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Jobs in the film industry

Movies and films don’t just happen. There is a team of people working closely together to produce the amazing films that you see on YouTube and in the cinema. One of the key roles in the film industry is the director. The role of the director is to direct all of the scenes, filming, and ensuring that the cameras get the right images and action presented to the viewer.

Devin Graham is a fantastic director and cinematographer, and managed to secure a slot to use one of the lots at Universal Studios to film this great parkour RIPD video. See what a great job he made of it, how he made it, and what was involved in pulling it all together.

You can see how all of this was done in this behind the scenes video.

What different film industry jobs are there?

The list is huge, but here goes:

• Producer – The film producer does a range of jobs. Before the film production starts, the producer has to get ideas from writers and directors, and read scripts. The film producer also has to raise the money to fund the film. The film producer has to hire a film production crew.
• Film director – The job of the film director is to direct the artistic vision of the film. This includes setting the mood and visual experience. The director chooses preferred film crews, casting directors, and sometimes film actors as well. He will also have the overall decision as to film locations.
• Casting director – the job of the casting director is to find and cast the actors.
• Film actors – These a the people who act and portray characters in the film.
• Screenwriters – This job involves writing the script for the film.
• Film and video editors – The job of the film editor is to take all of the recorded film and audio and edit it in such a way as to create the desired result. The film director will often shoot a lot of scenes, and it is the film editors job to cut this to be the right length and in the right order. Some movies are shot in a completely different order to how the scenes are sequenced in the final film.
• Film art director – The job of the art director is to ensure that all sets and locations look how they need to for the film.
• Construction manager – Sets have to be built, especially if they are going to be demolished during the movie. The construction managers job ensures that all the right skilled craftspeople are employed to built the sets.
• Cinematographer – This film job takes the vision of the director and translates it into film. This is a visual role, and is usually pivotal in the production of a great film.
• Animation and special effects – Not everything can be done in real life. Some films need animations, CGI effects, or to actually build and create special effects on the set, such as explosions and collapsing buildings.
• Movie extra jobs – In any film, a lot of people are required to make things look realistic. You can’t have a city scene if there are only the lead actors in the shot. This is the job of the film extra. The skill required for a film extra job varies depending on the role to be played. You might need to be athletic as in the video above, or to look a certain way. There are always plenty of film extra jobs being advertised, and it can be one of the best ways to get into the movie industry.

Film Production Schools

If you are interested in getting a film industry job, you might like to look at getting a film production degree. Have a look at the film production schools available and see what courses they offer.

Each film production course provides training in the different aspects of film production. Once you get your film production degree, your video production training will pave the way for you to find jobs in video production.

Don’t just do the course though. You need to produce your own work and provide examples of your filmmaking. If you want to get a career in film, have a look at the films Devin Graham has made on the devinsupertramp YouTube channel to get an idea of what you need to be doing.

So, if you want to be the next lead in Star Wars, start looking for those film extra jobs.

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Tom started snowboarding when he was 12 years old after previously enjoying the thrill of skiing before that on school trips. He comments: “I got into snowboarding after learning how to ski because at that age it looked really cool. I definitely loved it straight away and tried to do it as much as possible.”

After being introduced to Snowboard Cross at University, he became hooked and eventually decided to go professional and do it full time. Tom started to compete internationally in 2011 and has recently finished second season:

“My snowboarding and my results keep improving. It’s been an awesome lifestyle travelling across Europe to compete at different resorts whilst also snowboarding full time where I live in France. So far, I always walk away from a result thinking ‘that’s good, but I want it better’. I’ve had some pretty cool moments, joining the GB team being right up there.”

Tom has started his own blog to share his snowboarding experiences, which follows his life as he competes around the world. Tom recently went to Hintertux in Austria to complete his Level 2 Snowboarding course with BASI (The British Association of Snowsport Instructors), the UK body responsible for the training and licencing of snowsport instructors. The Association currently has over 6,000 members who are actively involved in delivering instruction to recreational ski and snowboard enthusiasts at snowsport centres and dry ski slopes in the UK as well as at ski resorts in 24 countries worldwide.

“I chose to do a BASI qualification because of its credibility and reputation in the industry. I had looked at other qualifications from other countries and you seem to have to invest a lot of time into going up the ranks before it starts to gain enough weight” comments Tom. Below are his thoughts about the course:

“There was still a week left of the season in Morzine when we had packed the car to leave. It was pretty sad to be going away and missing the closing party. But the snow was getting pretty slushy by then so I was looking forward to going a lot higher up. It was the first time I had driven over to Austria but the journey was simple enough. 450 miles and beaming hot sunshine later, I arrived in Vorderlanersbach, which is about 15 minutes down the road from the Hintertux ski lift. We had an hour to settle in before heading off to a BASI meeting to be told what was happening over the next two weeks. Five hours on snow, two hours in the classroom then an hour of private study a day. I’m used to at least five hours on snow so that was cool, but when I’ve finished, I usually lie around on the sofa drinking water and eating, not in a classroom! Luckily, it was pretty mellow as there were lots of discussions on the hill.

