The Unseasoned Weekly: Nov 26

Helping you move from outdoor seasonal work to a year-round career.

- Onward into 2025 -

Hello!

Welcome to the updated Unseasoned newsletter! We’ve been having a great time diving into the outdoor seasonal-to-9-to-5 transition over on Instagram and I am thrilled to bring the conversation back to this newsletter.

Not in the “unseasoning” life stage? Don’t leave just yet!

I believe in the power of collective knowledge: “As individuals, we know a little; together, we know a lot.” If you’ve already made the shift, or if you’re thriving in your seasonal role, your perspective is still valuable.

Your input, ideas, and feedback have been invaluable to the Instagram community, and I’d love for you to continue contributing here too.

Together, we can demystify 9-to-5 work, showcase how outdoors-built skills can shine in other career paths, and help others find stable, fulfilling jobs that honor their love for the outdoors.

Thank you for being here! Feel free to reply anytime—your messages go straight to me.

-Emerald

- An endorsement triplet from the other side of outdoor seasonal work-

3 Recs For When

… your Monday through Friday is sucking your soul out.

One key to thriving in a 9-to-5 is recognizing the importance of your 6-to-9 and 5-to-9—those precious hours before and after the workday. How can you align that time with your values, interests, and what brings you joy? It simply isn’t sustainable to live only for the weekends when you work year-round.

For me, one tactic is starting the morning with music. Lately, I’ve been playing YouTube concerts as I prepare for the day. Here are three recommendations to keep you company while you make breakfast, get the kids to school, otherwise get ready for the day ahead:

1. Norah Jones – Come Away With Me, Live From Allaire Studios
   Norah Jones imprinted on my teenage years, and her music remains my go-to for soothing my nervous system. This performance feels like Norah at her best, and the cozy setting matches November’s moody vibes perfectly.

2. Flo Milli – NPR Tiny Desk Concert
   Tiny Desk is always a favorite, and Flo Milli delivers a perfect acceleration to the day (warning - NSFW… or young ears!)

3. Hermanos Gutiérrez – Austin City Limits Festival
   When I need a dose of sunshine, I turn to festival recordings. I recently discovered Hermanos Gutiérrez, and their music is an escape that pairs beautifully with a morning coffee.

What are you listening to this month? I’d love to hear your recommendations—reply and let me know!

- Dispatches from the Unseasoned Community -

Heard on Social

Last week on social, we discussed Canva vs. Word formatted resumes.

emeraldlafortune

A post shared by @emeraldlafortune

@charliw74 replied:

As the real human receiving the resumes at a small organization, I don’t care about the one page rule, but also please don’t send me your super detailed USAJobs resume either. Word vs. Canva also doesn’t matter as much as long as your formatting is clean & consistent. Typos, misspellings, messy formatting, etc. are all much more likely to influence my decision at the first review than design choices.

Join us this week to learn from our community of over 3,000!

- Tips for your next application -

How I’d Apply

Astral is hiring a Community + Social Media Manager (Location: PNW, remote)

Unique Value Proposition (UVP): If applying for this role, I’d focus on my direct experience using Astral gear, my comfort speaking the language of the paddling community, and my existing riversports network. While they ask for 4+ years experience… this is an entry-level wage. So I say, go for it!

Sample Resume Bullet Point:

• Social Media Management: Developed and grew an Instagram account to x engaged followers, achieved a x% increase in YouTube subscribers, and managed a blog featuring guest paddlesport essays from volunteer contributors. Efforts resulted in enhanced business visibility and increased website click-through rates.

Flags / Interview Questions to Ask:

• "What does a typical day or week in this role look like? How do you support this position to prioritize tasks when everything feels urgent?" - Communications roles are notoriously overambitious. These questions help you understand the pace of work and whether there’s a framework for realistic expectations.

Hiring Manager: While it appears their current Head of Brand + Marketing might be Cooper Lambla, I’d verify with someone before addressing my cover letter to him. If you can’t confirm, instead use, “Dear Astral Team…”

Continuing Ed: Looking to build your digital marketing skillset? Hubspot Academy’s FREE Social Media Marketing Certificate might be a good start*

*NOT an ad or affiliate link. I just really like their courses.

Open Jobs Grab Bag

Get a Foot In: UPS (Various) - Seasonal Support Driver

Entry Level: University of Idaho (Moscow, ID) - Administrative Specialist II

Go Pro: Vital Farms (Remote) - Learning and Organizational Development Strategy Director

Emerald’s Free Resource Library

Resume templates, career transition therapist and coach recommendations, and more. What would you like to see in the library? Reply and let me know!