Jobs involving the outdoors - Suggestions?

[locum76]

exactly what greensurfingbear said, in this country the average age of farmers is about sixty. We desperately need younger people to take it on and possibly improve the 'old ways' and adapt them for the current set of social, political and economic circumstances. Yeah - you might start picking and packing veg but most farms will reward the best workers with training and better jobs. There are very hard and fast rules regarding pay and conditions for farm workers too.

your work will be varied, 90% outdoors, you'll learn about building, mechanics, trees, crops, wildlife, environmental stewardship and business.

What's not to like? The only thing is - you'll never be cash rich.

 

[greensurfingbear]

farms are great...its where I cut my teeth right out of uni. pay was POOR but I got as much deformed organic fruit and veg as I wanted....plus the rest of the staff were awesome.

I learnt to handle livestock, drive tractors, go to farmers markets amongst other things. Really was a fun time.

 

[vizsla]

Lolly pop lady

 

[Lumber Jack]

I've never suggest farming to anybody...

I started out life farming and vowed I wouldn't end it that way. If you are looking for a job with a connection to the outdoors, Go for Game Keeping. If you manage to land a job on one of the larger estates you have a job for life. Start as an under keeper and work your way up. Not many places require qualifications. An old game keeper said to me once "anybody who has a hole in their a*se can keep game" and it's very true. If you want to go down the more educated road, Go and get a diploma in Keeping and go onto the Manage country estates.

Tree surgeon is another good one. It's a very skilled job and very well paid.

Hope they help.

LJ.

 

[Lumber Jack]

Just to say;

Jobs in the countryside and outdoors are usually very underpaid. I talk from experience. Don't confuse a love of the outdoors with wanting to work in it. It's usually very different, very stressful and you grow tired of it quite quickly. The outdoors as a hobby is great. You can choose to stay in when it's waist deep in snow and go out when the sun is shining. When you do it for a living, You're out at the crack of dawn come rain, sleet or snow.

I'd seriously consider other options before embarking on any career in the outdoors. Get yourself a good degree, I can't stress that enough. Aim high, don't end up a minnow at the bottom of the pond food chain.

LJ.

 

[toilet digger]

Just to say;

Jobs in the countryside and outdoors are usually very underpaid. I talk from experience. Don't confuse a love of the outdoors with wanting to work in it. It's usually very different, very stressful and you grow tired of it quite quickly. The outdoors as a hobby is great. You can choose to stay in when it's waist deep in snow and go out when the sun is shining. When you do it for a living, You're out at the crack of dawn come rain, sleet or snow.

I'd seriously consider other options before embarking on any career in the outdoors. Get yourself a good degree, I can't stress that enough. Aim high, don't end up a minnow at the bottom of the pond food chain.

LJ.

i gotta say dude, my family farm and i have worked on pants building sites most my working life only to retrain in countryside management.
maybe i'm a sucker for punishment but its a beautiful country we live in regardless of whether i'm knee deep in mud at minus 2
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

 

[JonathanD]

Environmental consultancy is a wider option to consider than just ecology. I spent years wading in rivers, cruising around forests in land rovers, or going about esturies and resovoirs on boats. The pay is all right too, although now i spend most of the time at a desk. Most consultancies unfortunately these days won't touch a graduate that doesn't have both an under graduate and postgraduate degree from a decent place - and even then you ofetn need to get in through a back door. Best bet is to find out who runs the department, and contact them direct asking if they want some admin staff. I know a few people in your position that have got into environmental teams this way- and becuase they are reletively cheap to use compared to highly qualified graduates, they tend to get used a lot on the fieldwork side of things (which is exactly what you want). Couple this with an evening masters course in some environmental subject, and you will be well on your way.

Cracking advice. A short step from there to a specialist field, and then you can get out and about Worldwide. It's a great life and you'll be awarded in more than just a salary.

 

[JonathanD]

Just to say;

Jobs in the countryside and outdoors are usually very underpaid. I talk from experience. Don't confuse a love of the outdoors with wanting to work in it. It's usually very different, very stressful and you grow tired of it quite quickly. The outdoors as a hobby is great. You can choose to stay in when it's waist deep in snow and go out when the sun is shining. When you do it for a living, You're out at the crack of dawn come rain, sleet or snow.

I'd seriously consider other options before embarking on any career in the outdoors. Get yourself a good degree, I can't stress that enough. Aim high, don't end up a minnow at the bottom of the pond food chain.

LJ.

I'd disagree with this strongly. If you have the will and love of nature, you can get a very well paid job doing what you want. Don't be put off from doing what you love. My parents talked me out of Herpetology and convinced me to study law. Twenty years on, they realise that they should have encouraged me to do what I had a passion for. I hated Law. Good wage, but that was no compensation for a beaten spirit. Now I'm living.

 

[Miyagi]

Lolly pop lady

Beat me to it, I was going to say Lollipop man or Traffic Warden.

