UKC

Hi,

I am currently on a career break and deciding what I want to do with my life. After working in an office job designing climbing walls I'm looking for something new, preferably outdoors and on my feet as 1 year sat down most of the time has hit my fitness badly.

So I am considering the MIA then progressing on to MIC and maybe training to be a Guide.

The only stumbling block is whether my partner will let me, and that comes down to a question of finances and planning so I have a few questions.

How much can you make per year as an MIA? and MIC?
What are the seasonal variations on this?
How much free time do you have (asking this as I'm also thinking of running a secondary business alongside)?

Feel free to message me directly as I'm sure you wouldn't want to discuss this on a forum.

In reply to JohnBson:

I'm currently working towards MIA after doing the training last june. It has been a lifestyle choice and I'm lucky to live in a place that allows me to get out when I can and I have a wife who supports me financially as she's the breadwinner.
I am a qualified teacher but I only work on supply basis though this does pay quite well and through the summer I use my ML award for mountain hikes and DofE work and I have a good balance here as winter tends to be busy for teaching (lots of illness over winter!) and during the summer there's lots of DofE work and people wanting to climb snowdon.

Honestly, how much you can earn is dependent on how much time you can devote to marketing yourself, finding a niche and how far you are willing to travel for the next job. My realistic expectation when I qualify (hopefully this year) is that I won't start earning significantly more than I am currently because of the MIA - The ML will always earn more unless you're really lucky.

My advice would be to go for it if you think you can make it work, but don't expect it all to happen quickly - I thought it would be a quick transistion but once you do the training you realise how much you don't know and need to spend time perfecting before assessment.

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

I am getting the qualifications through the Reserve Forces, so the turn around should be fairly fast as they offer me plenty of opportunities for logbook experience. Plus I have far exceeded the service prerequisites for logbook experience for most courses. I need to collect more VS multipitch before I can qualify for the RCI which forms the rock climbing module of the MIA equivalent. After this the conversion to the civi qualification is a matter of money and a couple of conversion assessments.

Really the deciding factor is can I make it work? If I can then I'll put myself into completing the courses, if not then I will space them out more and keep it as a hobby and pick up qualifications as I go. As with all small businesses it will require marketing but if I have an idea of what take home pay is I can then assess and present it to my partner as a weighed up option and not just another mad plan to get outdoors... her tolerance to these is fades when money is forgotten about.

In reply to JohnBson:

I'm not certain this is true - there is no exemption from the training course for the MIA so you'd still have to do that and then the assessment also which is typically no less than 6 months assuming your logbook is up-to-date.


http://www.mountain-training.org/latest-news/the-military-and-mountain-trai...

In reply to JohnBson:

Have you got your Mountain Leader (ML) already?

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

As far as I was aware there is a cross over again at RCI and ASL forming the basis of the MIA training. I shall investigate further. Either way getting these courses done and the subsequent instruction experience will aid me getting the MIA.

In reply to JohnBson:

Outdoor adventure provision etc is becoming a very crowded market place, so think carefully. The living is not easy, but if you like working with people and get gratification from their experience it's worth it.

This may be of some help.....

http://www.access-mountain.com/#!How-to-survive-a-career-in-the-outdoors/c7...

In reply to Murko Fuzz:


yeah, MIAs are qualifying quicker than they are dying. (probably not a bad thing overall). It's tough for those who are one ticket ponies. Diversification is key to avoid continuously chasing scraps of work. Canoe, Kayaking, Cave, Sailing, Skiing etc.. or in the OP's a secondary business that can be fitted in flexibly.

In reply to JohnBson:



I'm not expecting you to answer this on this forum, but just to ask yourself:-

You are 18. Is this current partner the Life Partner, that you would sacrifice this prime period of your life for?
And even if the answer is yes.
Would not being 'allowed' to follow your preferred career path in time destroy any future relationship with your partner anyway, or could you get over it?

In reply to Murko Fuzz:

I thought Murko Fuzz had rebranded themselves or was that only FB !!

In reply to Jim C:

I'm actually going on 28 and have a solid partner who has put up with a lot of my hobbies and me for a long time. I know shes definitely knows I need to be outdoors and shes much the same, we have discussed both going down the MIA route. However it's in her nature to worry more about money than me and having a plan, even a loose one is enough to keep the long haired general satisfied. My main problem in my previous employment was that as a designer I am stationary all day, at a computer, I feel it's time for a change and I'm working out what shape the change will be.

I fully intend to keep designing freelance, probably also work towards a teaching qualification as I really enjoy helping people learn. I think for me diversification works I don't really like a single job. I probably should just do it and work it out later.

In reply to JohnBson:

There is no formal cross over I'm afraid. As @highclimber posted in the Mountain Training infographic.

If you don't have the civilian ML you will have to do the civilian assessment - you can apply for exemption from training based on experience but you'll still have to do the Summer Ml assessment. There is no exemption route for MIA Training nor the assessment.

In reply to JohnBson:

Profile says 18

In reply to Kimberley:

Only on FB currently, though I think his time has come here too.