View Full Version : Career "advice"...
The Phoenix
09-29-2015, 22:56
This isn't the first time I've looked for feedback on the job front on WB. I know there are a lot of opinions on here and some don't necessarily align with my way of thinking, but on the whole people on this forum are on similar wave-lengths to me. Freedom, nature, and physical fitness (to varying degrees) is important to us. I love my solitude in the great outdoors, and I also love the outdoor community... I feel like those passions are almost universally shared throughout this website.
So... I cut to the chase... Following my 2009 thru-hike, I decided to go to school out West, due to the mountains, adventures abounding in every direction, and a strong education didn't hurt either...
Since graduating in early 2013, I have put my education to next to no use... I fell into football and scouting/recruiting. I spent the past few years scouting at the highest levels of D1 football and from there transitioned to a journalism/scouting gig. My region was the Mountain/Pacific Island Region. My job would bring me to some of the most scenic areas of our great country... from those locations, I got paid to watch football, talk football, and write about football. The majority of guys my age dream about having such a job... All in all I really enjoyed it... BUT---
Despite having the Rocky Mountains all around me, Hawaii, Utah, Nevada, the Pacific Northwest, etc as my stomping ground... I literally got onto a hiking trail less than a handful of times per year. I was grinding away... working 80-110 hours a week. I slept in my office more often than not. 4-5 hours of sleep was considered a good night's sleep. It really kind of sucked. My passion for football was zapped and I realized that I couldn't churn out 20-30 years in that cutthroat business.
Back to the drawing boards... My education is solid, my grades are great, I studied a unique subject or two that make me competitive for some pretty cool jobs... but, I am hesitant... I don't want to end up with this seemingly perfect job and end up missing my "freedom", nature, hiking, etc... all the things that make me, me... keep me sane, and make me happy.
This past spring I applied to somewhere between 40-50 jobs... a wide variety of fields revolving around my educational background, and a few that were a bit of a stretch.
I was accepted to a job with the BLM doing some pretty cool backcountry stuff this summer, but it was only a temporary position and I had other things come up.
To end my rant with a clear question... From your experiences: Would a career in the BLM or NPS be satisfying for me, you, somebody that loves the great outdoors, freedom, etc?
Everyone in my life has their own opinions on what is best for me... and most think I would be "wasting my time, talent, brains, blah blah blah" if I was to be a park ranger. I strongly disagree with these folks, so I am looking for a different perspective from the WB community. I know being a ranger wouldn't be like a gigantic thru-hike, I know I'd have a lot of day to day tasks that aren't exactly mind blowing, and I know that I will never break any banks open will working for the Interior...
Just looking for opinions...
I'm heading out next week for a 6 week section hike, where I plan to make up my mind on my next chapter. I am looking at a few different grad programs, a few different jobs, or the idea of saying "screw it all" and adventuring until it's time to ride off into the sunset:-?
Thanks in advanced for the soundboard, 2 pennies, and time.
The Phoenix
09-29-2015, 23:03
I should also pose the question... If not a ranger or somebody working in the Parks... what are some other outdoor alternatives in terms of jobs/careers?
I spent several years working for the contractor to the U.S. Antarctic Program. Was a great gig and came with lots of travel and time off. Paid fairly well also. I worked a full time position but most of those jobs are contracted during the Austral Summer which leaves lots of time off during the summer here. Lockheed-Martin are the current contractors. You might check them out.
That job opened up many other possibilities and I ended up doing marine biology for the last 10 years in Hawaii. I have a chemistry degree so it wasn't too far fetched. I'm looking at a position in South America after my thru-hike attempt next year.
MuddyWaters
09-30-2015, 05:38
Its a tough choice. You are young and faced with options.
Reality is, if you want to have a family, things will get expensive though. Low paying NPS jobs may not always cut it. Almost universally, fun , low education requirement jobs dont pay well.
If you can be some type high skilled consultant, like environmental, you can spend a lot of time working in great places and be well paid. Also, some self employed people like writers, etc can live anywhere and work from home. Likewise, internet companies and websites can be run from almost anywhere.
Home, cars, medical care, good schools for kids, vacations for them, travel sports for serious athletes, cars for kids, college educations, all cost money. Lots of it. Incredible amts of it. No, really incredible amts of it.