At 8am the first day, we met up with our trainers and everyone in our group. Rob Sanderson was my trainer, who was great. I wasn’t really sure how to approach the whole BASI course. A few people I know really aren’t keen on the programme and had been warning me about things for a couple of months before I went. My coach in particular, who was worried that they might undo all the work we’ve done together. For the first day I pretty much kept my mouth shut and just honed around the resort whilst Rob got to know us all and our level. I felt at the beginning that it was going to be the case that my riding level would be enough to see me through and I just had to be present to pass. However, I quickly realised, that that was not going to be the case.

I had to change my riding style. I’ve spent the last few years riding specifically in one way as I’ve been told by my coaches. Rob managed to explain it well though, saying that there has to be a distinction between competitive riding and riding in a way that beginners can copy. That was an awesome way of putting it. I know a few people have clashed heads in the past thinking that BASI trainers have said that their riding style is inferior, when really they mean it’s not appropriate. That really won me over and I started to really get involved with what Rob was trying to teach us all. It was pretty interesting looking at the biomechanics of riding but also all the loads of different exercises to practice each element of the movement. I’m used to pretty much flying around resort as quickly as I can, but it was pretty fun to slow it all down.

My first lesson was teaching beginners to do the ‘falling leaf’. I was one of the last of the day, which was awesome because it meant I had the chance to watch everyone else’s lessons before it was my turn. The style most people used was all a bit too command orientated for me though, so I decided to mix it up a bit and use my own experiences. I’m used to my coaches setting out the training objectives then sending me off to go find it out for myself as they sit and observe to provide feedback. It’s not the quickest way of learning something, and really frustrating, but it definitely gives you a chance to learn from your mistakes and really understand why something works. It was cool to incorporate into my lessons and it went down well.

By the second week I had passed all of the assessments so far, which made it even more fun because I was able to play with different things. I even got a few laps through the park on the sly when Rob wasn’t looking, which was awesome.

Now I’ve passed, the next step is to use this qualification in the UK scene and start building up some strong competitive snowboard cross riders that do FIS races. I’ll be over in Manchester for the British indoor champs coaching for a couple of evenings to get people prepared. After that, I’ll be putting together a camp in the preseason around October.

If I hadn’t found snowboarding, I definitely would have ended up in a not too exciting desk job. When I was at Uni, I was quite keen on either becoming a solicitor or joining the diplomatic service. I think now though, if I wasn’t snowboarding, I would have to do something within the industry that allowed for travelling! I would like to say a huge thank you to Butta, Forcefield, sno!zone, York Sport and Sheffield Hallam University for all of your support over the years.”

Tom’s next step is to use his BASI snowboarding instructor qualification in the UK scene and start building up some strong competitive snowboard cross riders that do FIS races. Tom will be over in Manchester for the British indoor champs coaching for a couple of evenings to get people prepared. After that, he will be putting together a camp in the preseason around October. Tom wants to start building up some of the university riders as well, seeing as that’s where the whole team has come from.

So, as you can see, if you like your boardsports, you too could take a snowboarding instructors course and learn all the skills to become a BASI qualified snowboarding instructor. With the BASI snowboarding instructor qualification, you can get a job as a snowboarding instructor in Europe. If you are a student and like the snowsports scene, have a look at OffthePiste.com, the UK’s leading student snowsports tour operator.

Find out More About Snowboarding Instructors Courses

To read more about Tom’s experiences, please visit his website: www.tomfarrow.net.

BASI currently has over 6,000 members who are actively involved in delivering instruction to recreational ski and snowboard enthusiasts at snowsport centres and dry ski slopes in the UK as well as at ski resorts in 38 countries worldwide.

For further information about BASI’s wide range of training courses, please visit www.basi.org.uk or call 01479 861 717.

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Whether you are skiing in winter, or visiting the British Ski and Board Show in the last week of October, companies like Snowskool, Peak Leaders and The International Academy could provide you with the information and incentive you need to change that part-time hobby into a full-time career.

Will Southon (26) from Surrey was one such individual who worked as a labourer to fund his European travel to the slopes every winter. With a keen enthusiasm for the great outdoors Will had the idea of becoming an instructor. “I was on a chair lift when I decided to explore the possibilities before enrolling on a course with Snowskool,” explains Will. “The 11-weeks of training was pretty intensive but now that I’m qualified with ISIA (International Ski Instructors Association) it allows me to teach anywhere in the world.

“After completing my training I spent a season in Canada at the Big White Ski Resort,” he continued. “It’s not usual for your accommodation to be included and you typically earn around $10,000 (Canadian Dollars) a season but the social scene and spending my days on the slopes makes it all worth while.”

Snowskool (www.snowskool.co.uk) operates ski and snowboarding courses in Canada, New Zealand and France. “Our 10-week course in Cardrona, New Zealand has proved particularly popular,” said Laura Hopps, Snowskool. “Spending your summer in the southern hemisphere training within an area of outstanding natural beauty must be on everyone’s wish list.” Departing July 2009, the ten-week course at Cardrona costs £7050 including flights and accommodation.

Like-minded snowboarder Hamish Livingstone (19) had dreams of becoming a snow sports instructor. Now a trained and certified Level 2 BASI (British Association of Ski Instructors) Hamish is fully equipped to instruct ski and snowboarding in many parts of the world. “The 10-week course was invaluable,” said Hamish. “As well as ski and snowboard tuition I learnt about first aid, backcountry and avalanche awareness, off-piste technique and how to operate a transceiver in emergency situations.”

