What
should I study if I want to become a roller coaster designer?
Roller
coaster design makes use of several types of engineering,
namely civil, mechanical, and structural. In high school,
physics and advanced math courses will help prepare you
for an engineering major in college. Electrical or control
systems engineering also comes in handy when it comes
to the electrical system that runs the coasters. If engineering
isn’t your thing, don’t panic. There are many
jobs in the amusement industry that require knowledge
in a wide variety of other fields. Construction management,
sales and marketing, manufacturing, and business management
are just a few. Also, as the amusement industry makes
technological advances, the roles of electronics and computer
programming will continue to increase.
What
kind of jobs or internships should I look for if I would
eventually like to work in the amusement industry?
Obviously, if you want to be
a coaster designer, a co-op or internship with a coaster
company is ideal. Unfortunately there aren’t enough
of these opportunities to go around. Any job at an amusement
park is a great way to get a foot in the door. Even
if you spend all day inside a cartoon character costume,
you get an insider’s view into how a park operates.
You may also meet some key people that can help you
take steps in the right direction. As for jobs outside
the amusement industry, architecture and construction
firms as well as manufacturing and civil/structural
engineering companies can provide very important experience
towards a career in amusement ride design and production.
Do
you have any internship or summer job openings?
While we appreciate your interest in the amusement industry
and in our company, we can’t accommodate any of
these kinds of opportunities at the moment. If you do
find a summer job with a competitor of ours, by all
means take it! We won’t hold that against you.
Are you hiring for any full-time or part-time positions?
Not at the moment. If you are interested in a position
with us, feel free to send us your resume and we'll
put it on file for future reference.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to become a roller coaster designer?
As you choose a field of study in college, choose something that you will enjoy, whether or not it leads you to a job as a coaster designer. Do not major in engineering just so you can design coasters if you do not think you will be happy working as some other type of engineer. Remember, you may have to work some other jobs first before you land your dream job. All of us in The Gravity Group are engineers first, roller coaster designers second. We enjoy engineering, and we just happen to be fortunate enough to have ended up in this industry. Who knows, on your road to becoming a roller coaster engineer, you may stumble across something you like better. Keep an open mind and stay determined.
Can you send me some promotional materials, brochures, etc.?
Most of what we send out in the form of promotional
literature can also be found here on our website. If
after you've looked around you still can't find what
you need, please let us know and we will try to help.
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