Most people want to give their kids a good life and good education and start on theur own life. Make no mistake, the environment and friends kids have, have a tremendous impact on them, greater than parents. Unfortunately, learning environments in rural areas tend to not be the best.
You can have anything you want, but you cant have it all. You just have to choose whats most important to you, now, and in the future. Just food for thought.
I would say that for many, trying to find a high paying job 40 hr per week job close enough to areas with outdoor recreation is an acceptable compromise. Hence colorados front range population.
Lots of people actually do volunteer work on trails and parks on their vacation time as a way to spend time outdoors , working with others. Hard labor on vacation, just to be able to spend time out there.
rocketsocks
09-30-2015, 06:08
Do you really wanna work for a living? Make some big money where your at, then spend the rest of your life out of doors.
...and could ya get Dallas a couple first round running backs, a tight end to play the other side so poor Jason witten(my hero) dosen't have to carry the team again all year. and a kick ass return man on special teams. Thanks in advance.
Down and out in Dallas
bigcranky
09-30-2015, 09:44
Lots of choices.
Working as a park ranger is a tough way to make a living. Most jobs are seasonal, so you move around a lot, with no guarantee of another placement, crappy park housing, low pay, and few or no benefits as a seasonal. Budgets keep getting cut, visitation is up while staffing is down.
All that said, it can be a fun job for a few years, and the rangers I've known have greatly enjoyed aspects of the job. (My partner worked for the NPS in grad school.)
One other option is to take a job in your field, assuming it pays well, and live so far below your means that you can save 50-75% of your pay. Just avoid all the usual societal pressure -- live in a very small house, use a cheap prepaid phone, skip the cable bill, drive a ten year old car, eat mostly at home, and sock away the money with the plan to retire at 35 or so and spend the rest of your life hiking and enjoying the outdoors.
EDIT: ignore folks who say you "wasted" your education when choosing a career that you want. I have a degree in economics from a top university, and have made my living as a photojournalist for thirty years. Yeah, I "wasted" my degree, but I've enjoyed the heck out of my career. (But given what photogs get paid, I was in no position to choose Option 2 and retire early.)
+1 on what Cranky says. You will have to determine what your "passion" is. Spent 30 years in public service, not as a NPS Ranger but State law enforcement. Same issue, low pay. Go for what is in your heart. All the money from a job your really hate can't make up for it. The old adage "where there is a will, there is a way" applies here. I am sure you will find what works for you. Good luck.
You should work to live, not live to work.
If you're happy with what you're doing then do it. Yes there's an argument that if you weren't going to apply your specific education to anything, then maybe you shouldn't have embarked on it in the first place, but it's certainly better to 'waste' an education than waste a life.
That being said, there needs to be some balance. If you require certain things to be happy (eg. live an expensive lifestyle, have an expensive partner, want a big house, etc.), then there will obviously need to be some compromise on your job.
It sounds like you're spending your entire life working, which is fine, if you're the sort of person who can be happy doing that. I'm the other end of the spectrum; I'd rather be working a low-wage job with lots of time to do what I love. I don't live a particularly expensive lifestyle so have no need to have a 'great' job. I don't think I'd enjoy any job I could get really, so to me it's about having something with the least amount of responsibility and maximum flexibility with regards to my personal life.
Smoky Spoon
09-30-2015, 13:07
A degree is never wasted regardless what it is in. The college experience is a learning experience in and of itself so when people tell you that you are wasting your degree they might want to check into college. Getting up and going to class ontime, maintaining a good grade point average, maintaining a good attendance record, interacting with different people from different cultures other than yourself, exploring who you are and who you want to be, etc all these are so much more than a single subject of a degree.
You seem to have a lot of experience in traveling around and speaking with people, trying to recruit them etc. I know you mentioned the BLM and NPS so I will leave them alone since you already have them covered, but wondered if you considered applying to some outdoor magazines, outdoor suppliers, etc? Not as in working at REI as a sales person but as in through the bigger companies themselves where you could put on their equipment and test it out for them as well as show them to people you meet while doing so. Maybe you could also take some extra writing classes and go to those companies and be a contributor?
