Cora McGlauflin
12/9/05
Intro. to Rec.
A Look at the Career of an Outdoor Recreation Instructor
The career path that I chose to investigate, and that I am most interested in pursuing, is best described as an outdoor recreation instructor. More specifically, I am interested in working for a non-profit organization that uses recreation as a means to educate. To gather more information about this field, I looked into one particular school that employs outdoor recreation instructors: the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). I researched the school online, and interviewed Lauren, a field instructor who co-led my climbing section when I was a NOLS student.
A typical job for a NOLS field instructor varies from leading backpacking in the Rocky Mountains, to leading sailing trips in Australia/New Zealand. On these trips, it is the instructors’ responsibility to “develop expedition leaders and responsible wilderness users” (IC.INFO, 2). This is achieved through experiential education and a set core curriculum. This curriculum is taught in class periods held during the trips. The length of time spent with one group of students varies anywhere between 10 to 135 days. The recreational skills taught, and length of courses varies because NOLS offers a variety of different courses year-round.
There is a certain selection process for which courses an instructor will be able to lead. As Lauren explained to me, “At the beginning of the season all the instructors receive a list of the courses provided. Then we all make up our ‘wish list’ for which courses we are willing and able to work…If we want to, we can write-in people [other NOLS instructors] we would prefer to work with, but we won’t know [who we are with] until we get the schedule. When we receive the schedule, it shows which courses we can work, and which instructors will be working with us. After that we confirm which courses we are going to do”.
I asked Lauren about the dynamics between instructors in and out of the field. She said that most of the time she is meeting the other instructors for the fist time when they are doing pre-trip planning; which can be rather nerve racking because she won’t know how well they will work together. She said that when instructors don’t get along, NOLS would not put them on the same leadership team again. Another interesting thing she mentioned was that instructors have a tendency to date each other. Lauren talked about how, as a field instructor, it is difficult to have a relationship with someone because she is in the wilderness, essentially unreachable, for sometimes months at a time. Due to this irregular work schedule, a lot of instructors will end up together. NOLS tries to schedule couples to be leaders on the same trips as much as possible.
Although NOLS tries to accommodate to instructors’ personal preferences, ultimately they select who can lead which courses based on seniority and qualifications. NOLS describes seven areas of qualification for their staff: age, medical training, teaching experience, safety/judgment, personal expeditioning, wilderness ethic, and technical skills. The minimum age for a NOLS instructor is 18, however many other outdoor recreation instructor positions have a minimum age of 21. The highest level of wilderness medical training available is Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (W-EMT), this certification is recommended for instructors, but most instructors have their Wilderness First Responder, which a step below the W-EMT in wilderness medicine. NOLS looks for instructors who have professional experience leading extended wilderness trips and taking personal trips. Instructors need to have proficient teaching skills, be in excellent physical condition, have experience at high altitudes, and have skills in a diverse range of outdoor activities (IC.INFO, 2). The diversity of skills is one of the biggest things that set one instructor apart from the rest. “If an instructor is highly skilled in rock climbing, horse packing, and winter camping, they are more likely to be hired because these people can be used wherever they are needed”, says Lauren.
At age 24, Lauren is one of the younger instructors. Although the minimum age is 18, most people at this age do not have the experience and qualifications to work for NOLS. I can work towards meeting these qualifications while in school, and during the summer. UMD’s Outdoor Program is a good place to develop outdoor skill and leadership skills. UMD offers many classes that develop these skills as well, and most of these classes are part of the Recreation – Outdoor education major curriculum. A college degree is not a requirement for NOLS instructors, however, I feel that getting an education can only broaden my understanding of the outdoors and the field of outdoor education, as well as keep my options open to other careers. During the summer, I can be a leader for camps that offer wilderness trips in skills like mountain backpacking and horse packing. I can also take personal expeditions into the wilderness, to gain the “experience to plan, organize, and successfully carry out trips without institutional support and guidance” (IC.INFO, 2). I can also apply for an internship at NOLS. Lauren noted that a lot of instructors start out as interns. These are just a few examples of how I can become more qualified to become a NOLS instructor.
The beginning wage for a field instructor is $48.5/day. The highest amount earned is $175/day, which is given to instructors with seniority (IC.INFO, 4). It is difficult to work the amount of hours that equals a full-time job. Therefore, most instructors will have different professional careers outside of NOLS. According to Lauren, compared to similar institutions, NOLS does not pay high wages. The reason for this in effort to keep tuition prices lower for students. Lauren described why, despite these low wages, she chose to work for NOLS: “NOLS is the best at what they do…they take care of their instructors really well…there are many training opportunities available all over the world”. The personal benefits of working for NOLS outweigh the low wages, and this is what makes the career worthwhile.
As an outdoor recreation instructor, the geographic location would vary depending on recreational activity and duration of the trip. NOLS has programs all over the United States, including places like the Northwest, Southwest, the Rocky Mountains, and Alaska. They also have international locations such as Mexico, Chile, India, and Australia/New Zealand (IC.INFO, 1). At NOLS, the administration prioritizes finding locations that are as remote as possible so that the students can have a truly wilderness experience. However, this also depends on the recreational activity. Lauren explains one problem with finding wilderness settings: “it is difficult to find an area accessible enough to provide a rock-climbing program, yet remote enough to provide the feeling of the wilderness setting”. For my climbing section we were located in a mostly unknown climbing spot about an hour outside the town of Delta, Utah, yet still shared the cliff with other climbers. Choices of location are also limited when trips are longer because the school must find a remote area of wilderness big enough to allow students to travel for an extended period of time without crossing civilization.
Throughout my investigation of this career, my desire to work for NOLS or a company like NOLS, has only grown. I would enjoy a career where I am always moving meeting new people, and seeing new places while located in some of the most beautiful wilderness our world has to offer. I believe that these benefits would outweigh the cost of earning low wages and having an irregular schedule. However, I cannot see myself working in this type of setting until my old age. The average age of a NOLS instructor is 32, and I think that there is a reason for this relatively young age. Some day I would like to settle down and have a family. I know that this would be near impossible while working in the field. In addition to wanting to have a family, Lauren warned me about a point in most field instructors’ careers where they get burnt out and no longer “want to sleep on the ground”. If I ever do work for an institution like NOLS, I know that I will have my college education to fall back on if I choose to change careers.