Think out of the box. If you feel like your job search has you going in circles, and you are overwhelmed by constant talk of layoffs and unemployment, it is time to get creative and take a step back and away from all the panic and fear.
What skills do you have that may cross over to other professions? What skills may you want to improve, what do you enjoy doing and if you are specifically looking to live in the mountains, have you looked into camp jobs, seasonal resort jobs or becoming a volunteer? Consider that you may need to take an intermediate step towards your long-term goal or maybe it is simply time for a much needed change.
I read two articles this week, volunteer your way into a new job, an excellent post about volunteering and Bad economy brings new breed of ski worker, which talks about an IT consultant taking on a ski job to supplement his reduced income also allowing his family to ski and enjoy what they like to do.
”It just seemed to work out,” Daniluk said of his second job. “It helped supplement the income, cut expenses and let us do what we like doing.”
”At this point I’m liking it so much, I’m looking to get deeper and deeper, if you will,” he said. “It could turn into that bit of a career change as I get up there in the years.”
If you are looking at mountain jobs, here are some ideas for you …
Camp jobs
If you are a college student or recent grad looking towards an outdoor career, or a teaching job working with children, this is an especially good idea. Gaining leadership skills and communication skills, working in the outdoors, always a great idea. Camps are now recruiting for the summer season! (we have some you can search for here on MountainJobs.com)
Volunteering
I have to give my dear mother credit for teaching me about this one, “Amy, I think it would be a good idea for you to volunteer”, with all the best intentions always, “it will allow you to stop thinking (so much) about yourself and to help others”. She was right about this on so many levels. Volunteering during a transition was highly rewarding and I absolutely recommend it to anyone whether in transition or not. Making a difference and helping others, business contacts, work experience, all a major plus. Great way to build or rebuild your self confidence which will naturally make your job search that much easier. Even if you say that you must get a paying job, if you are not working right now, in a state of fear, your focus can easily become clouded and this will help shift you away from that fear. In doing something constructive and rewarding even part-time, you will likely start to see and feel the benefits almost immediately.
Resort jobs
I have always and will always recommend the seasonal job route for anyone that is looking to move to a mountain resort town or in a career transition already living there. One key reason, it is fun! The benefits of fun are endless especially when you have just made a major move. Taking some of the stress out of your daily life can help set you back on your path. You may end up with a full-time job at the resort, meet new people which may lead to your next job, and if you are new in town, this is an excellent way for you to integrate into the community.
This can sometimes sound absurd to a city professional guy or girl looking to move his career to a ski town. “A resort job?” The truth is, thinking out of the box is often the norm in a resort town, tough economy or not. It always comes back to the lifestyle and figuring out the best way to maintain it. As time goes on, and you realize this is definitely the lifestyle for you, perspective and priorities tend to shift, you become more creative and flexible in your thinking and work hard to find a way to stay. This is a challenging economic time for just about everyone though so if you find yourself feeling stuck, wherever you are, open yourself up to new opportunities that you may have never considered before, step out of the box and stay there, think positive, take a chance, try something new.