The idea of working a job for ten years and retiring is not a bad option either. As a retiree you could take on a smaller job like I have and still do as you love, being outdoors hiking. When I went to a financial advisor and told them I wanted to retire they told me the biggest thing I needed to do was increase my income and decrease my bill output. I did that in five years and retired. It was hard, but the cool thing on hiking is once you have the equipment it is pretty cheap, at least until you have to replace your equipment. BTW there are a lot of people out there who think they want to get into hiking and then quit after a few months who will sell their equipment pretty cheap, especially in yard sales, especially in the west.
I think you have some soul searching to do, what is more important to you? An income to retire early, an income to retire some day, hopefully when you are still young and can have a family, or doing what you love now and may even paying a price later for that?
My son is two years older than you and is asking himself similar questions. I will tell you what I told him, whatever you do, do it well and do what you love. A job you love that makes little money never gets as tiring as a job you hate that makes lots of money. And time, it is the one thing you never get back. Nevermind what your family and friends tell you that you should do, you are the one who not only has to make this decision but live with the consequences of it. Not anyone else but you. Good or bad, the consequences are yours and yours alone.
Whatever you decide I wish you the best and hope I helped. Happy trails.
I see some great comments here. I really agree with Muddy's comments and different folks may like others better. But I think it's one of those things, when it comes down to it - you're gonna have to figure out for yourself....I think...
When I was a young man, I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I was kinda stuck doing nothing. A day came and I had a decision to make; I had one of two places I could go - college or Vietnam. After careful deliberation that lasted about a millisecond, I decided on college. But I had no idea what I wanted to study. A man my Mom was dating at the time who didn't really know me from Adam said "Why don't you get into computers"? - so now, 49 years later, I'm a retired computer programmer.
Would I have enjoyed doing something else better? Maybe. But you can never really know, because you can only walk down one path at a time.
And I probably could have spent a lifetime hopping from one occupation to the next, looking for the perfect job - always starting over and never getting anywhere.
But for me, at some point I learned to look at it as something i had to do, in order to support the things I wanted to do. I just stuck with it, stayed active, bought a house, raised a family, and saved, saved, saved! And now I'm in the "payoff" years, and I can hike all the trails I want, whenever I want. WHAT A FEELING!!
Well, sorry for all the rambling, and all the personal reflection. But GOOD LUCK whatever you do!
Smoky Spoon
09-30-2015, 13:27
But for me, at some point I learned to look at it as something i had to do, in order to support the things I wanted to do. I just stuck with it, stayed active, bought a house, raised a family, and saved, saved, saved! And now I'm in the "payoff" years, and I can hike all the trails I want, whenever I want. WHAT A FEELING!!
Well, sorry for all the rambling, and all the personal reflection. But GOOD LUCK whatever you do![/QUOTE]
I too am reaping my rewards and love it! Kudos to you for retiring and living life to the fullest!
Happy trails!
I too am reaping my rewards and love it! Kudos to you for retiring and living life to the fullest!
Happy trails!
At 48? FANTASTIC!
(Hey, Albuquerque, huh? I was up there last year for part of the balloon fiesta. Great time! And did a great hike in the Sandias on something called the La Luz trail. I really enjoyed that hike. (Not to mention spending a beautiful day at the fiesta with 4 lovely young Texas college ladies!)
PcolaDawg
09-30-2015, 14:59
My daughter-in-law is in her third and final year at Western Carolina University getting a doctorate in physical therapy. She and my son (and their 3 trail dogs) spend a lot of their spare time hiking the Western Carolina mountains. They are trying to summit all 40 or so 6K+ peaks in North Carolina.
Now she will not likely end up in a profession where she goes backpacking as part of her job, but physical therapy is a nice background to have if you love stomping around the outdoors. And WCU may be the top university in the country for participating in outdoor adventures.
I'll be heading up there next week to do some backpacking with them and I am really looking forward to it.
Smoky Spoon
09-30-2015, 16:04
Yes at 48 and I love it! I hike in the Sandias almost every week. I know the La Luz and hike it every now and then. Very popular trail. And next week is balloon fiesta this year, very exciting time! Four huh? You must be a charmer!
At 48? FANTASTIC!
(Hey, Albuquerque, huh? I was up there last year for part of the balloon fiesta. Great time! And did a great hike in the Sandias on something called the La Luz trail. I really enjoyed that hike. (Not to mention spending a beautiful day at the fiesta with 4 lovely young Texas college ladies!)
QHShowoman
09-30-2015, 17:02
Some sound advice in this thread.
