Thru-hiking and Having a Job After

[mts4602]

I'm curious to know what some of you have done in regards to thru hiking and getting a job, particuarly those who graduated college and thru hiked right after.

I'm supposed to graduate in May, and like many others, this is the best time for me to do a thru hike or at least a long section hike. The problem is, my family expects me to have a job right after I graduate or a least have one lined up.

Interviews at school are already starting and I'm not really sure what to do about my situation. What have you guys done? Can I really say "I graduate in May but I can't start until August or October b/c I'm going hiking for 5 months"? I know others have done it so I'm looking to find out how you approached the situation with employers. Or did you wait until afterwards?

Thanks,

MTS

[mudcap]

Have fun while you can. Now is the time. Once you get tied down w/ a job...who knows after that. If the family is so worried tell them to pick up an extra job just in case you need some money.

Do what feels right,I did many times. I am 47 years old and have made many good/bad choices. I still do not know what I want to do when I get older.

[WetBottom]

Having never thru-hiked, I'm far from knowing anything about this. But I believe most employers see life-experience as an asset.

I would wait (if you can) to do interviews when you get back, and you can tell the interviewer what you did the months inbetween graduating and interviewing for jobs.

I don't know what field you're planning on going into... some fields may be more fickle than others.

I'd hire a thru-hiker.

[DapperD]

I'm curious to know what some of you have done in regards to thru hiking and getting a job, particuarly those who graduated college and thru hiked right after.

I'm supposed to graduate in May, and like many others, this is the best time for me to do a thru hike or at least a long section hike. The problem is, my family expects me to have a job right after I graduate or a least have one lined up.

Interviews at school are already starting and I'm not really sure what to do about my situation. What have you guys done? Can I really say "I graduate in May but I can't start until August or October b/c I'm going hiking for 5 months"? I know others have done it so I'm looking to find out how you approached the situation with employers. Or did you wait until afterwards?

Thanks,

MTS

I have to say also that I have not thru-hiked yet either. However, this is a very complicated question. Only you would have the answer. There are many variables, such as: Do you owe a lot for loans,do you have the available funds for gear and to hike,it costs a lot of money to do a thru-hike in a non-rushed way. Do you have other bills, such as rent, car payment, insurance. What is your field.Are you going to be in demand where you can just shirk these job offers and return 5 or 6 months later to recruiters who want you so bad they will even toss in the free BMW? Only you can answer these questions. The job market is bad right now. Remember that you are right to do a AT thru-hike when you are still young and strong, but many on the AT have waited years and years for the chance to thru-hike. They have raised families, paid off homes, worked till retirement, etc...your job opportunities may disappear after a short while after graduation. This could be the wrong thing to do. Only you know your situation.

[mts4602]

I am an accounting major, and from what everyone tells me, I won't have any trouble finding a job. I do not owe any loans. I have car insurrance to pay for as well as other expenses, but for the most part I can save up money for a thru hike.

This is definitly the right time for me to do something like this. I know myself, and if I keep saying I'll do it later then it will never happen.

[Matteroo]

Depends on field again, of course. Your situation's variables are entirely unique. If 'interviews' are starting now you are either in a very niche field (like zoologists that study the behavior of lemurs in captivity...) or in a high demand field (accounting or some sort of business mumbo jumbo or engineering or who knows.. anyways..). If the former, investigate thoroughly, the latter, less worry.

To gather more information about the external aspect (job - not your family, loans, desires) Personally I'd speak with one of your professors who teaches the 'subject matter' that corresponds closest to your field of major - get a contact person in the industry/field from them, or contact one of these companies HR people and run it past them I suppose - you can crouch your hike in whatever terms you'd imagine having completed the trail would imbue/highlight in your personality (dedication, commitment, perseverance in the face of great difficulty/challenge, adaptability, long term goal keeping, etc) so you don't sound looney just to say you 'want to be in the woods for 5 months...'.

or you don't have to say you are going hiking but can say you have a temporary commitment until the previous fall / you need to take care of family things / etc - you can make it vague, yet express great interest in their company.

[Matteroo]

okay dude just saw your post. by all means i'd say do it with that field!!

And for your car, while you hike if you store it in your parents drive way or something you can just have an extremely basic level of coverage if nobody is driving it and pay either nothing or maybe $10-20 a month to keep it covered if someone slammed into it drunk off the street or a tree fell on it...

