sales and marketing manager

conseiller

technicien vétérinaire

systems administrator

maintenance technician

Aquatarium

I worked at the Aquatarium for a good while, and while I loved all my coworkers, it's management that needs a big change. Everyone who works outside of the downstairs office (minus one wonderful semi-manager, who has recently quit) walks on eggshells every shift. If you so much as slip up a little, you will be shamed for it. If you speak too casually with visitors or look like you're slacking, you will be told off. Nothing said in the break room is sacred. And if you try standing up for yourself or another employee, you will not have a say and will be chastised for speaking out. I've seen so many wonderful coworkers leave because the work-hierarchy is so toxic. And this doesn't even touch upon the neglect for the animals, but that's a whole different can of worms since, legally, AQ is in the clear. If you are not prepared to be intimidated at your job, stay away. If you have a love for animals and cannot stand to see them under-cared for, stay away. If you need a quick paycheck and can fake it till you make it, sure, go ahead. Oh, and don't worry, they did their best to kill the union and they succeded. 

I worked as an animal care technician for the better part of a year at the Aquatarium. As someone who possesses an education and work experience as a veterinary assistant with 6+ years  of professional animal husbandry experience, I was surprised by the lack of knowledge/skill of proper animal care protocol from my supervisors, management, and co-workers. There are areas of care at the Aquatarium in which the standard is high, but there are many gaps in aspects of care pertaining to animal health that I considered neglectful. 
Management was sometimes inappropriate with some staff, i.e. lots of hugging, gossiping about fellow staff members. 
All in all, not a happy workplace. There were moments of fun working with animals I would have otherwise not had the chance to ever work with, but ultimately I felt these animals did not have an excellent captive life at the Aquatarium.

I have been with the AQ for almost a year now. I have had the opportunity to wear many different hats and learn all sorts of new things. This is the best job I have ever had the pleasure of working.

The staff, volunteers and management are all super friendly and outgoing. They are fair though, so if you slack or do something wrong they will correct you.

It is a Not for profit, which means they don't always have the money to keep staff in the off season or to offer training. They do their best though, if you work hard and show your dedication you will be rewarded. As they can't always keep staff, things get a little tight sometimes (especially in the off season). This means you may be asked to work longer hours, take on bigger projects and just put in some extra effort.

We all rely on each other. 

Things have certainly changed over the last year. It is a calm working environment, we are friends as well as co-workers. No problem is too big or too small to work at as a team and we do this well. So long as your work is done and done well there are no issues. 

Management is fair and understanding. Structure is now offered and guidance where needed. All in all a fun place to work. 

Hardest part of the job is the negative comments by uninformed people about the facility. The AQ is working hard at changing the minds of these people and doing it well. 

The most enjoyable part of this job is seeing the smiling faces of children as they light up in wonderment.

This is the absolute best working environment that I have ever been a part of - a wonderful new facility, fantastic location, excellent management team and a great caliber of people both employed and volunteering. 
To see the excitement and surprise on guests' faces when they discover a new aspect of the facility is one of the most rewarding parts of my day!
Being Not For Profit, we all wear many hats here and work together as a team. It can be chaos at times, but that's what i love about it too - it's staying busy and always DOing. We are constantly growing and changing, offering new experiences and opportunities.

The workplace is a toxic environment in which “higher-ups” shoot glares your way or talk poorly about you to others rather than approach you themselves with their concerns or comments. There are a few fantastic managers and employees truly doing their best, but the overall impression is that there is no support (or substantial pay) for anyone employed here. Be prepared to work hours longer than you’re supposed to, while only being paid 40 hours of work a week no matter how much you actually work. 

Maybe if the Aquatarium put more effort into valuing their employees they wouldn’t lose so many of them. 

My job at the aquatarium consisted of facility management, animal husbandry, water chemistry testing, plumbing and customer interaction. It was a very hands-on job and thus the work was sometimes strenuous and the days sometimes long, however the environment was very friendly and my coworkers and bosses were very encouraging and fun to be around. I learned many things from how to care for fish and small mammals to how to work with LSS systems to plumbing work.

Overall the facility is a success but they are still learning how to properly run it as a whole. A lot of aspects that need work. Only time will help to grant them the experience. Hopefully it picks up more because on weekdays its quite slow, weekends being the only real busy time.

The manager of guest experiences is a wonderful person to work for. The work is fun and rewarding, when it's not during the slow season. Extra tasks can sometimes be set for you to do throughout the day, but you might get through them all before lunch.

The Aquatarium is a place that fosters learning for both its staff and its guests.  The staff and volunteers are amazing and they always try to find ways to work together.  There is always something new to learn.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Sales and marketing manager 1 salary reported	$57,500 per year
Conseiller 2 salaries reported	$17.60 per hour
Technicien vétérinaire 1 salary reported	$17.60 per hour
Systems administrator 1 salary reported	$60,000 per year
Maintenance technician 1 salary reported	$45,000 per year

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