Note to Self: Time to seek out a financial advisor.
MuddyWaters
09-30-2015, 19:43
Now she will not likely end up in a profession where she goes backpacking as part of her job, but physical therapy is a nice background to have if you love stomping around the outdoors. And WCU may be the top university in the country for participating in outdoor adventures.
A friend of mine works as a contract physical therapist. Term of contract is set up front, and choose to only work 10 months per year, so can go play the other two. Downside, is moving town to town every few months. Like a rolling stone. One solution to the problem of employers not wanting to give vacation in the US.
the US gets the LEAST paid vacation in the WORLD! many countries are in the 30-35 day range. US average is 16.
Vegan Packer
10-01-2015, 02:32
Do what you love, and you will be happy, even if you don't make a lot of money. Sure, money has to be part of it, but don't do something for big bucks, thinking that you will hit it big and retire young. That happens, but it's not a given, and you could end up stuck in a career that makes you unhappy.
If you find that you are not as happy as you thought, try to move on as quickly as you can to the next thing. Again, don't look back and think of what might have been, had you moved on and found what you love.
peakbagger
10-01-2015, 06:27
From what I have been told unless you have a outdoor type degree, your career with the NPS is going to be low end labor work without a lot of chance for advancement. The other issue is that if you are white male non veteran non disabled, affirmative action is going to make it tough to move up through the ranks. NPS always needs seasonal bodies to work but transitioning to full time year round means quite a few years moving around to less than desirable jobs before you have enough seniority to get the jobs you want. Some folks especially if they have families try to stay in one spot but if they do, their advancement is going to be minimal.
PcolaDawg
10-01-2015, 09:41
A friend of mine works as a contract physical therapist. Term of contract is set up front, and choose to only work 10 months per year, so can go play the other two. Downside, is moving town to town every few months. Like a rolling stone. One solution to the problem of employers not wanting to give vacation in the US.
the US gets the LEAST paid vacation in the WORLD! many countries are in the 30-35 day range. US average is 16.
That's exactly what she's looking at right now, being a 'contract therapist'. They are also thinking of taking some time off after she gets her degree to do a thru-hike. My son, a Lt. in the Army Reserves, is only too happy to follow her around. :)
A big part of those jobs is PR. Dealing with the public, educating them, etc. Do you think you would enjoy that?
greenmtnboy
10-01-2015, 22:39
For me rural living was a draw after doing extended hiking, but didn't have much luck finding work in rural New England. My thoughts are directed toward anyone; that you have to start in at a low rung if you move and are new to an area and use the Walmart or Dunkin Donuts job as a good argument for more responsibility. If you say you are holding out for a $20 an hour plus job and you aren't working, it doesn't look too humble which is one thing employers are looking for; reliability, attitude, helpfulnessness, sociability....For those who have less in the way of economic concerns like myself, probably using networks like LinkedIn can be helpful. Long distance hiking can undermine long term employment, the moving on lifestyle with the excitement can become addictive. I know that hiking for me was partly an escape for painful suburban living, a nice healthy change.
Smoky Spoon
10-02-2015, 00:20
I love your last sentence. Brilliant....very brilliant.
For me rural living was a draw after doing extended hiking, but didn't have much luck finding work in rural New England. My thoughts are directed toward anyone; that you have to start in at a low rung if you move and are new to an area and use the Walmart or Dunkin Donuts job as a good argument for more responsibility. If you say you are holding out for a $20 an hour plus job and you aren't working, it doesn't look too humble which is one thing employers are looking for; reliability, attitude, helpfulnessness, sociability....For those who have less in the way of economic concerns like myself, probably using networks like LinkedIn can be helpful. Long distance hiking can undermine long term employment, the moving on lifestyle with the excitement can become addictive. I know that hiking for me was partly an escape for painful suburban living, a nice healthy change.
Lets not forget our families needs. I became an accountant something I really did not enjoy. However, with three children. The middle one in a wheelchair, with g-tube, treck, and always in a diaper being home nightly became important. So many of us have a period in life where me getting mine ends. During that 18 year period the times I did get into the woods were very rewarding. Looking back I just wish I had done something different during the work hours. But the years do pass.
The Phoenix
10-02-2015, 19:08
Some great advice/input from everyone. I'm casting as many lines as I can in as many different directions... hopefully by the time I'm done with my section hike, I have a little more clarity.