[DapperD]

I am an accounting major, and from what everyone tells me, I won't have any trouble finding a job. I do not owe any loans. I have car insurrance to pay for as well as other expenses, but for the most part I can save up money for a thru hike.

This is definitly the right time for me to do something like this. I know myself, and if I keep saying I'll do it later then it will never happen.

I believe I was reading in the paper recently that accountants are very much in demand. Not saying accounting, but I learned that sometimes people go to college, and then by the time they finish,there is no demand anymore for their chosen field. Jobs are being outsourced,etc... and it is a more challenging world today. It sounds as if you are in a position to just go for it. As you say, if you put it off then who knows. Whatever you choose, good luck to you.

[billy231]

I had the opportunity to thru-hike after graduation but passed it up for a job. I never could find the time afterwards. Years later I still regret that decision. Each March the regret really sets in. Well...maybe after retirement. I say...do it now.

[Peaks]

When our daughter finished graduate school, she told prospective employees that she would not start until the fall, in order to do a long distance trip over the summer.

Based on that, just be up front during the interview process.

[modiyooch]

I think that it is a reasonable gap in the resume. Interviews are always good experience. I wonder, though, if it is best to make a decision on a job when you get back. Thru hikes tend to change ones perspective. I also wonder if it is best to say "I will be thru hiking" or "I have a personal commitment". It hard to say, but definately take the time while you can. You can satisfy your family with a job, easily; a career will take more effort.

[modiyooch]

This is a good thread. We need to hear more from the business side.

[spittinpigeon]

You'll be working for the rest of your life, it can wait. Hit the trail else you'll regret it.

[GeoHiker]

Im in the exact same situation, except ive already graduated. Im planning a late feb. or early march start, and have been interviewing and what not to get my foot in the door and get some experience with that. I am in the Geology/environmental field and the market is terrible, so i decided to get a temp jon and walk the green tunnel. Hopefully the market will be better when i return. Best wishes and good luck with your decision.

[rafe]

Roll the dice. The US economy sucks at the moment, and I don't see it getting better any time soon. How should that affect your plans? Who knows?

I can't imagine an employer offering a job to start six months from now, unless you're a superstar with a golden resume. They can't see into the future any better than you can. There's no incentive for them to "lock in" an unknown, especially with the market in such a shaky condition.

I quit my job in March 1990 in order to thru-hike. By June I was off the trail, and I took the rest of the summer off. Around September I started looking around, and by February or so, I started getting serious job offers. That was during a mild recession. I'm guessing the one we're up against now will be longer and deeper.

[hiker51]

I actually think it will add something to your resume. I hire people for jobs that do not start right away and as long as that was on the table from the start (and not made an issue at the time of the offer) it would not matter. I agree that most folks hire for opening that exist immenently though. Fresh out of college with a hike is, to me, better than fresh out of college with no "interesting" life experience. And it is so true that there probably won't be a better time than now!

[Odd Thomas]

Roll the dice. The US economy sucks at the moment, and I don't see it getting better any time soon. How should that affect your plans? Who knows?

I can't imagine an employer offering a job to start six months from now, unless you're a superstar with a golden resume. They can't see into the future any better than you can. There's no incentive for them to "lock in" an unknown, especially with the market in such a shaky condition.

I quit my job in March 1990 in order to thru-hike. By June I was off the trail, and I took the rest of the summer off. Around September I started looking around, and by February or so, I started getting serious job offers. That was during a mild recession. I'm guessing the one we're up against now will be longer and deeper.

Yea, the bad thing about the recession this time is it's in the dollar and real estate, this is like cancer in the lymph nodes.

[TwoForty]

First off, don't pay attention to what your family says. It's your life.

What worked for me was getting a job in November and asking if I could start in July, giving me 2 months for a long section hike. Most won't hire that far in advance, but I got lucky.

[smaaax]

Do the hike, I did pretty much the same thing, and some recruiters called me BECAUSE I had the AT on my resume. It is definitely something to set you apart from other interviewees.

[jmhouse]

One of my friends is an accountant and the firm he works for didn't have him start until sometime in October even though he interviewed for the job in early spring (before graduating). From what I understand in that field, starting in the fall gives you enough training time to get ready for the busy tax season. I think you'll be ok. go for it

I'm quitting my job next spring to thru-hike, so I am sort of in the same boat as you. Only I have a bit of work experience to work off of when I start interviewing again after the hike. My field can also be quite flaky (software engineering)