Do you have a thirst for adventure and the great outdoors? Are you simultaneously looking for ways to balance your life, feel fulfilled, and remain financially stable? If so, you’re not alone. An increasing number of people are integrating their love of the outdoors with their careers. This is commonly referred to as an “adventure job” or “outdoor job”.
These jobs require you to spend extended amounts of time outside climbing mountains, hiking forests, camping in the backcountry, etc. These careers typically involve working directly with nature as opposed to an office or retail setting.
What Are The Advantages Of An Adventure Job?
As you’re probably already aware, working outdoors is more physically demanding than a typical office job. This means you will likely be earning a lower salary than you would in other fields. However, there are several other advantages to working in the outdoor industry and in an adventure job. These include:
Freedom – The great thing about adventure jobs is that you’re working with nature and you aren’t bound by an office or retail location. Adventure jobs allow employees to be as mobile as they want to be. If you want to travel, you can do so. If you want to live in a particular city, you can do that too.
Autonomy – Working outdoors requires a high level of self-discipline and self-reliance. These attributes are essential when it comes to how you work and how you are managed. Adventure jobs often don’t have managers. You’re working independently.
Excellent Work-Life Balance – Many traditional office jobs require you to work long hours, weekends, evenings, and even holidays. This is not ideal if you want a healthy relationship with friends, family, and loved ones. Adventure jobs, on the other hand, are usually comprised of a few, short seasons. They also provide the ability to work remotely at other times of the year.
How To Find The Right Job For You
Finding the right adventure job for you may seem like an overwhelming task. It’s important to remember that there are many different types of adventurous jobs. You can’t simply write off a certain field because you don’t love the outdoors.
You must identify what you love most about the outdoors and then find a career field that connects to it. You can start by asking yourself some questions like: What do you love about the outdoors? How does that translate into a career? What are your passions and strengths?
For example, if you love hiking, camping, and the outdoors in general, you can look for jobs that involve working with nature. This would include careers like forestry, land management, park ranger, naturalist, trail guide, wilderness therapy, etc.
9 Great Jobs For Adventure Lovers
Adventure Instructor – An adventure instructor is someone who takes people out into the wilderness and teaches them how to survive. This could mean a variety of things, but it usually involves how to camp, how to navigate nature and how to survive in extreme conditions. These instructors also often lead group activities.
Wilderness Therapist – Wilderness therapy is the practice of taking people out into nature for the purposes of therapy. A wilderness therapist is someone who works with people who might have mental health issues or be facing mental health challenges. It’s a type of therapy that’s often used in extreme environments because of the positive benefits that come from being in nature.
Park Ranger – Park Rangers are nature-based professionals who manage and patrol parks, forests, and wilderness areas across the country. They’re also called conservation officers and wildlife managers in some areas.
Forest Firefighter – Forest firefighters work in teams to put out wildfires that break out in forests and other wild areas. They work long hours and are often in high-risk situations. Forest firefighters are highly trained specialists who are called in when wildfires break out in a forest.
Mountaineering Guide – Mountaineering guides are hired by adventure tour companies to take people on mountain climbing trips. They lead groups of people to summits and help them navigate the mountain safely.
Climbing Instructor – Climbing instructors are hired by climbing gyms and outdoor adventure organizations to teach people how to climb safely. They often lead climbing trips and also act as climbing coaches.
Rock Climbing Guide – Rock climbing guides lead groups of people on rock climbing trips and helps them navigate the sport. Rock climbing guides are hired by outdoor adventure organizations.
Kayaking Instructor – Kayaking instructors are hired by outdoor adventure organizations to teach people kayaking. They might lead kayaking trips and also act as kayaking coaches.
River Rafting Guide – River rafting guides are hired by outdoor adventure companies to navigate groups down whitewater rivers. They lead groups on whitewater rafting trips and help them navigate the rapids safely.
3 Steps To Finding A Job You Love
The process of finding the right job for you doesn’t happen overnight. It’s important to remember that nothing in life comes easily, and the right job is no different.
Follow these three steps and you’re sure to find the right job for you and integrate your love of the outdoors with a financially sustainable career.
Identify Your Passion – As mentioned above, you need to know what you love most about the outdoors and what excites you. You also need to know what you want out of a career and be able to articulate this. Doing so will help you to focus your search and will help you quickly eliminate certain fields.
Identify Your Strengths – Next, you need to identify your strengths and tie them to what you love. You need to be realistic about your strengths. For example, if you love rock climbing and have a passion for it, it’s unlikely that you’ll find a job as a rock climbing guide. However, you may be able to find a career that allows you to work with rock climbing in some capacity.
Be Willing To Take Some Calculated Risks -You need to be willing to take some calculated risks. You don’t need to be reckless or jump headfirst into things without thinking them through. Instead, you need to be willing to take risks and follow your heart without being afraid of failing.
Final Words
As you’ve read, working outdoors in an adventure job can be a great way to earn a living and integrate your passions and strengths. The first step to finding the right adventure job for you is to identify what you love about the outdoors and what excites you about it. Next, you need to identify your strengths and tie them to what you love. Finally, you need to be willing to take some calculated risks and follow your heart.