The thought put into these posts is much appreciated! Have a great weekend, stay dry.
Its a tough call. I've been at my current job 10 years. Its interesting and rewarding at times, but very stressful at others. Sometimes I'm tempted to make a move to something else. But the problem is that if I stay where I'm at I will be eligible for full retirement at 55. Were I to start over somewhere else the best case scenario would have me retiring at 60. Plus where I'm at I already get 4 weeks vacation a year...and since in my career field we work all of the holidays, my employer gives us the choice of getting a Christmas bonus of an extra 2 weeks pay or an additional 3 weeks of vacation. So I get up to 7 weeks a year already, and in another 4 years that will be 8 weeks. I don't know anybody else that gets that much time. For now I think I'm staying where I'm at.
Long ago I had a recruiter who told me that I didn't have much of a specialty in my chosen field so it would be difficult to place me in any of the positions I was seeking. He told me that on a Friday and I was upset at the guy over the entire weekend. On Monday I thought about what the guy had said in its entirety and then, with a more rational mind, realized the recruiter was correct. That day I changed the career course and pursed a specialty from that point forward. I was still, at that time, rather naive about how the world of job placement/seeking/success works (and realized my naivity to be true) so while I was figuring out what specialty I was going to pursue I investigated what the milestones/gatekeepers were that led to getting a good paying job in my field.
The short story to the end was that I was lucky enough to have chosen wisely twice (my line of work has massive change occur every few years so I ended up having to go through the exercise of choosing a specialty two different times). In the beginning after making the decision to specialize, while I was workng a regular job in my career field I was also teaching myself the selected specialty that I had chosen -- to the level that I eventually became an expert in the specialty. Lucky for me that specialty I had selected soon became a game changer for Fortune 1000 companies. That led to decent compensation and being able to leave the position with a company whenever I chose to do so (as well as having pretty good security when the downturns in the economy occurred since what I did for a living saved Fortune 1000 companies big bucks without having to resort to layoffs).
In addtion to all of that luck, I found out how little it takes for me to be truly happy so I had a high savings/investment rate while being compensated well for what I was doing for a living. Plus, the carrer choice I had made was just plain fun (it was my second career and who knows, maybe not my last). Not that there weren't frustrations and conflicts but overall I can say still say my second career choice was fun.
The result of all that thinking, observation, luck and extra effort was to allow me to have the money, security and time to thru-hike the AT, hike the entire PCT, start the CDT as a section hike, travel the South Pacific for months and travel some in Europe. It also allowed me the freedom to walk away from any job where my personal happiness and fulfillment was not happening and would not likely ever happen -- with the confidence that I could get a job anywhere when needed.
Today, I live in a cabin in the mountains and do pretty much whatever I choose to do every day of the week (I'm not rich by any means but I get by fine -- the neighbors are the filthy rich ones -- I live relatively frugally compared to most people).
I can not imagine ever having to go back to the subdivision life I once led during the last century. Wow, that seems so long ago and just plain long.
If you look at the numbers, you actually may spend close to half of your waking hours doing a job in a certain career. Since that kind of time adds up pretty quickly, why not do something you find interesting and then find out how that interesting activity can pay you well. Then find out what it takes (the process) to get multiple concurrent job offers doing that activity.
I would think your current activity dealing with sports and recruiting/scouting could be utilized in other fields.
By the way, during the times I was working at a particular job in my career I didn't do much in the way of hiking or outdoor activities (although I did spend some weekends and vacation time finishing the nearby bit of the PCT I had left in order to become a 2600 miler). I worked when I worked and I adventured when I was adventurng. By the way, the company where I took a job after the bulk of the PCT was finished (that particularly PCT part ended in a blizzard and left me a couple hundred miles short of finishing) -- I don't think that company knew one of the main considerations for me accepting their job offer (versus the other four job offers I had at that time) was due to their proximity to the PCT and that I could finish the remaining PCT miles at my leasure while I was employed there. It all worked out -- the job was great, I finished the remaining miles of the PCT, got paid well enough and kept my expenses low so that I could leave that job a few years later and begin the CDT.
It all works out -- I sometimes forget that but have found it to be true.
Datto
4eyedbuzzard
10-03-2015, 17:55
...
