similar experience necessary. Demonstrated ability in financial and staff management. Demonstrated public relations skills. Willing to work evenings, weekends and holidays, as needed. Excellent oral and written communication skills and exceptional attention to detail.

Salary and Benefits:

Salary commensurate with experience, but no lower than $350 a week, plus possibility of accommodations. Benefits if you work full time for more than 6 months. Free nights at other Cape and islands hostels. Potential for advancement within the organization.

back to top  

Job Description - Support Staff

The very important position of Support Staff encompasses about 50% front desk work AND 50% housekeeping, with the responsibilities outlined below. Support Staff really make or break a hostel's atmosphere. Can you sincerely keep a smile on your face when faced with piles of laundry or a jet lagged, grumpy guest who doesn't understand English?

Front Desk

Responsibilities include checking people in and out; using a cash register and handling cash and credit card transactions; setting up breakfast (no cooking); answering phones and replying to emails; processing reservations via phone, email, online reservation system and in person; answering loads of questions about what to do, where and when; entering data in the computer using excel; sometimes helping with housekeeping and laundry; minor maintenance, like unplugging a toilet; welcoming groups; acting as social director....all while having fun!

Housekeeping

Housekeeping tasks may include, but are not limited to: laundering lots of sheets and towels, making beds, washing dishes, cleaning the kitchen, sweeping and/or vacuuming, mopping all bathroom and kitchen floors, emptying garbage in rooms, bathrooms and kitchen, cleaning the bathrooms including sinks, showers and toilets everyday, keeping all common areas looking neat, yard work and gardening.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Fluent spoken and written English. Ability to work in a hectic, fast paced work environment. Strong written and verbal skills. Ability to keep calm and multi task. Cash handling and reconciliation skills. Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team. Exceptional customer service. Must be very detail oriented, we run very clean hostels! Willing to work evenings, weekends and holidays, as needed. Ability to live in a situation with little privacy. Sense of humor is required.

Salary and Benefits:

Shifts are 4-8 hours, between 8am - 10pm, with two full days off a week, enabling a second job if desired. Support Staff positions start at $8.00 an hour and go up for returning staff. Accommodations are possible for full time (30-40hrs.) employees, or long term employees. Free nights at other Cape and islands hostels. Potential for advancement within the organization.

Before applying for a Support Staff Position, please read full Job Description and ensure that you are qualified. Thank You.

back to top  

Which Hostel location is best for me?

Martha's Vineyard

Our largest hostel has 74 beds, four bathrooms and the regular kitchen, dining area, common room, etc. It has a large outdoor area and is located by the bike/walking path, alongside the state forest. It is inland a bit and you have to take a bus or bike to town or the beach. The bus stops right outside the hostel. The island is very beautiful and diverse - farms and ponds, touristy towns and dry towns, and of course beaches. There is good nightlife and great biking.

The hostel starts out slow in late April, when the weather is quite cool, and starts to pick up in mid June when spring really breaks out. It is really busy in July and early August. They get lots of kids bike groups coming through, as well as American and foreign guests of all ages. September and October are gorgeous times to be there. If you want a getaway, you can take the 45 minute $13 r/t ferry to Woods Hole, hop on the bus and go to Boston, 1.5 hours away, and stay at the Boston hostel overnight. Learn more about the Vineyard here http://www.mvy.com/ and listen to the Vineyard radio station here http://www.mvyradio.com/

Nantucket

This is perhaps our busiest hostel. Nantucket island is very small, very private, very wealthy and very charming. Nantucket Island has one town, 3.5 miles from the Hostel. The town has quaint inns, expensive restaurants and cobble stone streets. The Hostel is a former Life Saving station, a historical building, and is located right across the street from Surfside Beach. You can bike to anywhere on the island - it's that small. During the summer, the island comes alive with tourists, and young people from around the world looking for high paying summer jobs and at high costing rents. We offer a mere $8/hour but possible free housing - still, that's not a reason to work here.

The Star of the Sea, as the hostel is called has 4 buildings. A main building with the tiny office, kitchen, dining and common room and womens bathroom downstairs, and a 23 bed womens dorm upstairs. The back "Barn" has a mens bathroom and a coed dorm downstairs, and a 13 bed mens dorm upstairs. There is a small managers cottage and a 2 person staff room/bldg. The hostel is old, and is being renovated a bit every winter...still, the plumbing is finicky and floors squeak. We get hundreds of children coming through this hostel, so you'll feel like part time babysitter and part time maid, as, yes, they do make a mess. But working here does have it's rewards. Besides the kids, we get both foreign and American guests, both young backpackers and middle aged parents. In the spring the hostel is full of young people coming from abroad looking for jobs and housing, and you can make some great lasting friends.

Mid Cape

This Hostel has been here a long time, and it shows its age - the bathrooms especially are in rough shape and we plan on a major renovation soon. It is located right at the "elbow" of Cape Cod, 5 miles from the ocean and 1/4 mile from the bay. Midcape Hostel is in a residential neighborhood, tucked away in the trees. It consists of 7 small cabins, much like camp cabins, a main building with a kitchen, the bathrooms, a small common room, large dining area, teeny office and a managers room (with own toilet, but no shower). There is one staff cabin, which is shared with 2 people that is a 30 second walk away from the main building, where the bathrooms/toilets are located. There are two outdoor, hot showers, picnic tables, shady trees and an outdoor grill. The bike path is 1/4 mile away and the town of Orleans is about a mile away. Public transportation is rare, and don't expect good nightlife around here... it is a very relaxed place, with lots of songbirds.

The guests are mostly families and kids groups - many school and Girl Scout groups. The groups usually need a lot of hand holding and guidance, as this is usually their first hostel experience. Like the other hostels, July and August can get quite busy, and cleaning the hostel during the summer is a hot and humid job. If you like kids and biking around the cape, this may be the place for you. Because the office is right in front of the kitchen, there is always a lot of interaction with the hostellers and it is very common for guests to invite the staff to share a meal.

Truro

The Truro Hostel is a favorite of many people and we end up getting the same guests returning year after year, even week after week, and we love them! The crowd is older than the other hostels, and there are no groups. Expect mostly families, couples, and guests in their 40s, but the "typical" backpacker hosteller does find us, after a hot walk from the bus station 1 1/2 miles away. People like to come and hang out on the porch all day sometimes. Nightlife is 10 miles away in Provincetown, as is the supermarket and anything else.

The hostel is located on the National Seashore, literally a 2 minute barefoot walk away. Inside, there are big picture windows with fantastic views. If you like to walk on the beach...walk for hours and hours here! The hostel is almost always full, from opening day to closing day! Loads of laundry to do and the normal cleaning, although it is a bit easier here, only 42 beds. The staff room is kind of small for two people, but has a large walk in closet and your own toilet. But it is right off the kitchen and can get noisy when people get up early to make breakfast. If you like the beach, hanging out with our older hostellers, and don't mind sharing a staff room college dorm-style, than this is the place for you.

back to top  

How to Apply

Please send a letter of interest with the following six items to gm@bostonhostel.org:

  • resume and reason why you would like to work for HI-USA
  • dates available to start and finish
  • accommodation need
  • type of job applying for
  • hostel preference
  • at least three references

Please, no phone calls.

People with J-1 visas are welcome and encouraged to apply, but you must do so early in the year, as it takes a while to get your visas.

back to top