While I sit at work for what feels like the 100 millionth time, staring at the same computer screen and putting off the same crappy work that I do every day so I can try to find a small enjoyment in living vicariously through your fishing trips I wonder…how did I ever get stuck with this kind of job?
This question goes out to all of you who have landed the big one. The dream job. I always pictured myself working outside, in particular, in harmony with nature. Well, I couldn’t handle Biology classes, so I now I work at a Bank.
For those of you who are guides, have been guides or are pursuing this line of work (be it fishing, climbing, hiking…whatever outside in the wild) how do you do it? I tend to hold guides up on a pedistal, as I think a lot of anglers do. But they all started at the same place, in the same way most of us did. I understand that guides get the great opportunity of baby sitting folks you woulnd’t normally want to be around, on occasion. But what kind of a job could be better. You get paid to do that? To fish?! (or show someone else how to)
Mostly this is rant is a form of therapy for me; venting to folks I know will read it. But I really am curious what it takes to be a guide, and how you go about finding a guide job (I haven’t ever seen a guide opening on Monster.com)
Wild One,
Just ‘butting’ in! I was fortunate to do my job for 27 yrs. It wasn’t a ‘Dream’ Job, but when I look back what was important was that my Job ‘Fit’ my personality. It was stimulating (CRAZY Details) and I was un-officially my own Boss. So what I’m saying is if you ‘Fit’ in your Job (Find your niche) then that is pretty good too!
Doug
I’m not sure I want my “dream job”. Chances are it will end up 1 of 2 ways: 1) I go broke or can’t make a living at it or 2) It will suck the fun out of my favorite hobbies.
I made the decision years ago that I was going to persue my career with the idea that it is a great way to finance my real life. I go to work to fund the things that are most important in my life. Taking that attitude has seemed to reduce my stress in general. I perform my job well, but I don’t take it home. And hobby times are a great way to relax and get away.
Found my dream job by accident sort of.
Started as a carpenter - that was fun. hard work but rewarding and always changing.
Too bad that after 14 years I’ve ended up with bad back, no money and stress beyond imagination.
It gotten so bad I started to hate it. It was time to move on.
I wanted to work with computers so I went on internet and stated to look.
I’ve answered some apptitude questionare which pointed me towards networking.
Got some books, studied, passed some tests. Got entry level job as a Help Desk Analyst and worked my way up.
I am now working as a Network Administrator and I love it. Warm in winter, cool in summer. Still don’t have money!!! but I also do not have much stress. Regular work hours steady paycheck. Interesting people, new things every day - never boring.
I could and most likely will do this until the retirement.
When I was working outdoors I did not wanted to be outside during my days off. I liked heat and A/C. Spend a lot of time in front of the computer and in the bowling alley - 0 interest in fishing. Now I spend most of my time off outside fishing, gardening, camping ETC. I like it much better this way…
Your dreams will not materialize by themselves. You and only you can make it happen.
So like in the commercial grab life by the horns.
In it’s extremes try remembering “Joe Versus the Volcano”.
As for me, I guess my experience doesn’t count as I only guide part time. Up here, the folks at the river association as well as the Warden’s came out and asked me if I wanted to guide here (seeing as there were no more fulltime guides on the river).
As for my real job, now that’s my dream job. I like what I do (well, … love it) and it shows. If you like gardening, … imagine that your garden s over 3 million acres and you actually get PAID to manage it
Seeing as you like all sorts of outdoor activities, why not look into some of the mountain or alpine guide schools. Then there’s also rangers, forestry, S&R, pro ski patrol, smoke jumping …
In the mean time, just do your best and enjoy your passions on the weekends
Good article. Certainly things I hadn’t thought about. There are going to be things about every job we don’t like, I suppose. Chris, I’ve thought many times about the posititions you mention and mostly they all have one big draw back: inability to support a family. Smoke jumpers do well, but convincing a wife to stay with me doing that… :shock:
Either way, I guess I’m still young enough (25) to make some changes and work toward the big one. Thanks guys!
My first job was my dream job, I worked in an orchard. Most workers hated it but I absolutly loved it. Then I got married and had a child on the way and It would no longer support me and my new wife.
I then got a job on a forklift in a very large warehouse. Another dream job that I loved but again it was not a very high paying job. At nights I went back to school. ( grade 10 dropout ) I got my grade 12 and 2 years of college. I then applied to the coast guard. This was another dream job, finally one that paid the bills. I was coast guard for 14 years then switched over to airtraffic and worked in the tower at the airport for 22 1/2 years. I loved all these jobs. In each case the job I applied for is a job I knew I would like. I never applied for anything I thought I would get stuck in. Find something you know you’d like to do and go for it. Even if you have to go back to school to achieve it.
Ps you are using a computer at your job. I started in the Coast guard as a radio operator using morse code to relay messages from ship to shore. We have certainly come an awefully long way in the last 50 years.
I would encourage you to go read, and follow the exercises, in a book called What Color Is Your Parachute. You can borrow it from most libraries. This book helps you to analyze yourself, and then it makes suggestions as to the type of work that most closely matches your personality, knowledge and interests. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
Joe,
I’ve actually taken college courses for that very same reason. According to the book Color Codes ( I think) I am a Yellow/Red personality (which means I love to just have fun and am typically care-free with bouts of egotism and a leadership drive) and the most important question to me is always “why?”
