Unseasoned: Lesson 3 of 3
What happens when an outdoor dream job is no longer your dream?
Learning to Love Weekends
One of the best parts of moving from outdoor seasonal work to a 9-5 job? Regular weekends, paid time off, and paid holidays. I recharge, reconnect, relax… and still see the same regular paycheck arrive the following Monday?! After grinding on the daily/hourly train for so long, the predictability of it all feels candy-sweet.
Of course, I also really miss the long shoulder season vacations of my outdoor seasonal days. I got good at working hard for weeks and months on end, then taking big blocks of time off. It’s a growth edge to rest differently in a 9-5 work structure.
In a 9-5, I have almost as much time off as I used to. It’s just allocated differently. I’m learning how to take two-day weekends. It’s a shift to figure out how to wind down and wind back up in shorter increments. I have to watch myself carefully to ensure I’m not just working through the weekend on habit alone. Winter is starting to pick up pace now, and I use my time off with the utmost strategy and care.
To protect rest as I come into the busy season at my “day” job, this is the third and final newsletter wrapping up the Unseasoned newsletter series. Thank you again to everyone who supported the series!
And! We are going to keep the conversation going over on my Instagram: @emeraldlafortune. Join me there for weekly conversations about the shift out of outdoor seasonal work. Whether you are an outdoor seasonal wondering what happens next, a 9-5er with advice to spare, or somewhere in between, I look forward to our conversations!
As for the newsletter, I’m currently in an A/B test on two new ideas. Once I land on what I’m moving forward with, you’ll hear about it here first!
- Emerald
PS
I’m testing a new webinar, “How to Pitch Your Outdoor Writing”. This offering will be only open to a maximum of 10 attendees and will be no-cost, in exchange for feedback. If you want to join, please leave your name and e-mail here. Attendance will be first come first served, but anyone who signs up at this stage will receive an automatic 20% discount on the first version of the course as thanks.
PPS
In addition to my 9 - 5 work with the Recreation Law Group, I am now also helping out as the Member Contributed Content Editor for American Whitewater. I’m having a blast helping members tell their river stories. If you have an idea ready to see the page, reach out: editor@americanwhitewater.org or check out submission guidelines here.
PPPS:
I’m excited to announce Unseasoned speaking programs. My spring schedule is booked, but Fall 2024 opportunities are still available! These live, 90-minute, interactive sessions explore our core question: “What happens when a dream job is no longer your dream?” Learn more here.
Unseasoned Lesson Learned #3: We Want Challenge or Stability (or both)
For Outdoor Young Professionals
In the Unseasoned interview series, when I asked why people left outdoor seasonal work, almost every answer fell into one of two buckets. Some interviewees were seeking more stability. This could be in the form of a higher or more consistent paycheck, health insurance, or retirement. But it also included predictable work locations and the stability to maintain healthy relationships. Landon Moores said:
My favorite part of non-seasonal work is knowing that I can do this job for as long as I need to and I don't have to worry about my body giving out on me. Knowing that I have benefits in a retirement plan, knowing that my likability won't affect my paycheck.
Others felt they had reached the pinnacle of what a particular workplace or industry could offer them. Many outdoor recreation operations are triangular in structure - meaning there might be 10-20 guide or instructor roles for every middle-management or owner position. Inevitably, if growth and challenge are a priority, many in the workforce will begin to look elsewhere for new opportunities. Margo Stoney shared:
Having more security with consistent hours and good health benefits was definitely a bonus.
I was also lucky enough to have opportunities for professional development, promotions and raises. I felt those were more available to me as a year round full-time employee than as a seasonal person where you just get treated differently.
When I left outdoor seasonal work myself, it was mostly for stability reasons. I was fly fish guiding on the Middle Fork Salmon, and our trips kept getting canceled due to creek blowouts from previous years’ wildfires. The challenge was still there for me with flyfishing - I felt like I was learning something new every trip. But even with the outfitter paying us trip wages for canceled trips, I no longer wanted to manage the unpredictability of being all packed for an eight-day trip, only to have it not run. I was counting on nearly 50% of my trip income from gratuity and felt the financial hit when a trip didn’t go out.
Working within an industry is always a balance, I think. One should be pushing for more equitable and humane working conditions while also understanding the realities of the existing industry structure. Not every workplace will shift within the timeframe you need, and that’s when it’s time to consider a move.
Once I left, I found that I also was excited to mentally challenge myself in different ways. My 9-5 work is occasionally frustrating but rarely boring. And I love seeing what I’ve been able to build with 24+ months of sustained, dedicated effort. It’s a different type of challenge than running Cove Creek rapid at low water, but the type of challenge I was ready for.
For all those considering leaving outdoor seasonal work, or feeling stuck in the decision, I think challenge and stability can be a helpful framework. Can you name what you are craving or missing? Is there a way to build more stability or challenge into your existing role? If not, where and how might you find one or both of those opportunities in your next role?
For more ideas, read the interviews here.
For Owners / Managers
This one is simple to say but harder to do. If you want to retain talented, valuable senior staff, you should be focused on one of two things: stability or challenge.
When I say stability, many people's minds jump to higher wages, health insurance, retirement, or other benefits. And sure, that’s an easy way to help someone stay in your organization. But stability can also be predictable scheduling, helping your staff set up ROTH-IRAs, or walking them through what would happen if they got injured on the job. The opportunities to build more stability in your workplace are as endless as your creativity and understanding of what your staff wants.
Challenge, similarly, can be a promotion for high-performing staff. But there are also ways to thoughtfully build challenges and new experiences into existing roles or shoulder seasons. The key here is to make sure these additions align with your staff’s long-term goals. Adding responsibility without increasing wages is a bad look and one that will ultimately accelerate burnout for the staff you need most.
Bring Unseasoned to your outdoor program, workplace, or community group. More information here.
Heard on Social
Last week on Instagram, we talked about the hard skills that outdoor seasonal roles did not provide. Allie shared:
Environmental education (7 years). Did not learn the skills of: managing up, proposal development, and networking. I realized these skills during my transition away from outdoor/enviro-ed when I began my first communications job and felt very behind on and saddened by corporate culture (B Corps but still!)
Join us this week as we talk about our favorite non-outdoor seasonal routines.