Hamish completed his instruction course with Peak Leaders (www.peakleaders.com) in Zermatt, Switzerland. Now in its eighth year Peak Leaders offer courses in Asia, Canada, Europe, India, Japan and The Americas with its first course of the new season commencing on January 3rd 2009 in Banff, Canada. At a cost of £6,850, Peak Leaders offer the 11-week course including flights and accommodation with instruction leading to a Level 2 CSIA/CASI qualification.

Despite his love of powder snow Hamish has temporarily swapped the snowcap peaks of Switzerland for the dry slopes of Sheffield. He said: “Sheffield Ski Village may not be as glamorous as the Alps but it has enabled me to hone my skills and keep me busy until the northern hemisphere winter season starts.”

If you’re considering taking a gap year or a career break in order to train then The International Academy provide several ski and snowboard instructor courses in the northern and southern hemispheres ranging from five to 12 weeks. With their close links with Crystal holidays, The International Academy could give you the opportunity to turn your dreams into reality.

There are plenty of other opportunities to work at resorts as well as instructors. Natives.co.uk is the UK’s leading snowsport recruitment website and is run by ex-season workers who can give you help and advice. The Natives team will be at the show, answering all your questions on which resorts are recruiting, how to apply for jobs, what wages to expect and types of accommodation.

If snowboarding is your thing, then you could always get yourself on a snowboard instructor course.

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With the hustle and bustle of city live becoming an ever more stressful experience, more and more people are turning to sailing as a way to escape and find freedom on the open sea. No traffic jams, no boundaries, and that amazing sensation of feeling at one with nature. This means that there is an increasing opportunity for sailing jobs.

The best job opportunities in the US tend to be in urban areas near large bodies of water, such as Chicago. There are fewer sailing job opportunities as you move out into rural areas. The other place you are going to find good sailing jobs is anywhere where there are sailing holidays. Popular sailing holiday locations include the UK, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, South Pacific, North America, Thailand or even Australia.

There are a range of sailing jobs that you could do, either staying in one area such as the Mediterranean, or travelling the world following the sailing seasons. Jobs include deckhand, skipper, cruising instructor, sailing instructor, marine engineer, sailing host or professional yacht master. Should you want to have a more permanent sailing job, you could progress to being a sailing school owner, or you could even use your entrepreneurial flair to create a business selling new and used yachts to your more wealthy clients. If you really want to progress onto larger vessels, captains on large superyachts (>50 metres) could expect between £6,000 and upwards of £10,000 per month. Monaco here I come!

Sailing Job Roles, Responsibilities and Skills

Marine Engineer Jobs

As a marine engineer, your job will tend to be based around the yachts, sailing base and ports of call. At the start of the sailing season you will be required to carry out any fleet refits. This involves painting, cleaning and repairing the yachts in preparation for the sailing season.

Since you will be providing a service for sailing holiday clients, you must be positive and sociable, with experience in a customer focussed environment. A marine engineer has to be a fantastic problem solver, being able to quickly identify issues and resolve them. At the end of every yacht rental, you will have to complete turnaround service checks, yacht preparation and deck washing. At the start of every rental, you will have to brief clients on the boat’s mechanical systems and safety equipment.

Between sailing holiday rentals, engine servicing has to be carried out as required. Maintenance of outboards for tenders will also be on your job list. You will of course have to respond to emergency call outs for breakdowns on any of the yachts.

The technical skills you will need to have to be a marine engineer include:

• maintaining diesel engines
• maintaining 2 & 4 stroke outboards
• a working knowledge of 12V DC electrical systems

Sailing Instructor Jobs

The job as a sailing instructor requires technical knowledge, skill in sailing, and just the right combination of quick thinking and physical command. Your time will be split between the classroom and on board the yachts.

If the sailing holiday company is UK based, wherever you are in the world you will be expected to deliver Royal Yachting Association (RYA) courses to the highest standard complying with the RYA regulations and company standards.

You must be able to deliver sailing holiday company specific courses and liaise with the chief yachtmaster instructor regarding any maintenance requirements or damage to the yachts. It isn’t all practical work though. You will also need to ensure that the correct paperwork is completed as per local laws and regulations.

The practical aspects of the sailing instructor job includes:

• providing rescue boat cover
• running weekly yacht races and mini-flotillas
• carry out beach duties, including rigging and de-rigging of boats and the launch and recovery of all boats

You have to do all of this whilst maintaining the safety of the guests and the sailing craft. As a customer facing role, you have to be great with people, and provide excellent customer service at all times. This will involve not just working on the sailing yachts, but also to carry out transfer day duties, such as representing the company at the airport.

Sailing qualifications you will need to get a sailing instructor job will most likely include:

• RYA Yachtmaster Offshore with Commercial Endorsement
• RYA Cruising Instructor
• Powerboat level 2
• Safety Boat Drivers certificate
• Knowledge of health & safety legislation

Sailing Skipper Jobs

As a sailing skipper, you are responsible for sailing the yacht for clients who don’t want to do the sailing by themselves. You will have to prepare the yacht on turnaround days, including cleaning the deck. You have to brief clients on safety and yacht systems and advise on sailing questions.