Liam

 

[Lumber Jack]

I'd disagree with this strongly. If you have the will and love of nature, you can get a very well paid job doing what you want. Don't be put off from doing what you love. My parents talked me out of Herpetology and convinced me to study law. Twenty years on, they realise that they should have encouraged me to do what I had a passion for. I hated Law. Good wage, but that was no compensation for a beaten spirit. Now I'm living.

We have something in common Jonathan, I too studied Law. I was hoping to go on to become a qualified solicitor in constitutional law but like you I hated it. Not law in general, I just hated being a student.

I'm now a Game Keeper. People shouldn't be under the impression that the countryside is a beautiful place when you work in it. I'm up at 5am most mornings this time of the year in preparation for the shooting seasons ahead. I'm out in rain, up to my knees in mud. Out I'm out until 3am in the morning reducing the rabbit and fox populations. Sometimes I curse it, hate it in fact. Especially when I look at some of the chaps i went through uni' with in Porsche 4x4's and Boxters. If I'd have stuck in, I would have had that. Money isn't life. But it sure helps and makes it a lot easier.

Starting wages in the countryside are terrible. And moving up the ladder is hard. When it comes down to it though. I wouldn't have it any other way. I get to see the sun rise and the world come to life. On the flip side to that, I get to see the sun set and the world go to sleep. Then it's time for the badgers and other critters to come out and have their night time parties. I eat only what I shoot and grow. So i'm confident that what i'm eating hasn't suffered and has had the most natural of lives.

My advice was merely aimed at people who enjoy their hobby so much that they then go off to work in it. I've seen many people fall by the way side in recent years for making that mistake. And it's a huge mistake to for a young person to make. If you are the right type of person. It's a joy. But you need to do a lot of thinking before you take on the task. I'd recommend volunteer work with the career you have in mind for at least a few months before you make your choice.

Farming...Hated it and still hate it. Well behind the times and the life style in my opinion if horrible. My current missus wouldn't be too happy if I came home stinking of cow s**t and nor would I. That said, if it's your thing, great. The world would be a very boring place if we all liked the same stuff.

These are merely my opinions. Don't take them to heart whatever you do.

LJ

 

[toilet digger]

well said sir.

 

[Miyagi]

I'd disagree with this strongly. If you have the will and love of nature, you can get a very well paid job doing what you want. Don't be put off from doing what you love. My parents talked me out of Herpetology and convinced me to study law. Twenty years on, they realise that they should have encouraged me to do what I had a passion for. I hated Law. Good wage, but that was no compensation for a beaten spirit. Now I'm living.

We have something in common Jonathan, I too studied Law. I was hoping to go on to become a qualified solicitor in constitutional law but like you I hated it. Not law in general, I just hated being a student.

I'm now a Game Keeper. People shouldn't be under the impression that the countryside is a beautiful place when you work in it. I'm up at 5am most mornings this time of the year in preparation for the shooting seasons ahead. I'm out in rain, up to my knees in mud. Out I'm out until 3am in the morning reducing the rabbit and fox populations. Sometimes I curse it, hate it in fact. Especially when I look at some of the chaps i went through uni' with in Porsche 4x4's and Boxters. If I'd have stuck in, I would have had that. Money isn't life. But it sure helps and makes it a lot easier.

Starting wages in the countryside are terrible. And moving up the ladder is hard. When it comes down to it though. I wouldn't have it any other way. I get to see the sun rise and the world come to life. On the flip side to that, I get to see the sun set and the world go to sleep. Then it's time for the badgers and other critters to come out and have their night time parties. I eat only what I shoot and grow. So i'm confident that what i'm eating hasn't suffered and has had the most natural of lives.

My advice was merely aimed at people who enjoy their hobby so much that they then go off to work in it. I've seen many people fall by the way side in recent years for making that mistake. And it's a huge mistake to for a young person to make. If you are the right type of person. It's a joy. But you need to do a lot of thinking before you take on the task. I'd recommend volunteer work with the career you have in mind for at least a few months before you make your choice.

Farming...Hated it and still hate it. Well behind the times and the life style in my opinion if horrible. My current missus wouldn't be too happy if I came home stinking of cow s**t and nor would I. That said, if it's your thing, great. The world would be a very boring place if we all liked the same stuff.

These are merely my opinions. Don't take them to heart whatever you do.

LJ

Well said fellas,

Liam

 

[santaman2000]

...Money isn't life. But it sure helps and makes it a lot easier...

Money cain't buy happiness but----Somehow it's just more comfortable to cry in a Rolls Royce than it is on a bicycle.

 

[JonathanD]

We have something in common Jonathan, I too studied Law. I was hoping to go on to become a qualified solicitor in constitutional law but like you I hated it. Not law in general, I just hated being a student.

I'm now a Game Keeper. People shouldn't be under the impression that the countryside is a beautiful place when you work in it. I'm up at 5am most mornings this time of the year in preparation for the shooting seasons ahead. I'm out in rain, up to my knees in mud. Out I'm out until 3am in the morning reducing the rabbit and fox populations. Sometimes I curse it, hate it in fact. Especially when I look at some of the chaps i went through uni' with in Porsche 4x4's and Boxters. If I'd have stuck in, I would have had that. Money isn't life. But it sure helps and makes it a lot easier.

