Decided to get a job in the adventure industry?
The outdoor, adventure industry is positive, rewarding, challenging, active and the pay is much better than it was just a few years ago.
1st year instructor: £17000 + training and perks
Lead Instructor (2nd or 3rd year): £18000 – £25000 + training and perks
Activities Manager (4+ years): £40000 + training and perks
Once you’ve decided to get a job in the adventure industry how to you get about getting it done? How do you achieve that first job? How should you plan your career.
16 – 18 years old…
If your under 18 a BTEC Level 3 in Outdoor Adventure is a GREAT start. You’ll spend two years having a fantastic time; normally spending at least one or more days per week out in the great outdoors alongside your other lessons and training. If you choose a good course you should finish with a number of activity qualifications alongside your BTEC.
18+ and unqualified
Become an Advanced Apprentice, you’ll spend 18 months consolidating your experience, learning at work, working really hard and developing your skills. Advanced Apprenticeships in outdoor education and adventure are very, very rare. Land & Wave takes on just one per year, normally from our BTEC Level 3 course.
Go to university – there are plenty of undergraduate courses in outdoor adventure subjects. You’ll spend 3 years being a student, meeting some awesome people, networking and building up a horrendous level of personal debt. Most jobs in the outdoor industry do not require a degree. The average post uni student debt in the UK is £45000!
Get a job in the adventure industry with a company like PGL. You’ll spend a year or three having a great time with very little responsibility and earning very little money while developing your soft skills and getting very few activity qualifications.
Choose an Accelerated Instructor Programme. You’ll spend 4 – 5 months working very hard and getting a lot of training, coaching and experience. You will get a specified number of nationally recognised qualifications. You will meet some incredible people and you will have superb experience at the same time. Course fees on accelerated courses range from £4,800 – £10,000, many people choose to use a career development loan to cover the costs. It might take you a year or more to pay back your loan. Give us a call on 01929 423 031 for more info, just ask to speak to someone about Instructor Training.
18+ and qualified
Get a job. Most people’s first job in the industry is a seasonal instructor role, you’ll spend 4 -8 months working really hard, jumping in the sea, kayaking, climbing and loads more. You should have an amazing time. Land & Wave pays its Seasonal Instructors a salary of £15,500.
Do something amazing over the winter (you deserve a break). A ski season, travel, play in the mountains, do some more training…
Get another job. Most people will start full time work as a team leader or lead instructor. Land & Wave pays its Lead Instructors £17,000 – £22,000. Keep learning, get more qualifications, work with lots of wonderful human beings.
Work out where you want to go and what you want to do, work in some different areas, maybe work in a few different countries, travel, don’t travel, play (never forget to play). Remember how lucky you are, enjoy being outside, enjoy working with people, drink coffee.
Start training, get qualified, get a job.
See where life takes you…
Charge on!
29 April 2016 by Owen Senior