I was accepted to a job with the BLM doing some pretty cool backcountry stuff this summer, but it was only a temporary position and I had other things come up.
To end my rant with a clear question... From your experiences: Would a career in the BLM or NPS be satisfying for me, you, somebody that loves the great outdoors, freedom, etc?
Everyone in my life has their own opinions on what is best for me... and most think I would be "wasting my time, talent, brains, blah blah blah" if I was to be a park ranger. I strongly disagree with these folks, so I am looking for a different perspective from the WB community. I know being a ranger wouldn't be like a gigantic thru-hike, I know I'd have a lot of day to day tasks that aren't exactly mind blowing, and I know that I will never break any banks open will working for the Interior...
Just looking for opinions...
I'm heading out next week for a 6 week section hike, where I plan to make up my mind on my next chapter. I am looking at a few different grad programs, a few different jobs, or the idea of saying "screw it all" and adventuring until it's time to ride off into the sunset:-?
Thanks in advanced for the soundboard, 2 pennies, and time.
From what I have been told unless you have a outdoor type degree, your career with the NPS is going to be low end labor work without a lot of chance for advancement. The other issue is that if you are white male non veteran non disabled, affirmative action is going to make it tough to move up through the ranks. NPS always needs seasonal bodies to work but transitioning to full time year round means quite a few years moving around to less than desirable jobs before you have enough seniority to get the jobs you want. Some folks especially if they have families try to stay in one spot but if they do, their advancement is going to be minimal.
If you can get a full-time, career, status position (often times term and temp appointments can lead to this or the specialized experience necessary for other FT positions), here's the reality of your free time (hiking time) as a full-time federal employee. As a federal employee you will get 11 holidays and 13 sick leave days (4 hrs SL per bi-weekly pay period) for the first three years. For those first 3 years you will earn 4 hrs/PP annual leave (13 days ANNUAL LEAVE). From years 3 through 20 you will earn 6 hrs AL/PP (19 1/2 days). At 20+ years you will earn 8 hrs AL/PP (26 days). You generally cannot accumulate and carry over more than 240 hours of AL to the next year. You may be able to take some leave without pay (LWOP), but it isn't guaranteed, you lose some benefits while out, and many agencies frown upon it. On the upside is a lot of job security, grade and step increases within your job category, upward mobility/promotion if you qualify AND pursue it, and a pretty damn good benefits and retirement package. Once you are a FULL-TIME STATUS employee, most promotions, especially internal ones, are filled under "merit promotion" announcements where veteran preference does not apply, and candidates are generally on equal footing.
I cannot provide any input as to what a Park Ranger's job, or whatever job you have been offered is like, but working for the government has its pluses and minuses. You just have to figure out what's most important to you. Some will say not to worry about things like a career, benefits, retirement, etc., but there are some very positive things that come with choosing such a path in comparison to just working part-time or contract jobs between hikes. Your choice. Choose wisely.
Phoenix, I can put you in touch with a 2011 thru-hiker who now is a NPS Ranger. I'm sure she would love to talk with you about the job. PM me if you're interested.
misterfloyd
10-04-2015, 11:25
Don H.
PM sent
Floyd
This isn't the first time I've looked for feedback on the job front on WB. I know there are a lot of opinions on here and some don't necessarily align with my way of thinking, but on the whole people on this forum are on similar wave-lengths to me. Freedom, nature, and physical fitness (to varying degrees) is important to us. I love my solitude in the great outdoors, and I also love the outdoor community... I feel like those passions are almost universally shared throughout this website.
So... I cut to the chase... Following my 2009 thru-hike, I decided to go to school out West, due to the mountains, adventures abounding in every direction, and a strong education didn't hurt either...
Since graduating in early 2013, I have put my education to next to no use... I fell into football and scouting/recruiting. I spent the past few years scouting at the highest levels of D1 football and from there transitioned to a journalism/scouting gig. My region was the Mountain/Pacific Island Region. My job would bring me to some of the most scenic areas of our great country... from those locations, I got paid to watch football, talk football, and write about football. The majority of guys my age dream about having such a job... All in all I really enjoyed it... BUT---
Despite having the Rocky Mountains all around me, Hawaii, Utah, Nevada, the Pacific Northwest, etc as my stomping ground... I literally got onto a hiking trail less than a handful of times per year. I was grinding away... working 80-110 hours a week. I slept in my office more often than not. 4-5 hours of sleep was considered a good night's sleep. It really kind of sucked. My passion for football was zapped and I realized that I couldn't churn out 20-30 years in that cutthroat business.