I know what I want to do and where I’d like to be. The problem that always comes back is: is the pay enough to support a family? I’ve got a 1 year old and should have another new one next week or the week following. (No, we didn’t plan it that way!). I think I’m just realizing that growing up isn’t exactly what I thought it would be.
I want to tell you what I learned after working the same job (27 yrs) married 32 yrs, one son, divorced 2 yrs. I started out my life (right out of high school) getting married. That wasn’t exactly very smart. But I still had my independance. I actually got my Job, because I had just got married (knew boss and he thought I would be more responsible) I don’t remember feeling any pressure at all! I loved my wife and it all seemed like some sort of game. As long as I still had my independance (could go fishing) everything was fine!
Ten yrs pass, I’m getting to be more of a grouch! My wife delivers our son (ten yrs of trying) My life takes a interesting turn. For the next 10 yrs there is this little boy that is calling me ‘Daddy’ and he ‘Lives’ with me!
But you know what! I lost my independance because I stopped thinking of myself and focused entirely on my little boy and wife! I became over protective, completely unhappy!
So maybe I didn’t have enough faith, maybe I should have quit my Job sooner, maybe I shouldn’t have had a Kid, maybe getting married was a mistake!
But you know! YOU HAVE TO BE A HAPPY PERSON! Then everything will fall in place! People will be attracted to you! You will have less negativity in your life (you will deflect it!) ONE thing I will never regret was working as HARD as humanly possible! Then you don’t look back with regrets!
So work from the inside out! You said “Your always asking WHY?” That is a good trait to have since there are a lot of Lost Sheep in the world who don’t! They just follow their buddies to the parties, get stoned/drunk and continue the cycle to Loserville!
Read , Research, BE HUNGRY to do something that you can sink your teeth into! You have something on your side and that is YOUTH! You have ten times the energy I have now, so when the right Job comes along ‘Pounce’ on it and be the best worker in the company… And don’t lose your Happiness!
Doug
Wow, quite the diverse answers. I was lucky to find my dream job, of course I grew up knowing or wanting this as a dream job.
I am retired from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Dept. This job was exciting and provided for my family and then some, I felt I was lucky. I am now HR Mgr. for a company and in a sense maybe this is my second dream job as I have nights and w/ends off to f/fish and I am only minuets away from some of the best water around. It is good
Again thanks for the encouragement. I must say that I totally agree with you. “Happiness comes from within. It can’t be taken for nothing.” (I can’t take credit for that one, it comes from a man named Spencer Kimball–I think). It is true that you must start from the inside out and that is something I’ve been battling. It will always come down to that-bottom line. But living in the “right” place and doing the “right” thing sure does make it easier…
Gator9
Welcome aboard! Great to have you. Hope you’ll share some more soon.
I have had plenty of counseling and what I’ve learned is that it’s not likely your going to do a makeover on your personality, no matter how much advice, books, seminars or whatever!
You learn what your weak and strong points are and try to achieve a balance. I’m a perfectionist so I really needed to learn this stuff! In the past if I made a mistake I would beat myself up about it, even little mistakes!
You learn every detail of your personality and ID warning signs. I will not fall back, I will go forward. It’s a graduation to a better level of behavior. Your mental strength is vital when it comes to ‘crunch’ time when something very stressful happens in your life.
The best defense is a good offense! Don’t sit around and wait for Life to come to YOU! GO GET IT!
What’s the worst that could happen? You might learn something! In my case, you have a few things to LAUGH about later in your life!
Doug
:idea: Why not do what you dream of part time and see where that takes you? Talk to your wife and let her know how you feel and give her a reasonable game plan so she knows you are serious. Between the two of you you can make it work or at the least you will find out it is not for you.
You’ve got a good idea there, and I’ve thought about it. The only drawback there is that I’m still in school! I think I might have just decided to change my major and career path though. Been doing a little research and I’d really love to get into wildlife or fish management/research for the Division of Natural Resources. There are not a lot of opportunities presently where I am, but a few and I’m confident I could get one. My wife and I plan on moving back to the homeland (UT) in 4.5 years and the options there re:wildlife and fish management are almost endless.
I must say thanks to you guys for the pep talk and personal experiences. I think I’ve certainly gained something from you all. God Bless you!
I am 25 also and am working towards my guide license in NY. I have to take a state test in September. Get certified in CPR, First Aid, and Water Safety from the Red Cross. And I need to be deemed physically able by a physician before I can take people out for hire. I don’t know how other states are, but it is invovled enough to keep most people from testing it out lesurly.
I am going to do a few trips on the salmon river for salmon this year and see how it goes. A long time friend is going to give me his spill over trips.
Right now I am a contractor. So my plan is to take people out for salmon full time. Part time for steelhead, and fix peoples houses in the summer. It’s a plan, we’ll see how it goes.
Right now I fish between 40-50 days a year. I’d like to keep that up while guiding. But the real reason I wan’t to guide is to just be out on the water and to teach people how to preserve the places they like to spend time. There are good and bad clients in everything you do. IF you get a bad one, you can choose not to do business with them again. I have turned people down in my contracting business because they were too much trouble than it was worth. If I get only one good client a week that would be fine with me. The more years I guide, the more repeat clients I hope to have and the more good days I will have out on the water. Makes sense to me at least.
That is exactly what I’m talking about man. You’ll have to let us know how it goes once you get going. I think you’ve got the right attitude about it. I agree that you’re gonna have good and bad clients no matter what you do. Please let me/us know what your experiences are!
