So - You Want
to Play for a Living?
Life and work in the outdoor industry
Jeff Minthorn
It's 7:00 a.m. and Rachel Jamieson is getting ready for
another tough day at the office. She pulls on her usual
office attire, T-shirt, fleece sweater, quick-dry shorts,
then crawls out of her tent and begins packing her gear into
a waterproof canoe pack.
Rachel works as an instructor at Boundless
Adventures and her office is 10 kilometres of pristine river
in the Madawaska Valley, near Ottawa, Ontario. She'll be spending
the next five days on trip, teaching people the ins and outs
of white water canoeing, rock climbing and camping.
Brutal summer job, right? Well, sometimes
it is, but most of the time there's no other place Rachel
would rather be.
Working in the outdoor industry is, in
many ways, one of the most rewarding jobs you could find.
You get to meet a lot of amazing people, travel to some incredible
places and get paid to play.
For Rachel, the constant challenge is
the most rewarding part of the job. "There is no ceiling you
can hit because there's always a new move or a new method
required for improvement and success. When I'm at work I'm
always pushing myself to try new things and improve on learned
skills. I love tackling the personal goals".
So, how does one snag a job like this?
Well, it takes a bit more than hitting a couple of outdoor
stores and buying a bunch of gear. It takes a lot of training,
the drive to gain experience and most importantly, an ability
to work with people.
Prior to being hired as an instructor,
Rachel spent three intense months learning the ropes in a
guide training program run by the School of Wilderness Arts
and Technology. While on course, she ate, breathed and slept
outdoor skills training.
"We teach skills that range from white
water canoeing and kayaking, to rock climbing and wilderness
first-aid" says Mike Desrochers, the program's director. "But
the most important thing that we try to instil in our students
is that no matter how good your hard skills are, it's your
leadership and people skills that are going to carry the day."
"Though hard skills are the solid base
of the job," says Rachel, "people skills are a huge part of
working in the outdoor industry. People need to trust you
in order to challenge themselves. The personal connections
really make a trip."
This morning, Rachel and her co-instructors
are preparing their clients for their first taste of white
water canoeing. Lots of excitement, but some people are clearly
nervous. To these new paddlers, the foaming water looks huge.
Some are convinced that the nearest they want to come to the
rapids is at the far end of their TV remote control.
This is the tough part - convincing people
to move outside of their comfort zone. Many of these people
are really afraid of the water. As a guide, you need to have
the hard skills necessary to show clients that they are in
good hands, and the people skills necessary to gain their
trust.
Of course, like any job, you can't blow
sunshine you-know-where forever. There are downsides. For
Rachel, it's the long hours. "While on trip it's easy to forget
about personal needs like sleep, rest and space. Downtime
can become a precious commodity. On one of my toughest days,
I woke up exhausted and paddled twenty kilometres with a paddling
partner who chose not to paddle."
Mike Desrochers offers these observations
about his chosen career: "Working in the outdoors, doing the
things that you love to do and being paid for it, is extremely
satisfying. However, if you're looking for a cushy, high-paying
job, it may not be for you. Despite the increasing interest
in adventure travel and ecotourism, the skills that most guides
possess are generally undervalued." Put it this way. You won't
get rich as a guide.
There are a lot of different ways to
go about gaining the skills required to work as a guide. With
the growing interest in adventure tourism, outdoor education
programs have been springing up like mushrooms. A number of
colleges and universities offer programs that vary in length
from one-year diploma programs to four-year university degrees.
There are also a number of private companies offering shorter
intensive courses that focus more specifically on skills training
(white water paddling, climbing, mountaineering).
The college and university courses tend
to paint outdoor education with a very broad brush. A skills
component is always included as part of the curriculum, but
there is also a hefty bit of theory. For example, students
in Algonquin College's Outdoor Adventure Program will find
themselves hopping from kayaking and rock climbing, to accounting
and marketing.
Private schools tend to run programs
that focus more on skills training and gaining the certifications
that are required to instruct others. Programs generally vary
in length from one to three months and provide a fast-track
into the industry. There is typically less emphasis on the
business side of the outdoor industry, but they definitely
give students a solid skills base (and depending on the program,
a fat resume).
Rachel offers this advice for anyone
interested in pursuing a career in the outdoors: "Many programs
exist that offer various qualifications and soft skill training.
Be sure to apply to a program or job that suits your needs
and propels you to achieve your goals."
So, how do you get your foot in the door?
How do you know (before you drop a chunk of time and cash)
if this is for you? Try taking a course, paddling, climbing
- whatever. Spend some time talking with the instructor and
get their take on the industry. Chances are that they'll give
you a pretty candid view of the good the bad and the ugly.
It is possible to do some exploring by
taking courses and earning high school credits at the same
time. Outward Bound Canada offers several outdoor programs
that can be counted as credits toward a high school diploma.
Another way to get some information is
to drop by a store that sells quality outdoor gear. Quite
often people working in these places also do some guiding
or instructing and are usually more than happy to answer questions
and share some war stories.
Seven sets of rapids later, Rachel's
group is stoked. The clients who were so nervous at the beginning
of the day are clearly elated. "I love the looks on clients'
faces when they blast through a set of rapids they thought
was impossible. A memory that will last in my mind for a long
time - eleven boats stopping mid-stroke to watch an eagle
soar."
For instructors and guides, days are
long and sometimes gruelling. But at the end of the day seeing
the sense of accomplishment of the faces of your clients -
that's payback.
Getting your foot in the door
Find out as much as you can about the various
programs offered. They are not all the same. It will help
if you have some idea of the type of career that you are interested
in and where you would like to work.
Talk to potential employers about the sorts
of qualifications and certifications they require and find
out if the program you are interested in offers those certifications.
Here's a short list of places to start.
Check out www.schoolfinder.com
for a more extensive list of university and college Outdoor
Education Programs. Just enter "outdoor" in the program search
box.