You are at all times responsible for the safety of your clients throughout the week. Skills you will need to have include:

• RYA Offshore Yacht Master with Commercial Endorsement or Coastal Skipper
• The ability to work under pressure and make difficult decisions
• Experience in a customer focused environment
• Sociable and positive personality
• Strong organisational skills

Sailing Yachtmaster Jobs

This is one of the top sailing jobs. As a sailing yachtmaster, you will be responsible for the management of all operational aspects of a yacht sailing school, which includes the delivery of the RYA syllabus, day to day management of staff, driving revenue and ensuring yachts are set up to company and RYA standards.

This is much more of a leadership role, managing a team of sailing instructors. You will have to:

• Co-ordinate paperwork and instructors for all courses
• Drive revenue and promote courses available within resort
• Maintain the standards of training delivered on shore based courses
• To monitor customer feedback of RYA Training and investigate comments where necessary
• Liaise with the RYA and other governing bodies to ensure that the syllabus delivered are up to date
• Ensure yachts are clean and set up per company standards and RYA requirements
• Ensure that any changes in the SOPs are communicated to instructors, and that this is documented
• Provide support and guidance to instructors, and provide on-going training as necessary
• Develop course material to support existing and future course requirements
• Ensure before yachts set sail correct paperwork has been completed as per company and local law requirements.
• Ensure company policies and procedures are kept to whilst instructors are at sea
• Lead and motivate the instructors
• Provide excellent customer service at all times

Your sailing skill set will of course have to include a qualification as RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, with previous years experience managing a team. Knowledge of health & safety legislation and the RYA Sailing School syllabus and standards is essential.

Sailing Host Jobs

As a sailing host, you will be living aboard the leadboat with the sailing flotilla skipper and marine engineer. You will be responsible for ensuring that your 50-60 guests each week have the holiday of a lifetime. The primary requisite for a sailing host is to be lively, bubbly and self-motivated to advise the clients of all the local attractions and amenities along your Flotilla route.

Although you are there to look after your guests, with previous sailing experience you will need to support the Skipper mooring up your fleet of yachts and with the general day to day running of your leadboat.

If you have the right temperament, you will love the tasks of organising group meals, BBQ’S, Punch Parties, competitions, local tours for guests, and socialising with guests. The less attractive tasks include accounting and running the flotilla budgets, cleaning the decks of the yachts to a high standard, and performing regular inventory checks of both the domestic & safety equipment on board each yacht.

Key skills to demonstrate will include experience in a customer facing environment, yacht sailing experience (ideally with a RYA Day Skipper or Competent crew qualification), be able to work under pressure, have experience of working with large groups of clients, and of course have experience working with children.

So How Do I get Started in Getting a Sailing Job?

The RYA (Royal Yachting Association) offers a whole host of sailing courses from complete beginner right through to professional qualifications. Run through the RYA’s network of some 2,500 recognised training centres both in the UK and abroad, you should be able to find a course to suit you.

To get you started many RYA Training Centres, sailing clubs and charter companies throughout the UK and abroad run taster sessions/days providing an ideal opportunity to get out on the water for the first time and help you decide if sailing is for you and if you wish to go ahead and sign up for a sailing course.

If you decide that yachting is for you then the RYA’s Start Sailing and Competent Crew courses are the perfect way to learn the basic principles of sailing whilst meeting like-minded people and exploring new locations. If you can already sail, then sailing holiday companies to work for include Sunsail in both the UK and US. Sunsail Events also run racing and corporate events, so there are opportunities for short term crew jobs during sailing events such as Cowes Week.

If you are just starting out in sailing, one great way to learn to sail is to go on a sailing holiday with companies like Sunsail or Neilson. You can spend a week in the sun learning how to sail and get your RYA sailing qualifications. If you like it, you can explore your options by talking to the staff who will be able to tell you exactly how you can get to see the world differently as part of a sailing crew.

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To fund her love of snowboarding, Jenny Jones worked as a ski chalet girl in the French ski resort of Tignes. As a chalet maid, once the cleaning is done, you are free to hit the slopes with the free ski pass your employers provide. This is a fantastic way to earn while you learn. Will you become the next skiing or snowboarding champion?

Getting into Winter Sports

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Jenny Jones started out in athletics, running the 400m, doing long jump and cross country. She also competed in gymnastics. Jenny Jones learned to snowboard on a dry slope in Bristol. I learned to snowboard on a dry slope before snowboarding on snow. Snowboarding on a dry slope means that you have to get your technique right. Due to the surface, you really do have to work out the exact movements to get the turns right. Snowboarding on snow is so much easier and much more forgiving if you get it wrong.

After becoming adept at snowboarding, Jenny is now 3 times gold medallist at the X Games slope style, and has the bronze medal for slope style in the Winter Olympics.

Whether you learn to ski or snowboard on a dry slope or in an indoor snow centre, once you catch the snowsport bug, you want to do it as much as you can. It gives you such a buzz when you get it right, and the snowsports community is very sociable.

If you love snowboarding and want to try doing some slopestyle tricks, one of the best ways to learn is to go to one of the freestyle sessions at an indoor snow centre. You can see what it is all about, have a go, and get great tips and advice from other snowsports enthusiasts.

