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jmcdonou
10-12-2008, 14:09
I thru hiked in 07 after graduating college, goofed off afterward and became a raft guide on the Ocoee. Now I am looking to get a real job. I've talked to some successful people who told me how to talk up my rafting job and was wondering if anyone had anything useful that I could use to talk about my thru hike in a job resume.

I know I need to talk about the planning it took,
Being goal-driven

Anything else?

I appreciate it

sbennett
10-12-2008, 14:22
Just be prepared to embrace any questions as to WHY you chose to thru-hike and then be a raft guide rather than go ahead and get a "real" job.

Hikes in Rain
10-12-2008, 14:22
Resourcefulness and self-reliance. Determination. Sheer cussed stubbornness in the pursuit of a goal. Ability to make and keep to a budget, wise utilization of resources. I know I'd look favorably on a thru-hiker, should one apply.

Bearpaw
10-12-2008, 14:34
I had a number of interviews after my thru-hike. Some employers were skeptical about my thru-hike. I knew right then this was NOT someone I wanted to work for. I actually turned down one such offer.

Some were interested and excited by my thru-hike. I finally took a job with one and while I was only there for a year and a half, I appreciated the fact that my boss was supportive of my having a life outside work.

smaaax
10-12-2008, 16:22
Resourcefulness and self-reliance. Determination. Sheer cussed stubbornness in the pursuit of a goal. Ability to make and keep to a budget, wise utilization of resources. I know I'd look favorably on a thru-hiker, should one apply.

I agree with all of the above.

I had my hike on my resume, and I definitely think it helped me get a job, or at least set me apart from other candidates. One recruiter told me he called me because of my hike.

Interviewers were mainly impressed with the dedication aspect, I think.

The hike says many things about your character, and everyone I interviewed with was impressed with it, and it caused friendly banter, which is a good thing.

jmcdonou
10-12-2008, 16:42
Just be prepared to embrace any questions as to WHY you chose to thru-hike and then be a raft guide rather than go ahead and get a "real" job.

Think it would be wise to tell them I needed to get my beerbelly back?

No really my college girlfriend was a year behind me. She graduated with a graphic design degree and we decided to have a fun summer. She took the pictures while I rafted.

Thanks for everyones help

Hikes in Rain
10-12-2008, 16:56
I agree with all of the above.

I had my hike on my resume, and I definitely think it helped me get a job, or at least set me apart from other candidates. One recruiter told me he called me because of my hike.

Interviewers were mainly impressed with the dedication aspect, I think.

The hike says many things about your character, and everyone I interviewed with was impressed with it, and it caused friendly banter, which is a good thing.


Said it before, but I need to elaborate. Folks who've done a thru-hike, or attempted one, or anything similar impress me, for all those reasons and more.

I'm hiring right now, in two offices in Florida's panhandle. Environmental scientist (wetland experts) and field inspectors for stormwater systems and wetland impacts. End of shameless plug.... :sun

Feral Bill
10-12-2008, 17:23
Rafting guide = people skills

Walkie Talkie
10-12-2008, 17:36
Employer love to hear about setting and achieving goals. Be prepared to reassure tham that you aren't going to go awol and hike for 6 months next year. Tell them it is something you are concidering after you retire.

nufsaid
10-12-2008, 18:08
Your hike shows your ability to set a goal and follow through in spite of obstacles. Also self discipline. These are traits that are valued by those looking to hire.


Good luck to you.

CaptChaos
10-12-2008, 23:00
Put down that you hiked the AT and completed it in so many days. Stress the planning, decision making and the interaction skills that you acquired in dealing with other hikers, small town store keepers and others that you ran into on the trail.

You might never know what a person on the other end of the resume might see in your trip but it could open doors.

Years ago I was granted an interview with a very nice company in the Nashville, TN area. I was not sure how I got the interview but I was glad to go. During the course of my interview the main person told me that he had seen my remark that I enjoyed reading about the history of Egypt and the 18th dyn. I was asked point blank why I liked to study and ready about Egypt.

I told the person that it was hard to explain but that I had run across references to Egypt while reading the Bible and that I wanted to know who Pharoh was since it was not referenced in the Bible.

At the point the manager of the branch that I was interviewing at said "I knew you were a detail person. No one studies that stuff without a reason and I wanted to know why you did. I like people like you because you ran into a question and you kept digging until you found your answer. I need people like you here at my company".

