UKC

Hi,

I'm 17 and in college and think i want to go into the outdoors as a job. Are there any good way that you guys know of to get into outdoor ed? P.S First post here, be kind please!

In reply to JudePadfield:
You've got loads of options

College / uni course type thing in Outdoor Ed
Apprentiship / trainee job
Fast track course somewhere like PyB
Go climbing / hill walking / paddling loads and get tickets on the way

Here's my path into it all: http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/about/how-i-became-self-employed/
It's a great career, but not without it's issues. Best advice is to enjoy doing whatever sports it is you're into, that's the most important thing.

In reply to jezb1:

Hi, thank you for the link. I'm going to read it as soon as i have enough time off of assignment work!

Jude

In reply to JudePadfield:


I'd suggest you approach a local outdoor pursuits company and ask to meet up for a chat. Offer to shadow some sessions of the activities which interest you. You'll learn a lot about the realities of professional instructing, and at the same time get some useful content for a logbook/CV.

In reply to JudePadfield:

If you want to go to University but also want to pursue your passion for the outdoors, Staffordshire University do a Geography Degree and your ML Qualification as one of your modules.

In reply to JudePadfield:

A possibly more boring reply would be to go to university, get a degree and climb, canoe, sail etc as much as possible, then get your outdoor qualifications. A degree will give a form of safety net (you may change your mind, get injured, etc) and depending on the subject may well help you if you do become an outdoor instructor (biology, geography & geology are all useful). That would also give the option of getting a teaching qualification which can also be very useful for some types of instructor jobs.

In reply to JudePadfield:
It's also worth thinking seriously about whether you are really motivated to help others engage with the outdoors, bearing in mind that this will be at a relatively low level even if you progress up to MIC/BMG. If your reason for moving towards the idea of instructing is due to a passion for your personal climbing or similar, I'd honestly recommend finding a flexible career that allows you to earn good money for varied trips.

Any outdoor instructor will tell you that instructing work does not allow for masses of time pursuing personal goals, and going into it from that mindset will also not make you the best instructor as you may be constantly frustrated about being in the environments you love but unable to pursue your personal performance in the sport.

In all honesty the best outdoor instructors I've met haven't been particularly good climbers - some above average, but rarely high performance - but they were so enthused and motivated to provide incredible memorable experiences for their clients.

So in summation, if you want to become a highly skilled facilitator, are naturally good with people from all backgrounds, are motivated and driven to provide excellent quality sessions to create lasting memories for children and build key skills in older groups, then yes - you should consider becoming an outdoor instructor.

If, however, you're more motivated to pursue your personal climbing and crush hard routes, I'd suggest considering other careers that pay better and thereby allow more opportunity to chase bigger goals. Instructing is a fairly selfless career in my opinion - think of it like teaching but in the outdoors and you're probably on the money.

Best of luck!