OCCUPATION: TICKET SELLER

Name: Peter Hartman

Company: The Orange County Fair

Thumbs up: “I like the people who come in. Since they’re coming to the fair, they’re usually in a good mood.”

Thumbs down: The job is outdoors, during these hot summer days. “We could use some air conditioning.”

Next step: Some workers return year after year to staff the annual fair. They can move up into supervisor or counter positions. Counters tally cash at ticket booths at the end of the day.

Advice: “Keep some water with you, and lots of sun block. Keep a smile on your face. It’s easier to deal with customers that way.”

Salary range: Hourly pay of $5.25 to $6.75.

Fringe benefits: “We get free passes: five for our parents and friends, and 10 discount passes. I like it when I tell a car pool that they get free parking if they have four people or more. It really brings a smile to people’s faces. You pay for parking everywhere you go in Orange County.”

Hours: Generally 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Hartman has started some mornings at 6:30 a.m., to keep the gates open for exhibitors and animal caretakers who need to get onto the fairgrounds early.

Educational and training requirements: Must be able to count money and make change. Ticket sellers are given a three-hour training session before they begin work, where they learn sales procedures, emergency information and how to answer general questions about the fair.

Size of work force: 82 ticket sellers and 10 supervisors.

Job description: Ticket sellers work in the parking lot or in an admission booth. They issue tickets, make change and answer questions. They are responsible for the money they collect, which is tallied at the end of the day against the number of tickets sold.

For more information: Call the Orange County Fair about two months before it opens. The number is 714/751-FAIR.