While it did not work out in the end I do remember that it was that part of my resume that got me in front of the hiring person and not my technical background.

All experiences are important. When I was 13 my Grandfather used to pick me up early each Sat morning and take me to his factory that he was in charge of. It was my job to clean over 18 toliets and make the bathrooms spotless. At the end of the day my Grandfather would come in and review my work and then take me back home.

He taught me that whatever the job was that you do it will all of your abilites and do it the best way that you can. I'm 51 now but you know what? If I had to lose my job and clean restrooms for a living I could do it and do it with a smile on my face until something else came around. What about you?

Good luck with your career search.

kayak karl
10-13-2008, 07:53
Be careful using the term "real job". if you shovel snow, rake leaves or clean toilets (as others have said) it is a REAL job. it pays the bills. if you insult your past employer, how will the new one perceive that?
just a little hint.

had employees that worked for me for 2-3 years (35K a yr) and then left for REAL JOBS.

NICKTHEGREEK
10-13-2008, 09:19
First question I'd ask before offering advise is what kind of job are you looking for (McD's or Secretary of the Treasury) and what did you major in at school?

Jim Adams
10-13-2008, 10:15
common sense and day to day problem solving.

geek

clodhopper
10-13-2008, 11:07
Interacting with disparate and unique individuals on the trail can tell an employer a lot about your ability to fit in their work environment.

On the flip side, self-reliance also has value.

Lion King
10-13-2008, 11:42
Jobs you can get from being a raft guide/Hiker:

Raft Guide

Hike leader

Hoods in the woods leader

Life guard

Deodarant tester

Gear tester

Food tester

Beer tester

Undercover hippie for the FBI

The list is endless...
:D


On a less sarcastic note, yeah, the determination and resourcefulness and ability to deal with things on a personal level that would stress out or break the common man is a plus for sure. You could even share some of those stories of 'getting over' with them to impress them with your ability to make it through life and death situations as well as things as simple as burying your own poo.

Good luck

chief
10-13-2008, 12:28
Unless you're applying for a outdoor oriented job where backpacking may be relevent, I'd be really careful about placing too much emphasis on what will be seen as nothing more than a leisure activity. Employers are more interested in hearing about determination and resourcefulness in your work history. List backpacking under Other Interests and you might get lucky and get an interviewer who has some interest in it. On the other hand, a paragraph or two describing your habit of taking weeks or months long hikes will explain a lot about those big fat holes in your work history. Reject Bin...

notorius tic
10-13-2008, 13:01
BEER TESTER enough said.

taildragger
10-13-2008, 13:04
Oddly enough, I'm getting a 2nd interview with a company as an engineer based on my outdoor experience (I'm an engineer who hate sitting behind a desk, and to some people that is very valuable)

Certain careers do look at people who are considered adventurous. If you've got a technical degree, look at Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, and Halliburton, they want smart people who are used to living a more rugged life in rural areas.

smaaax
10-13-2008, 15:44
Unless you're applying for a outdoor oriented job where backpacking may be relevent, I'd be really careful about placing too much emphasis on what will be seen as nothing more than a leisure activity. Employers are more interested in hearing about determination and resourcefulness in your work history. List backpacking under Other Interests and you might get lucky and get an interviewer who has some interest in it. On the other hand, a paragraph or two describing your habit of taking weeks or months long hikes will explain a lot about those big fat holes in your work history. Reject Bin...

I disagree, it helped me get a job as a mechanical engineer....

Live the Journey
10-13-2008, 17:08
I have a buddy that helps hire new folks for his big IT business...He told me that whenever he reads a resume that talks about doing stuff like running marathons, doing triathlons, or long distance hiking that he immediatley moves that resume to the top because he knows how much dedication and determination it takes to do those things. He said that if you can get someone like that on your team and you can approach things with them in a manner that they can really use then those team members are worth their weight in gold....
may not help you with what to say, but it's definatley something to think about and made me think a lot about what I put in the extra-curricular part of my resume.

