Friday, September 27, 2013

Go for it

Talking parks last night in Montpelier, Vermont with Helen, who used to work as an interpretive ranger at the Grand Canyon. She applied for two jobs and got calls on both of them. When I started out I did two internships, then applied for 100 jobs. I took the first one that called, so I don't know how many calls I would have got, but judging by later experience, not many!

I've met people who say: "It's easy to get a ranger job." That's because their particular experience has been quick and easy. There are lots of stories that trend the other way. How about being a seasonal for eleven years before finally landing a permanent job? How about never landing a permanent job despite oodles of experience?

Becoming employed in the national parks, as a ranger or anything else, depends on so many different factors, it's really a crap shoot. Right now the odds are against most of us because of the economic situation of high unemployment, therefore more competition or every job even temporary ones, and also because of the seemingly huge number of veterans vying for these jobs. Veterans get preference.

So, as I go around talking about my book, people ask me about their prospects of becoming a ranger. "Go for it" I say, "With your eyes open. It's not easy but someone has to do it."

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