The Freestyle Thursdays and Fridays at Hemel Hempstead Snow Centre are on real snow indoors all year round. You can learn how to snowboard, and progress onto more knarly stuff under the expert tuition of snowboard instructors.

How to fund your snowsports passion

Now that you can’t get enough of snowboarding, you are going to need the cash to pay for it. The snowboard, boots, bindings, helmet and body armour are a worthwhile investment if you intend to keep doing it, although you can use it for free when you go to any indoor snow centre.

But, beyond the snow centres, you can’t beat the feeling of snowboarding down a seemingly endless run on a real mountain.

Snowboarding in the French Alps will cost you for the flights, transfers, accommodation, lift passes, food and insurance. This is where the clever and cunning find ways to spend their winters on the slopes and get paid for it as well.

There are a variety of seasonal ski resort jobs that will see you on the way to snowboarding success.

Ski Chalet Maid Jobs

If you get yourself a job as a ski chalet maid, the company you work for will usually pay for your travel and accommodation, and include a free lift pass. You will get paid a salary on top of that as well!

All they ask in return is that you ensure that the ski chalet is kept clean and tidy. Once the work is done, you can hit the slopes.

Ski Chalet Host Jobs

If you have great people skills and can cook, then you might prefer to get a job as a ski chalet host. It pays more, especially if you speak more than one language.

The ski chalet host job entails making sure that your guests are looked after when they return from a day on the slopes. You have to provide breakfast and dinner, and keep the place clean and tidy. Usually you will get Wednesdays off, so you get that entire day free for snowboarding.

Other seasonal ski resort jobs

There are other jobs you can do in a ski resort. For example, Alpine Elements winter ski jobs include resort manager, ski technician, chef, housekeeper, restaurant staff, bar assistants and hotel assistants.

The most appealing ski resort jobs are to be a ski instructor or snowboard instructor. You will need to have a British Association of Ski Instructors BASI qualification to do this. You will need to be a real people person to help others learn to ski or snowboard. Still, you get to share your passion with others.

You could get a job as a ski lift operator, which can be dull and cold just standing there. But, you don’t need any qualifications for that.

Other ski resort jobs include piste basher (pisteur), ski patrol, resort management and maintenance, drivers, and bar or restaurant staff. If you can speak a foreign language, that is a real bonus.

Jenny Jones Sponsors

Once you have funded your snowboarding passion through being a chalet girl, quality inspected vast amounts of cardboard boxes, taught fencing, and sold doughnuts, if you are great at what you do, you can fund your snowboarding through sponsorship. This is where big brand companies give you free gear and cash in exchange for you promoting their brand name. Jenny Jones is sponsored by Oakley (goggles and clothing), Relentless (Relentless Freeze Festival in London), Salomon (snowboard and gear) and Pentax (photography).

the ski jackets and clothing that Team GB are wearing is provided by Adidas.

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The outdoor job boards below show the latest outdoor jobs listed on Indeed. The jobs are listed in order related to the jobs nearest to you. If you want to find an outdoor job in a specific location, use the search box on the outdoor job boards to hunt for a more specific job, such as “Outdoor Events Staff.”

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I learned the hard way that joining a company and conforming to the status quo quickly can lead to your downfall. You become invisible, and if you aren’t then you will be noticed for not delivering to meet expectations of a MBA graduate. I am going to share my experiences with you so that you don’t make the same mistakes and take for granted that your MBA will get you to keep your dream job once you get it.

So What do You Have to do?

You have to relate to customers and other staff, understand what is important to them, and then see which problems you can solve to make their lives so much easier. You then have to make sure that somebody of relevance becomes aware of what you are doing, and it is so much better if others sing your praises as well as just you. There is an art to growing your virtual team of colleagues though, and it requires observation, analysis and action using those all important skills you developed on your MBA. The hard part is working out how.

Demonstrating Value

It’s all about making life easier for others. By doing so you demonstrate value and make a difference that will be rewarded as long as the right people notice the importance of what you ave achieved.

Although I have a Masters Degree in electronic engineering with business administration, it didn’t answer my questions about how to get from where a company is to where it needs to be. I just kept being told by “experts” that you just have to implement the framework. I even encountered consultants getting paid huge amounts of money to sell template quality assurance documentation that never actually reflected the company it was for. The very company I was in was highly embarrassed by buying one of these schemes and then failing all subsequent quality audits from external bodies. Even to this day I see a lot of frameworks detailing how a company should operate, but not providing a roadmap for how to transform a company from where they are to become that idealistic model. Working this out and demonstrating the value of changes I had successfully instigated was the path to developing my career to the benefit of myself and my company.

Be Adaptable and Solve Company Efficiency Issues

I learned a lot about working in industry from both direct experience and observation of what happened to colleagues. Whilst working for a bespoke computer manufacturer, a new production manager was employed specifically because he had a degree in production management. The current production supervisor was sidelined, which immediately caused friction. Unfortunately for the graduate, he had no practical experience in running a technology manufacturing operation. He began making changes according to what he had learned in his degree to make it the same as the model he was taught. He made several key mistakes that led to his dismissal a few months later:

1. He didn’t take time to observe and understand current working practices. This meant that he had no sight of the impact his changes would make. He also didn’t measure the before and after.
2. He used his authority to boss staff about without earning their respect. Working out what makes people want to do things for you is critical in business and life.
3. He seek to understand the expertise and skills that his staff had. It is vital that you find out what your team is good at and what roles suit individuals.

