Working Out
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday January 29, 2003
* the point
The sky's the limit for outdoor workers but beware of the grass ceiling.
Is the grass always greener on the other side? For office workers trudging through underground railway stations at 9am, or factory workers in the middle of another weekend graveyard shift, the idea of working in the sun, fresh air and a bush setting is a clear case of greener pastures.
But seeking the sun with an outdoor job, whether as a tour guide, lifeguard, gardener, greenkeeper or sportsperson, comes with as many pitfalls as benefits. One pitfall is the perception that outdoor jobs are hobby jobs. Another is their sometimes limited career potential. And yet another is the lower pay. But this need not be the case: manage your own career development carefully and you could turn your dream job into a rewarding reality, while dramatically improving your quality of life.
It comes down to knowing your employment environment type (EET), says career consultant Paul Stevens, from The Centre for Worklife Counselling in Mosman.
EET is another way of determining whether you're an outdoor or indoor worker, taking into account the work and the setting you enjoy. For example, Stevens says, if you have a fear of heights then working in a skyscraper could unsettle you, even subconsciously. In the same way, if you like to move around and keep active, a deskbound job will eventually frustrate you.
"Occupations pay too much attention to the content of a job and not their work setting," he says.
"Some people have a propensity to work outdoors, while some do not. People unhappy in their jobs often confuse this by saying they're in the wrong career."
A change in environment doesn't have to mean a change in job. Stevens says a deskbound lawyer in the city can still work in the legal profession but get out of the office by shifting to a travelling practice or moving to a regional area.
He has found that more than one in three of his clients have confused their desire for a change in work setting with wanting a change in career. Getting this sort of perspective is hard when you're despairing in your current role and just want to get out.
"If turning a hobby into your work is fulfilling, then it's better you make that move," says Stevens. "It's about defining the underlying purpose of one's work, not the microscopic elements of it."
Shore thing
Chasing the summer is lifeguard Mark Young's (pictured below) idea of a perfect job. He spends nearly half his year patrolling beaches maintained by Pittwater Council, then jets overseas to beaches in the Channel Islands and in Britain. In between, he rides waves in the Canary Islands and Mauritius. It doesn't get much better than this, the 29-year-old enthuses, and he gets a real buzz from the service, plus $1100 to $1200 a fortnight.
"You really feel like you're making a difference because you're right in life-threatening situations with rescue and first aid," he says.
A beach kid for as long as he can remember, Young worked his way through Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving Club's ranks as a teenager, picking up his bronze medallion at the age of 17.
"After I got my bronze I thought about a career in lifeguarding so I could go travelling and be outdoors," he says. "It's internationally recognised that Australia produces quality lifeguards."
The bronze medallion includes modules in first aid, resuscitation, CPR and scenario management. The physical test required him to swim 800 metres in less than 14 minutes, run 1.6 kilometres in less than seven minutes and conduct three rescues using a board, tube and rubber ducky inflatable (called an IRB). Young's responsibilities take in not only the shoreline, but the whole beach reserve.
"We have to enforce council by-laws, which can be anything from people littering to walking dogs on the beach," he says. "Every day is really different; it's not just doing rescues in the water."
But lifeguarding does have its drawbacks. "There's a limited career in it," Young says. "A lot of people end up in their late 20s looking at other alternatives and other services like the ambulance or fire brigade, or even the police force."
All at sea
Years as a public servant left Gary Manuel (above) itching for a sea change - literally. The former senior executive for the then Department of Employment, Education and Training took up sailing with friends about 20 years ago. Seven years ago he left the public service to work as a professional sailing instructor with Eastsail, based in Rushcutters Bay.
"I'm much fitter, much healthier than I was before, less stressed, and I get to meet a lot of people," says Manuel, 51. "It's a very social environment. There's not very many things against it."
On a sparkling Sydney Harbour, his job involves taking groups for "sailing experiences" where they cruise around the shoreline, as well as formal lessons and regattas. His fortnightly pay varies from about $600 in winter to $1200 in summer.
"The major worry is whether it's going to rain or not," he says. "Choppy seas are part of the fun, it's part of the reason you do this."
Manuel earned initial qualifications as a coxswain, navigator and coastal skipper with the Australian Yachting Federation before changing jobs and picked up further qualifications as an instructor in first aid, radio operations and sea survival once he got started.
"The speed in which you can amass the qualifications depends on how often you go sailing," he says. "A lot of people sail only on the weekends. The more time you can get sailing, the more experience you can get to put towards qualifications and the quicker it is."
Manuel says it can take more than two years to complete the sea hours, theory and exams needed for the required qualifications. His time as a public servant allowed him to build a nest egg and follow his dream job on the water.
"I'm never going to get rich by doing this, but at least I can have a good time," he says.
High life
Becoming a professional adventure guide gave Chris Freeman (below), 26, the chance to turn a lifelong hobby into a career.
"I grew up with a love of being in the bush and I love sharing the experience with other people," he says. "The Blue Mountains, in particular, are so unique and they have so much to offer. I could spend a lifetime out here and never show people the same thing twice."
Freeman started a BA (teaching) at Macquarie University, but packed it in a year later to return to the outdoors and now works for the Australian School of Mountaineering in Katoomba, earning $130 to $200 a day. While he had years of experience behind him, getting accredited as a commercial guide required new qualifications.
"The qualifications vary depending on the type of guide you want to be," he says. There are different certificates for kayaking, canoeing, abseiling and other outdoor pursuits and they can be obtained through TAFE or private colleges.
"The minimum you need to become an abseiling instructor is a Certificate IV in abseiling, a Certificate IV in vertical rescue and a first aid qualification, preferably in wilderness first aid," he says. "My greatest passion is canyoning so I'm also qualified in advanced canyoning and advanced navigation, for canyoning and bushwalking for school groups."
The benefits of Freeman's job are obvious: sunshine, different people and a choice bush setting. The drawbacks are working in snow and rain, long hours and a largely casual workforce.
"Perceptions are changing," he says. "It's going from being regarded as a hobby job to one with a career path.
"But I do this for the adventure. You're out there doing some really crazy things and it's wonderful."
Secrets of success
People who work outdoors are often playful, fun-loving and excitement-seeking. The psychological term for this is paratelic. Here's five points to consider before moving to the great outdoors:
1. Do you have an outgoing personality?
2. Do you consider yourself a risk taker? If so, can you maintain a level head while assessing possible risks, consequences and benefits?
3. Are you a naturally active person?
4. Do you need a lot of space? While you might not use much, do you need an open environment or are you happy in constricted spaces? Does it matter?
5. Are you just after a diversion? Will an outdoor environment stimulate you to work or distract you?
Source: Dr Bruce Wilson, Australian College of Applied Psychology
© 2003 Sydney Morning Herald