INDIANAPOLIS — As we inch closer to warmer weather, Indy Parks is looking to hire hundreds of workers for summer positions.
Right now, Indy Parks is looking to fill more than 400 summer jobs across the city.
"I got hired on toward the end of December," said 20-year-old Donovan Gilder, who has been a lifeguard at Krannert Park Family Center for the last two months. "You practice everything, and they make sure you know what you need to know."
Right now, lifeguards start at $15 an hour, pool managers at $16.50 and camp counselors start at $14 an hour.
A $500 sign-on bonus is available for some positions until April 5, and $250 sign-on bonuses will still be available after that.
It's money that goes a long way for Gilder, who recently left college.
"I had a little bit of debt, you know, so I'm hoping to pay it off. The starting pay is actually pretty decent compared to other jobs around Indiana, so it really helps," Gilder said.
Some lifeguard positions will also receive free tickets to the U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials.
Indy Parks is also looking for cashiers, park inspectors, food program positions and more.
"We don't actually get to do the programs that engage younger kids in our park, so it's critical to have those positions," said Phyllis Boyd, director of Indy Parks.
While Indy Parks waits on applications, Gilder is hopeful teens will take advantage of the opportunity at a start in the working world.
"Most people don't have jobs at this age and are still looking around for something because it's harder to get jobs now without a degree or anything," Gilder said. "So this definitely helps. Not a lot of steps to get into it, and it gives something for the youth to do instead of being outside on the street. You can be in here working."
In 2023, Indy Parks opened 16 pools across the city and hired nearly 100 more lifeguards than in 2022.