Make a Difference for Staff Before You Blow Your Own Trumpet

In that very same company, I observed that there was a huge waste of time and money in the various historical business processes. I began to ask those stupid questions that everyone doesn’t ask that relate to why things are done the way they are.

For example, the stores staff hated the production staff because they were always being hassled to pick parts for the next production run without any prior notice. After a bit of investigation into the business process, I suggested to the production staff that perhaps the reason the stores staff were so unbelievably grumpy and obstructive was because they weren’t given enough notice of what parts were needed and when. The production supervisor went off to the business administrator to get the parts pick lists given to the stores staff a week ahead of when they were needed.

Suddenly, the stores staff became a lot happier, parts appeared when they were needed, and production teams were able to build products quicker. Also, faulty or missing parts were identified in advance and the issues resolved in good time.

I kept facilitating these “tweaks” to the business processes, and without claiming credit, the Financial Director came to find out why productivity had suddenly improved and overhead costs due to replacing faulty or damaged parts had reduced. He asked me to put a plan together to see how much of the “Cost of Quality” I could reduce. After gaining the company ISO9001 accredited by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), I received a nice little handshake from the Finance Director and Chief Executive. It certainly pays to demonstrate that your ideas are impacting company profits in a positive and visible way.

How to Make That Difference Using Your MBA

So, how do you use your MBA to make that difference? You will have learned about various aspects of business during your MBA and now you have to work out how to use them to good effect.

Before you make any changes, you need to understand the current situation, what works well and what doesn’t. Talk to staff to find out what their jobs entail. If you show genuine interest in their roles, before you know it they will be moaning about the issues they face. By using the 5 Whys technique (asking why to each response to elicit the root cause of the problem), you can work out the key issue they are facing. By talking to a variety of staff you can quickly identify areas where change can have a positive impact. This is where your intelligence and skill comes into play. You have to work out a solution and artfully implement it. It works particularly well if you use Dale Carnegie’s techniques for getting the other person to believe they came up with the idea. They will be only too eager to get on with things. You have to be seen to be observing the outcomes. If it works, congratulate your team. They will know it was you who facilitated it, and this will pay dividends in the future.

You have to learn by your mistakes as to when is best to claim credit for what you have done and when to keep quiet. It is all about using your emotional intelligence and using the key characteristics for leading effective teams, but more of that another time.

The post How to Use Your MBA to Boost Your Career appeared first on Active Outdoors.

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What makes an active outdoor job pay well?

Finding a job with good pay can be a bit of a challenge. A high paid job for a student may not be such a high paid job for someone who has had years of professional experience. Part time outdoor jobs for students help to get you through your education, but may not pay well. However, the people you meet and the experience you gain will all add to your CV. Most of the jobs out there are gained by knowing the right people.

There are three things you need to consider when looking for an active outdoor job:

1. What value has that outdoor job for you?
2. What value are you providing to others by doing that outdoor job?
3. Can you make this outdoor job into an outdoor career that pays well?

What is having an outdoor job that pays well worth to you?

Depending on where you are in life, the intrinsic value of finding an outdoor job that you love is affected by several factors. Are you purely after the money? Are you looking for the highest paying outdoor job that you can find? Can you put up with what you may have to give in return for that high paid outdoor job? Are there long hours attached? Does it come with high risk and danger?

Other benefits of having an outdoor job include, fun, meeting people, health, working outdoors in nature, travel, visiting some amazing places all over the world, or one of the most important things – doing something that makes your soul sing. Is it worth putting up with a reasonable amount of pay and stuck up customers if you get to spend all day long outdoors skiing down snowy mountains amongst some of the best scenery in the world? And also working with some great people?

What are you worth to your employer?

The salary you will get for doing a job outdoors all depends on what value others associate with what service you are providing. A fitness trainer working for a company can earn about £16,000 per year. A full time personal trainer earns between £18,000 and £40,000. Now that is looking better. That one to one skill is vital. If you are good with people and produce results (even just to make the client feel great about themselves) then you will be in demand. If you are a master of social skills, patient, and motivational, then you could be a personal fitness instructors with high profile clients, earning between £50 and £100 an hour.

If not many people can do what you do, then employers will pay well to attract the best candidates. This is where skills, training and experience come into play. Highly skilled or technical jobs such as engineering are the highest paying jobs outdoors.

What Outdoor Jobs Pay Well?

I have spent years talking to people working from all over the outdoor industry and know that there is a huge range of outdoor jobs on offer. The salaries in well paid outdoor jobs in the list below are mainly earned from working for companies. Some are physically active outdoor jobs, others are technically skilled outdoor jobs. Outdoor engineering jobs are paid well because they require high degrees of technical competency and skill.
You can increase your pay by going freelance (working for yourself), but it is then down to you to find work. Or you can have multiple outdoor jobs. Look around and you might be surprised by what finds you.