Back to the drawing boards... My education is solid, my grades are great, I studied a unique subject or two that make me competitive for some pretty cool jobs... but, I am hesitant... I don't want to end up with this seemingly perfect job and end up missing my "freedom", nature, hiking, etc... all the things that make me, me... keep me sane, and make me happy.
This past spring I applied to somewhere between 40-50 jobs... a wide variety of fields revolving around my educational background, and a few that were a bit of a stretch.
I was accepted to a job with the BLM doing some pretty cool backcountry stuff this summer, but it was only a temporary position and I had other things come up.
To end my rant with a clear question... From your experiences: Would a career in the BLM or NPS be satisfying for me, you, somebody that loves the great outdoors, freedom, etc?
Everyone in my life has their own opinions on what is best for me... and most think I would be "wasting my time, talent, brains, blah blah blah" if I was to be a park ranger. I strongly disagree with these folks, so I am looking for a different perspective from the WB community. I know being a ranger wouldn't be like a gigantic thru-hike, I know I'd have a lot of day to day tasks that aren't exactly mind blowing, and I know that I will never break any banks open will working for the Interior...
Just looking for opinions...
I'm heading out next week for a 6 week section hike, where I plan to make up my mind on my next chapter. I am looking at a few different grad programs, a few different jobs, or the idea of saying "screw it all" and adventuring until it's time to ride off into the sunset:-?
Thanks in advanced for the soundboard, 2 pennies, and time.
go be a ranger. the upper levels of that world pay good and you could get there.
Take any path you fancy. There is no reason you can't change your route later if you don't like the scenery.
Country Roads
10-04-2015, 19:16
Life is short and you certainly don't want to turn 60 and keep thinking about all the things you didn't do.
Most people do not look at a job they did not like any regret leaving it.
Yes, we all need to make a living, but how much money do we really need? We often make our lives harder than we should.
If you can make ends meet living a modest lifestyle, then do what makes you smile and makes you happy. A person who is happy with what they are doing is a better person to be around & will live a life without regret.
My favorite "career" story - don't know if it's true, is about the Georgia Tech student that got thrown out because he didn't like to study too much, but he liked to party a lot. They told him he'd never amount to anything and would probably end up working at a hot dog stand.
So, he opened a hot dog stand across the street from Georgia Tech. Called it the Varsity. That place might be the busiest hot-dog stand in the world! If you're ever down that way, it's worth the trouble to check it out. ..plus the dogs are great.
slbirdnerd
10-05-2015, 12:52
From a single parent who is chained to a desk and an ugly commute: Choose wisely. I fell into my extremely boring, overpaid HR job and I am grateful for it every day as I can raise my child without struggling (and buy some really cool gear). But in my heart, I am very unhappy. If you have the freedom and few responsibilities, money truly is not everything. I was happiest as a loosely employed Realtor and freelance editor--and I was BROKE. Second happiest: Working in my field but at a national non-profit org...
Having said that, I have started looking at what type of work is out there for someone with my skills that would get me closer to where I want to be: outdoors related, making a difference, etc. There are a LOT of possibilities, you just have to start looking. Even if you want the stability of a "real" job, there are places to work, have a career, support a family and save for retirement where you can still be involved in the outdoors on a daily basis. Get creative, contact companies and organizations you like, that you'd WANT to work at. Just because there isn't a job posting on Monster.com doesn't mean there isn't a great job to be had...
This summer, while making rafting reservations with NOC, I stumbled upon their Careers page. I missed out on it, but they had been looking for an HR person. How cool would that have been? At least that opened my eyes to what might be possible when my son graduates in 4 years and I can move!
I have to say that since i migrated from an IT career to teaching HS English and Spanish I am much happier and I really love my time off. 10 weeks in summer. A week at Thanksgiving, a week and a half to two at Christmas, a week in the Spring, and, the last two years 20 days closed due to snow (I work in rural WV). The pay is awful and the work is the hardest thing I've ever done, but I am getting out and doing more than I ever did as a 24-7 webmaster.