There is not better way of proving that when you're engaged and invested in a goal that you see it through like a thru hike. Talking to other people (esp. those that are unfamiliar with the trail) about the normal trials and tribulations that go into even a "best-case-senario" thru hike can open their eyes to what you're capable of (i.e. water shortages, crossing a ridge just to come face to face with a huge black stormcloud, snakes, mice infested food, etc.) and how all of those things brought about opportunities for you to delegate, trouble shoot, learn from your mistakes, etc.

Egads
10-13-2008, 17:14
Believe it or not, good health is preferred by employers. A hiker is probably in better shape than a non-hiker.

Gaiter
10-13-2008, 19:00
my 'professional' website (basically just my resume) has a link to my two hikes that link is labeled 'long distance hiking on the appalachian trail: a testament of my hard working nature' if the employer finds it interesting then they usually bring it up, if they don't bring it up, then i don't mention it.

the goat
10-13-2008, 19:32
i didn't get a "real job" after college until i was 25. in my experience, some places i interviewed saw my hiking years as a liability; but the ones that didn't were impressed with it.

i tried to spin it as an example of "never giving up" or "pushing yourself to accomplish a goal".

the bottom line: it can and will help you, but for it to help you, you must not shy away from talking a/b your hiking/ guiding years in the interview. rather, sell them to the person who is interviewing you as assets. you also need to make it clear that you're not going to leave the position when next hiking/ rafting season comes around.:D

good luck!

sticks&stones
10-13-2008, 19:41
make sure what it says on your resume exsplains, in a few chice words, what a thru hike is. Some employers just dont grasp the concept. so its important to word it (in as few words as possible) so that it would intrigue someone who wasnt aware that people do such things.

superman
10-13-2008, 19:55
Any employer who doesn't appreciate where you've been won't appreciate where you're going. It doesn't matter if you're insane if they're looking for a nut. In other words...don't worry about it...just be yourself.:-?

Jim Adams
10-13-2008, 20:33
You would be surprised what raft guiding prepares you for. First aid, life saving skills, wilderness survival skills, intense immediate decision making, rescue, weather reading, river and water reading, responablity, accountability, safety, conditioning, rope skills, swimming skills, people skills, working as a team and if you make it through the entire first season you will probably do it for several years. One more skill that comes readily to mind...by the end of the season, it is just like herding cattle....cowboy skills!
I would hire a raft guide with more than 1 year experience EVERYTIME...they are usually very hard working multi talented individuals.

geek

Reid
10-13-2008, 22:07
John Glen, hopefully you know who that is, once said that the only thing comparable to being an astronaut was wilderness hiking.

Montana AT05
10-14-2008, 15:45
A couple of comments, some which have already made above.

1. Never except a job from a person who looks down on the decision to thru-hike (or on any adventure, risk based effort). Never, never, never. These are bad people to work for--they have no spark. No light. They exist for cubicles and mediocrity. They are bitter because of it and want you to fall as well. Don't.

2. A thru-hike can be a hard goal to accomplish. There are times you want to quit--when you despair--when you doubt. But you pull through--you attain your goal. Meanwhile, millions of people sit in cubicles abusing email and internet while at work--gossiping about co-workers, backstabbing, you name it. Ya, which employee would YOU want?

3. Unless this country falls into a true Depression--remember, YOU have options. Don't settle for any job. Don't throw your life away--especially at the start, when such things become habit.

4. Consider the difference between the employee-mindset and the employer-mindset. Which do you want to be?

5. Lastly--remember, a job interview is a two-way street. Don't be arrogant--the employer creates jobs and opportunity. That deserves respect. But you aren't a beggar either. An employer who expects you to act like a beggar has worse things in store for you after you accept. You want a job you will enjoy--that pays well. Look for people who have that "spark", people who understand that risk is ok. That security is sometimes an illusion.

Don't be "another brick in the wall". Always have a plan--for today and tomorrow. Your daily actions, your work, your words and you thoughts should reinforce that plan.

Jim Adams
10-14-2008, 18:31
John Glen, hopefully you know who that is, once said that the only thing comparable to being an astronaut was wilderness hiking.

sounds spacey!

geek

A-Train
10-14-2008, 21:18
You're getting a lot of great advice.

I've had similar experiences to many, and as Goat mentions, some willthink it's cool and an asset, and some as a risk and liability.

IME, you probably won't convince many people of the positives of a long hike; They'll either think it's really cool and valuable or not, right away. It's a personality/approach to life.