Oil Rig Workers

If you are looking for a job with pay over £70K, then you might want to consider working on an oil rig. There are offshore oil rig jobs all over the world. The North Sea in the UK is a good place to start, but you may find it leads to working on an oil rig in Australia. My uncle worked as a commercial deep sea diver inspecting the base of the oil rig platforms in one of those solid metal diving suits that were in one of the James Bond films. He loved it and earned big money. The work pattern is two weeks on the rig, and two weeks shore leave. That means you get paid well for the year while only having to work for half of it! Working in Australia, he spent most of the time on the rig fishing, and enjoyed the activities the sunny shores of Australia provide when on shore leave.

Starting pay is up to £800 per week. General staff who wash dishes and do general house keeping in the living quarters earn £600 per week. Oil Rig Roustabouts, who are general labourers, earn £700 to £1,000 per week. Other jobs you could start with include deckhands, welder, offshore oil rig painting jobs, catering, drillers, derrickman, crane operator, sub-sea engineer, medic or safety officer. Highly skilled technical staff such as oil rig mechanics, electricians and engineers can secure a high paid career on offshore oil rigs because they are in demand. These highest paying outdoor jobs will pay over £75,000 a year.

Firefighter

The starting salary for a firefighter is £21,000. Once you have completed your training, this rises to £28,000. You can earn more by doing overtime. If you get to the postion of crew manager, your pay is about £31,000. A watch manger earns up to £35,000. Station managers will get paid up to £40,000 plus overtime. If you advance further, you will be well paid as a group or area manager, with a salary of up to £54,000.

Sportsperson, Athlete and Coaches

Community football coaches can earn between £16,000 and £24,000. Professional League/Premiership coaches can earn between £25,000 and £250,000. Football referees at amateur level games earn around £20 to £30 per match. Match officials for semi-professional games can get up to £80 per game, plus expenses. Full-time, top-flight Premier League officials can earn around £40,000, plus match fees.

A footballer can be one of the highest paying outdoor jobs there is. Pay varies depending on the reputation of the player, and on the club. Earnings can also be increased by performance related bonuses, appearance fees, endorsements and sponsorship.

