The outdoor industry, in all of its dimensions, revolves around one thing: the respect for wild spaces and the dedication to protect and share them with others. Whether it\u2019s endangered species conservation fieldwork, white water raft guiding, or promoting a body-inclusive outdoor apparel line \u2013 there are countless ways to make a difference in the outdoors.<\/span><\/p>\n Everyone in this industry has chosen their path for a unique reason. Some grow up intimately knowing and loving the land they now work to preserve; some find connection through their passion for adventure sports; and some stumble into this field later in life after discovering the magic of camping for the first time. These stories are what make the outdoor community as vast as the world is large.<\/span><\/p>\n Perhaps you\u2019re at the beginning of your career and need help figuring out what interests you. Or maybe you\u2019ve been here and want to pivot and try something new. Either way, this blog post is here to help. Read on to gather my recommendations for deciding what career is right for you, where to find job listings, and how to prepare for your next steps in the outdoor industry.<\/span><\/p>\n 2023 Northwest Outdoor Educator Crew. Photo by Joseph Kim<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You might not know what exactly you want to do, but you\u2019re ready to start exploring. My advice is to dive right in by participating in any workshops, trainings, and conferences that spark your interest \u2013 this is quite an effective way to figure out what gets you excited and what doesn\u2019t. For example, if environmental education is your thing, check out the\u00a0<\/span>North American Association of Environmental Education<\/span><\/a>\u00a0annual conference, see their stellar keynote speakers, and partake in their interactive workshops. If wilderness leadership interests you, a conference like the\u00a0<\/span>Outdoor Professional Conference<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or an Outward Bound\u00a0<\/span>instructor training course<\/span><\/a>\u00a0would help to prepare you to guide. Focused events, such as the\u00a0<\/span>LGBTQ Outdoor Summit<\/span><\/a>, are also a fantastic launching point to engage in thoughtful discourse in your field and jumpstart valuable networking.<\/span><\/p>\n With the entire internet at your fingertips, where to even start? Luckily fantastic outdoor industry job boards exist, and they have a myriad of open positions ranging from seasonal to full-time, field work, admin roles, internships, and volunteerships. Now that you\u2019ve considered your interests and made some steps forward, here are five outdoor industry job boards that will get you on your way, each highlighting a slightly different flavor of outdoor careers:<\/span><\/p>\n Finding workplaces that highly value DEI work has been made easy through job boards like\u00a0<\/span>In Solidarity<\/span><\/a>, the\u00a0<\/span>Greening Youth Foundation<\/span><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>Queer Outdoors<\/span><\/a> (to name a few). Start with these on your job search to narrow down organizations and companies that align with your DEI values. Check out this article on Diversify Outdoors website<\/a> for more great resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the world of environmental science, the\u00a0<\/span>Conservation Job Board<\/span><\/a>\u00a0boast as the \u201cworld\u2019s largest and most-visited website in conservation, ecology, forestry, wildlife, and fisheries.\u201d It was recommended to me with very high regard. Search with your desired field of focus, job type, and location, and you\u2019ll swiftly get various listings that match. Out of all job boards, I find this one the easiest to use.<\/span><\/p>\n Justice Outside<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is a resource to find positions centered around eco-justice, the movement that addresses environmental risks that disproportionately harm marginalized communities. I appreciate that they make it a point to include job salaries to increase transparency. If you are passionate about fighting environmental injustices, this could be a great launch pad for you.<\/span><\/p>\n The Natural Resources Job Board<\/span><\/a>\u00a0through Texas A&M University focuses on jobs relating to conservation, biological sciences, and outdoor recreation. This database is helpful especially for finding internships, graduate assistantships, post-doctoral and faculty appointments, and fellowships. The listings are plentiful. However there is no function to filter by location, so the site is slightly challenging to navigate.<\/span><\/p>\n Claiming they are a \u201cjob board for the outdoor, adventure, and travel industry,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Occupation Wild<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is a great launching point for those focusing on seasonal jobs in adventure and guiding. I like this website for its simplicity, pictures, and detailed job descriptions, though their listings are limited, and searching can be tricky.<\/span><\/p>\n My job board research led me to\u00a0<\/span>Outdoor Industry Jobs<\/span><\/a>, which is specifically a great catch-all database for vacant positions in business, retail, and marketing in the outdoor industry. Although, the occasional ski instructor gig does makes it on there. This website is so well organized, making searching very quick and easy.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/outwardbound.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/WWQL_371_JosephKim00030-1024x768.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nA Good Place to Start<\/h2>\n
Your Friend, the World Wide Web<\/h2>\n
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)<\/span><\/h4>\n
Natural Resources & Conservation<\/span><\/h4>\n
Environmental Justice<\/span><\/h4>\n
Academia<\/span><\/h4>\n
Adventure & Guiding<\/span><\/h4>\n
Businesses & Retail<\/span><\/h4>\n
Miscellaneous<\/span><\/h4>\n
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