Sunday, April 7, 2013

So, You Want To Work In The Great Outdoors... Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style



Do you want to trade your desk job for a job that includes some fresh air?   Some outdoor enthusiasts are fortunate enough to make this a reality.  Others, like you and me, can only dream about it...for now, anyway!  My motto is always, "Where there's a will, there's a way"!  Let's look at what is out there for the outdoor folks.  Some of these might appeal to you and others... well...



Sky diving instructors don't just get outdoors, they get all the fresh air that one could ask for!  Yeah, what goes up, must come down... right?

 
  
Until recently, I thought that working on a cruise ship would be a fun job.  You could work in a variety of positions.   And of course the bonus is traveling all around the world.  Oh, but you are working, huh?  And not a job for those that have sea or motion sickness...


I had my chance years ago to be a ski instructor.  But, there was the problem with it being a seasonal job.  You are being paid for having fun though!  Well, most of the time. 


Now here's an outdoor job that has an adrenalin rush!  And Paramedics have the bonus of knowing that they are helping others in a very important position that not everyone is qualified to do.


The photographer... Now, isn't it every kid's dream to snap pictures?  I am hoping to do a little more in this area.  Maybe not to be a professional, but to take a few classes and to develop some skills.


How about a Park Ranger?  The job duties include protecting endangered areas, teaching visitors about wildlife and plants, and gathering scientific information and conducting search and rescue operations.  Wow.  There's a job and an adventure! 

Fishing Guide

From Midcurrent.com regarding Fishing/River Guides

"The one thing that most prospective guides fail to realize is that “guiding” doesn’t mean “fishing.” When you take a paying customer out on the water, you are expected to be an instructor, a cheerleader, and—in some cases—a babysitter. The worst-case scenario requires you to choose the fly, tie all the necessary knots, teach the client how to cast, point to where the fish are, and then stand there while the client proceeds to do everything wrong. In some cases, the client will blame you for his ineptitude, and you’ll just have to smile and nod."

Sure, we all would like to be on the water every day and call it our "office".  If you have the maturity, dependability, and angling knowledge... Go for it!
But, be prepared to work hard at your "fun" outdoor job.  It's not as easy as it looks!



Well, there are some choices to work in the outdoors industry.  Perfect for some, not for others.   And for me right now,  it's back to the office tomorrow.  To just dream about being back outdoors!  When will that be you ask?  Soon...




17 comments:

  1. Hey, I know you. Aren't you that lady on TV? Oh wait, I guess not. Interesting post...I like. I want to be a cowboy but I'm allergic to horses and my bones don't heal quickly any more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Howard ~ I bet you would make a great cowboy. Minus the watery eyes and runny nose. And do you contemplate a fall? Yeah, maybe you better go with your second choice.

      Delete
    2. Em, I used to be a cowboy. Raised horses as a matter of fact. It was great until my personal horse started kicking me if I fed the other horses before her.

      Delete
  2. i always thought a fun outdoor job would be to fish wildlife and parks and started but then having to work for every fishing opener would suck.

    ka

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KA - I can think of a lot worse things to do. I just might just semi retire with the park service, you never know.

      Delete
  3. Cool article! Currently stuck at mt desk..... The best thing aside from fishing is reading and writing about it :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I get these crazy notions in my head sometimes. How to be outdoors everyday and making a living keeps coming back to me.

      Delete
  4. Great post! I now have my dream outdoor job : http://owaa.org/blog/2013/04/owaa-taps-sadler-as-executive-director/
    Now I can help mentor and encourage all the great outdoor bloggers out there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Tom! Yes, congratulations are in order. You seem to have the best of both worlds... Inside and outside of the office..

      Delete
  5. I've considered trying to be a wildlife biologist before. I'm going with one to do some brook trout survey's this next weekend. I never realized how competative the career field is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kev ~ That was another picture that I didn't put up... But, a very good job for sure! Have fun with the survey.

      Delete
    2. Kevin, it has its moments, but it is a very rewarding field. Here's Part 2 of a piece I wrote about it...maybe you can learn from my mistakes (there have been many):

      http://rivermud.blogspot.com/2010/02/on-15-years-as-wetland-technician.html

      I don't normally post my own links in others' comment fields, I promise!!!

      Delete
  6. Great post! Wish more people realized the amount of work that actually goes on when your career is in the outdoors :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen ~ We all admire the beauty of your work behind the camera lens. But, I'm sure there is a lot more to it than just snapping the button. I do find photography simply amazing...

      Delete
  7. Hi Emily. Every time I talk to a Park Ranger I get skunked. Imagine how my fishing would be if I were one??????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Mark! Well, you better stay clear of rangers when you go out fishing if that's what happens!

      Delete
  8. I think the question is "how hard do you want to work?" I took my first outdoor job at age 14 at our neighborhood marina, and never looked back. The folks who don't have the heart for bee stings in the ear, chigger bites where the sun don't shine, having shoulders that are a camo pattern of tan, pink, and scab, and having to literally work through blood, sweat, and tears (seen all three in a few single days afield) in the name of "working outdoors" seem to find pretty reasonable happiness and success in "outdoor related" cubicles and sales offices. Hint: they usually make more money, too.

    If, when asked "When are you getting out of here today?" you respond something other than, "When we're finished," then the outdoors is definitely not your kind of workplace. That's the best way I can put it.

    The rewards, though...they are intoxicating. There are days you forget that "job in the mud" you never got paid for, the cases of skin cancer and lyme disease, and the oft-disappointed family members and friends who would like you to join them at the mall, perhaps for a movie, or to play some video games.

    ReplyDelete