UKC

It's quite common to see people doing their MIA training to advertise on here offering free instruction for their pre assessment log book experience, which suggests that quite a few people are undergoing training and assessment for this excellent qualification. It makes wonder if there is really that much demand for so many instructors out there? For every job we see advertised I wonder how many jobs there are out there? The more people who qualify the greater the demand for jobs will become which makes me wonder if instructing is not, or already has, become an over subscribed profession?

Any comments from MIAs out there? How easy is it to get a job at an outdoor pursuits school or clients as a free lance instructor?

In reply to Trangia:

Well the Association of Mountaineering Instructors, the professional association for people with MIA / MIC has 900 and something members, although not all MI's are members.

You won't get work just by being an MIA, most people work very hard to get MIA type work and a lot of people have other strings to their bow.

The vast majority of my work is MIA related, but it's taken a lot of time and effort to get to where I am. Wouldn't swap it though, except for a winning lottery ticket!

Here's a bit about my path, although it's a bit old now: http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/about/how-i-became-self-employed/

In reply to Trangia:

I think you'd struggle to get a full time job out of it alone, and there are limits on course providers which is a good and bad thing.

I suppose it depends what you're doing it for? It certainly opens up a lot of doors from tech advising to course directing etc as well as your general teaching days.

In reply to jezb1:

Thanks for the Head Up Jezz.

A really interesting resume.

In reply to Trangia:

I would say it's getting crowded. I have my MIC and get plenty of trade, but I do wonder where it's all going.
It seems that as the the interest in being an instructor swells so does public regognition and an interest in hiring professional services.
The freelance instructor is a popular lifestyle choice these days, I'm not sure what sort of continuity and career longevity they might experience or choose though.

In reply to Trangia:

Pleasure

In reply to Trangia:

Every MIA I know gets by, although none are wealthy. There's no doubt that the ones who do best have either built there business up over several years and/or have qualification in other disciplines like paddlesports, biking, or even non-sporting activities like web design. A winter qualification (WML, MIC or skiing) is also pretty much essential to achieving year-round cash-flow.

The path that many take is to seek work at an outdoor ed centre, which will typically be at the lower end of the pay scale and will generally involve a mix of instructing and general duties. Unglamorous, but should give you the support you need while you build up your qualifications and, crucially, start to establish networks.

HTH

In reply to Trangia:
Bump, interested to hear other current MIA's perspectives on this.

In reply to Trangia:
Hi Trangia
I have held my MIA for over 10 years and in that time done a few different roles, including typical MIA work on learning to lead, multi pitch etc, also worked on instructor training courses (2 year course's and NGB awards), as a college lecturer in outdoor ed, and as a technical advisor.

a few years ago I moved to the French alps gained recognition and the paperwork to work here, now mainly stuff based around sports climbing,

each role has good and not so good bit's, but over all I love doing it and wouldn't want to change, I also work as a kayak coach/guide and hold my IML which gives me a nice mix of things.

as to how easy it is to find work that's hard to say, I have found it fine and worked full time in adventure for quite a long time now, but maybe I have been lucky?

if any one is thinking about it, I am happy to help if you would like more info or have questions.

cheers Rob

In reply to ecrinscollective:

Hey Rob, I'd be interested to hear how you found getting your MIA viewed with equivalence to the French scheme?

In reply to Trangia:

As a new MIA, i have found that i've picked up that type of work quite quickly. Manly due to working for local providers for the last few years as ML/SPA, so they knew me well. Then when i passed, they started putting that type of work my way straight away, which was great.
But as others have said, i think you'd be hard pushed to work full time with just MIA type work. A lot of the days i do are still ML/SPA type days and i'd be surprised if there were many MIA's out there doing purely top end work.

While i agree that there seem to be a lot of people going through the scheme, there is still an amount that either only do training (for personal development/ find that they bit off more than they could chew) or try for assessment and then don't complete after a few deferrals. Added to the fact that there is a boom in the outdoors and climbing especially, i don't see it becoming over saturated.

Also to reiterate what other have mentioned, about the breadth of what the award allows you to do course provider/ tech adviser/ leading courses/ management roles. A lot of these won't be avenues that can be taking immediately as they presume qualified and experienced MIAs. But are doors that may open up down the line.

I'd recommend going for the course if you're thinking about it. Whilst it is a lot of money, you will learn a lot (i thought i knew a lot before i went on the training, and learnt LOADS!). You get 9 days with experienced Guides and MICs showing you loads of tricks of the trade, and you can ask them loads of questions (including their opinions on this topic). So well worth the money, even if you don't proceed from that point.

In reply to jezb1:

Hi Jezb1

the short answer is its hard work and not a lot of info or help out there, so it can feel like a bit of a fight, you don't apply for equivalence as such now its through a EU directive so that door maybe shutting in the not to distance future?

for a longer and more detailed answer thats probably best done via email, its to big a subject for here.

I love living here in the Ecrins, it was ski touring today, working next week on a ice climbing video, its an amazing place with so much to do, but there are easier country's to get set up in, I think the MIA is seen as valid for Spain and thats why you get a few more company's setting up there.

drop me a line through here or rob@dream-trails.com and we can chat.

all the best Rob