I'm starting to plan a thru-hike, probably when I turn 50 in 8 years, and I plan to take a semester sabbatical (unpaid leave) for that.
aka.cyberman
10-05-2015, 20:09
You got a degree. That's an important accomplishment in itself. Now, you'll work the rest of your life, unless you win a big lottery, or inherit a lot of money. So do what you want. I suggest living within your means and save money. Someday, you'll be old like me and retire. Just roll with it. You'll figure it out.
Patrickjd9
10-05-2015, 20:53
Career advice? 35 or 40 years of spending 8+ hours a day at a desk is overrated.
mtntopper
10-05-2015, 20:57
Its a tough call. I've been at my current job 10 years. Its interesting and rewarding at times, but very stressful at others. Sometimes I'm tempted to make a move to something else. But the problem is that if I stay where I'm at I will be eligible for full retirement at 55. Were I to start over somewhere else the best case scenario would have me retiring at 60. Plus where I'm at I already get 4 weeks vacation a year...and since in my career field we work all of the holidays, my employer gives us the choice of getting a Christmas bonus of an extra 2 weeks pay or an additional 3 weeks of vacation. So I get up to 7 weeks a year already, and in another 4 years that will be 8 weeks. I don't know anybody else that gets that much time. For now I think I'm staying where I'm at.
I get that much time off.....I love it. Work for the govt.
FlyFishNut
10-05-2015, 21:40
I would suggest you think "Balance". Having a job that consumed me for about 5 years (100% commission sales) sucked, but began to pay big dividends. One morning I woke up and said, "What the hell am I doing killing myself?".
Figuring out how to work smarter, make good money and have flexibility: this is K E Y. Think balance: not sleeping at your desk (working less - thats right I said WORK LESS), but make good money to fund travel, hobbies and toys.... and botox for your wife and your child's travel soccer, xbox and now college tuition. Flexibility in hours so you can get away and have fun. The sacrifice has been that I'm not passionate about my job, but I just tell myself to get it done and reward yourself with a long weekend getaway :-)
Balance, Grasshoppa....
I've thought about your question for a few days now so came back to suggest again.
The more I thought about your situation the more, in my mind, the NPS avenue at a bottom-rung postition is a bad idea for you. Reason: You would give up a great deal in long-term opportunity. It would be much more difficult to come back to a job at say a Fortune 1000 company from a .gov or .org position. Hiring managers in the business world just won't think you have what it takes if you start down the .org or .gov career path and then come out of that to find a job in the business world. So you may be corralled into a .gov or .org line of work for the long-term (I'm sure there are exceptions but probably not many).
Also, it looks to me that you have more ambition than to settle for some low-level job at the NPS or REI where you'd be broke most of your life (even with living a frugal lifestyle). You must be good at what you do or you probably wouldn't be having so many assignments. Possibly the rigors of all the travel and sports scouting/recruiting have gotten you down a little bit and you're just trying to find something that will bring back a more centered lifestyle.
As FlyFishNut has said, this is about balance -- to me, the balance needs to be between three things:
1) Your passion
2) Your compensation
3 Your happiness
Also, if I were you would look at all the parts of your wheel of life and begin making decisions with all the life-factors considered -- here are the parts of life to consider:
1) Financial
2) Family
3) Social
4) Spiritual
5) Career
6) Physical
7) Community
8) Other
All of the above life-factors are interrelated by the way. You can't just look at say Career in a vacuum and not include Financial. Same goes for Career and Family.
My experience has been the greatest balance, for me, between all of the above factors/considerations has been with Fortune 1000 companies, particularly for those who are ambitious and looking for opportunity with a balance in their life. Why not look to see what larger companies have to offer in your line of work that might involve some activities with the outdoors? Weyerhaeuser (Seattle area) or Koch Idustries/Georgia Pacific (Atlanta area) for instance.
Datto
I fell into football and scouting/recruiting. I spent the past few years scouting at the highest levels of D1 football and from there transitioned to a journalism/scouting gig.
I heard DraftKings is going to have some openings soon -- Director of Compliance and Oversight -- Football Operations.
I once worked for a company that had a Department of Employee Surveillance (true). Those guys had no sense of humor at all. A different company where I worked had video and audio surveillance in the restrooms. Now those guys had a sense of humor (they also had terrorist defense drills for all employees once a month).
Datto.