Starting wages in the countryside are terrible. And moving up the ladder is hard. When it comes down to it though. I wouldn't have it any other way. I get to see the sun rise and the world come to life. On the flip side to that, I get to see the sun set and the world go to sleep. Then it's time for the badgers and other critters to come out and have their night time parties. I eat only what I shoot and grow. So i'm confident that what i'm eating hasn't suffered and has had the most natural of lives.

My advice was merely aimed at people who enjoy their hobby so much that they then go off to work in it. I've seen many people fall by the way side in recent years for making that mistake. And it's a huge mistake to for a young person to make. If you are the right type of person. It's a joy. But you need to do a lot of thinking before you take on the task. I'd recommend volunteer work with the career you have in mind for at least a few months before you make your choice.

Farming...Hated it and still hate it. Well behind the times and the life style in my opinion if horrible. My current missus wouldn't be too happy if I came home stinking of cow s**t and nor would I. That said, if it's your thing, great. The world would be a very boring place if we all liked the same stuff.

These are merely my opinions. Don't take them to heart whatever you do.

LJ

I'm kinda lucky in the respect that it has to be sunny and warm for when I'm outside. Otherwise my subjects don't come out.

 

[Nagual]

I started volunteering with the Commission last year, out all weathers etc. loved it, I kept at it as I really wanted to get a job outside. With good references and my chainsaw ticket I'm now out there cutting things.. Even without a ticket, there is also planting jobs - however it's what you make of it really, the price per tree hasn't really changed much for a loooonnngggg time. 5 pence a tree planted. Doesn't sound a lot, but the guys I work with plant 2500 - 3500 a day ish. So it soon adds up.

The biggest complaint I hear from employers / contractors is they are fed up taking on people that don't want to work, that are just lazy. My advice? volunteer and be a hard worker, you'll get great references and they are worth their weight in gold.

 

[Lumber Jack]

I started volunteering with the Commission last year, out all weathers etc. loved it, I kept at it as I really wanted to get a job outside. With good references and my chainsaw ticket I'm now out there cutting things.. Even without a ticket, there is also planting jobs - however it's what you make of it really, the price per tree hasn't really changed much for a loooonnngggg time. 5 pence a tree planted. Doesn't sound a lot, but the guys I work with plant 2500 - 3500 a day ish. So it soon adds up.

The biggest complaint I hear from employers / contractors is they are fed up taking on people that don't want to work, that are just lazy. My advice? volunteer and be a hard worker, you'll get great references and they are worth their weight in gold.

Bloody hello! 7 trees a minute! That's amazingly good going. But at the same time very doable. I've seen guys for the forestry commission planting and it's a pleasure to watch....Spade in, sapling in, fill in, done.

I was once sat on a park bench many moons ago. There were two men, One was digging a hole, then as soon as he'd finished, the other guy filled it in. They weren't planting anything, merely digging hundreds of holes then filling them in directly after. After about an hour and once I'd finished a cheese and pickle sarnie I thought I'll have to see what the hell's going on here. I went over to one of the guys and said, excuse me, mate. What are you doing? You're digging a hole and then your mate is filling it straight back in?
He replied in a stern and broad Irish accent;

"Tat's right sir, the bloke who plants de trees tis of sick today."

I'll get my coat

LJ

 

[Kingswood]

Anyone looking to re-train or get further in their careers in arboriculture should check out our training courses. We've got a great training centre in the heart of Kent.
Facilities include accommodation (inclusive of pool table!) for those that travel down to us from afar.
We usually get a lot of service leavers (army/navy etc) who want to re-train but welcome everyone who wants to get into arboriculture or develop their skills.

All of our courses are accredited by LANTRA & NPTC and our trainers have plenty of industry experience, most having owned tree surgery businesses for many years.

Check us out: Kingswood Training Services Ltd. kingswoodtraining.co.uk

 

[Beardy Adam]

Just thought I'd give this thread a little bump, as I've been asking myself the same question recently. Currently in college studying my GCSE's as I only left school in 2004 with two. Going to do plenty of volunteering, wild camping and a bushcraft course next summer and from there I'm pretty certain I'm going to study an Extended Diploma in Countryside Management Level 3, very practical based by the sounds of it. And both where I live and the college are on the very edge of the Yorkshire Dales, so the local industry links are excellent. I was going to study A levels in Geology, Geography & Biology but although I'd find it interesting, I really don't think I want to go to university when it costs £9000 a year now. I'm still not 100% sure which way to go though, I have so many goals. Volunteering/work experience, contacts and references seem to the be golden three these days I think. And being a hardworker of course.

 

[Bushwhacker]

I used to help my dad with his milk round when I was a kid. Early mornings, no people about and got to see plenty of wildlife.

 

[BoonDoc]

I spent a summer working with troubled teens in the woods. We would spend three weeks at a time deep in the remote areas of North America. For the guides there wasn't much of a qualification requirement. As the medical cover I had to have a Wilderness EMT qualification.

There are loads of out of doors jobs. Not all of them have to do with environmental science.