Other high paid outdoor jobs

• A Stuntperson can earn up to £200,000 per year when they reach elite status. You’ll need to be at least 18 years old, and be in excellent physical fitness. Other film industry jobs also pay well once you have established yourself.
• Oil and gas lead engineers or those with management responsibility may earn £55,000 to £70,000 or more
• Outdoor Events Management salaries in some high-profile companies can reach £50,000 to £80,000.
• Engineering and land surveyor £25000 to £70000
• Chartered land‐based engineer can earn £60,000 or more
• Outdoor mechanical engineer – $50,550 and $119,480, with a median salary of $74,920.
• Oil and gas engineers with three to five years experience may earn between £45,000 and £55,000
• Geologist $101,000
• Athletics Director – Higher Ed. $101,000
• Field Engineers and construction engineers $100,000
• Sailing skipper £50000
• Farmer £20000 to £50000
• Sports engineer – £18,000 a year and over £50,000
• Nursery sales managers – £46,000 a year at larger nurseries
• Environmental Engineer $90000
• Landscape gardeners £35000 to £45000
• Greenkeeper – £10,000 for an apprentice to more than £44,000 a year for a golf course manager at a prestigious course.
• Natural Environment and Conservation Managers £40,845
• Rollercoaster Engineer – $45,000 to $80,000 per year.
• Incorporated land-based engineers can earn up to £40,000
• Fire Station Managers – between £36,365 and £40,109
• Events manager – £17,000 to £21,000, and with experience, rising to £25,000 to £40,000.
• Personal trainers –£40,000. Freelance instructors can earn between £20 and £40 an hour. Some popular instructors with high profile clients can earn between £50 and £100 an hour. Personal trainers in full‐time employment can earn between £18,000 and £40,000.
• Parks officer – £17,000 to £40,000.
• Fence installer £12000 to £40000
• Senior Resort Representative £16,000 – £24,000, Resort Manager £40,000
• Civil engineer £38,000
• Tourist Board Tourism Manager £28,000 – £35,000, Local Authority Tourism Manager £25,000 – £38,000
• Head Coach (Major Sport) $70,000
• Sports development coach – £20,000 to £35,000. Managers can earn up to £50,000.
• Oil and gas engineer new graduate entrants may earn £25,000 to £35,000 a year
• Business Travel Agency Manager/Leisure Travel Agency Manager £20,000 – £35,000
• Tourism Assistant £12,000 – £16,000, Senior Tourism Officer £20,000 – £25,000
• Farriers – £8,500 up to £35,000 a year for experienced farriers
• Forester $63,000
• Gas Pipe fitters £32,000
• Botanist $61,000
• Fire Crew managers – between £29,971 and £31,263
• Electricity distribution workers – Overhead line workers £30000
• Commercial gas engineer £30,000
• Gas emergency services engineers £30,000
• Gas Mains layer £30,000
• Oil drilling roustabout/roughneck starting salaries may be around £20,000 a year, which may rise to around £25,000 with experience. Roughnecks may earn around £30,000.
• Leisure Services Operations Manager/ Park Operations Manager/Head of Amusements and Leisure Activities £24,000 – £30,000
• Conservation and Environmental Management Officers £29,035
• Tree surgeon £16000 to £30000
• Plant Area Managers – £15,000 – £30,000
• Circus performer £12000 to £30000
• Sport development officer £12000 to £30000
• Marine craftsperson £8000 to £30000
• Horticulture Managers £29,861
• Forestry Managers £29,861
• Commercial divers – $58,640
• Firefighters – between £21,157 and £28,199
• Lightning conductor engineer £15000 to £28000
• Forest and Conservation Worker $49,000
• Horse exerciser/trainer $51000
• Leisure Services Operations Supervisor/Park Operations Supervisor £26,000
• Leisure centre manager – £17,000 – £25,000. Senior managers can earn over £35,000.
• Dog handler £15000 to £25000
• Outdoor activities instructor – £11,000. Experienced instructors can earn between £12,000 and £18,000. Senior instructors can earn £25,000 or more.
• Ski instructors £10-£20 per hour plus tips
• Horse riding instructor – £12,000 and £15,000 a year, rising to £25,000 with experience.
• Bike messenger £14000 to £25000
• Walking tour guide £12000 to £25000
• Sailing instructor – £11,000 to £25,000. Yachtmaster instructors and cruising instructors can earn £60 to £90 a day.
• Senior Fire Control Operator – between £24,741 and £25,678
• Green Badge Tour Guide (Level 3) £6,000 – £25,000, Blue Badge Tour Guide (Level 4) £6,000 – £25,000
• Local General Tour Guide £6,000 – £25,000, Senior Tour Operator £16,000 – £24,000
• Junior Tour Operator £11,000 – £15,000, Senior Tour Operator £16,000 – £24,000
• Nursery Manager – £24,348
• Leading Fire Control Operator – around £24,121
• Land‐based engineer – £18,000 to £24,000
• Senior Consultant Business Travel Agent £16,000 – £24,000
• Demolition operative £12000 to £23000
• Countryside and Park Rangers £22,180
• Fire control operator – starting at £18,019, rising to £22,524 with experience
• Estate worker – £14,000, rising to up to £22,500 with experience and into supervisory position
• The Forestry Commission’s Graduate Development Programme offers a starting salary of £21,966
• Countryside ranger – £16,000 to over £20,000
• Riding holiday centre manager – £15,000, rising to £20,000 or more for experienced managers. Salaries depend on the size of the centre, and whether extra benefits such as accommodation, stabling for your own horse and use of centre facilities are included.
• Swimming pool technician – £15,000 to £20,000.
• Home Working Travel Consultant £20,000 or more, Travel Consultant Call Centre £14,000 – £20,000
• Forestry Workers £19,535
• Leisure centre assistant – £12,500 to £19,000
• Health trainers – £15,200 and £18,200. Supervisors can earn between £21,000 and £27,000.
• Sport and fitness occupations £15,000 – £18,000
• Martial arts instructor ‐ instructors usually charge per lesson at rates starting at around £5.
• Theme Park Rides and Activities Operators/Entertainer £12,000 – £18,000
• Gamekeepers – £11,000 to £18,000. Employers often provide free or cheap accommodation and a vehicle.
• Riding holiday leader – £12,000 and £17,000 per year.
• Gardeners and Grounds people £16,764
• Horse groom – £12,500 per year, rising to around £16,000 with experience. Head lads/girls in a racing yard can earn £20,000 plus.
• Retail Store Assistant/Gift Shop Supervisor/Souvenir Outlet Supervisor £12,000 – £16,000
• Theme Park Ticket Office Assistant £12,000 – £16,000, Ticket Office Supervisor £14,000 – £18,000
• Lifeguards – £11,500 a year, rising to over £15,000. Many lifeguards are part-time and are paid an hourly rate, which can range from £6 to £10 per hour.
• Horticultural Trades £14,318
• Agricultural Engineering Technician – £12,000 – £13,000 a year, with qualifications this can rise to between £13,500 – £20,000. Senior agricultural technicians can earn up to £25,000.

Where to Find Outdoor Jobs

If these high paying outdoor jobs have got your attention, then have a look at the current outdoor job vacancies from Indeed.

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• Current Outdoor Jobs UK
• Current Outdoor Jobs US

The post Outdoor jobs that pay well appeared first on Active Outdoors.

The outdoor job boards below show the latest outdoor jobs listed on Indeed. The jobs are listed in order related to the jobs nearest to you. If you want to find an outdoor job in a specific location, use the search box on the outdoor job boards to hunt for a more specific job, such as “Outdoor Events Staff.”

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Outdoor Jobs US from Indeed

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Research by the Chartered Management Institute and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) has found that if you undertake voluntary work in your local community or overseas, it can provide an effective way to develop a range of skills needed by engineering companies. For example, while volunteering overseas on a marine ecology conservation initiative you can pick up lots of skills that are transferable to the workplace.

The research shows that voluntary work overseas have a significant impact on skills development for managers and the companies they then work for. 80% of those who participated in voluntary work overseas felt that they learned skills they were unlikely to pick up in the UK. The majority gained a better understanding of other cultures, which leads to a greater tolerance of others.

It was found that most organisations were very positive about employing someone returning from voluntary work overseas. Employers stressed that it was important that candidates be able to demonstrate evidence of formal recognition of the skills they had gained. Employers suggested that having a reference from an overseas employer helps to make more of an impact for those looking to gain employment when they return from their volunteer work. It is also useful to keep a detailed work log or record of professional development while working overseas to capture the skills and experience gained.

Find Out More About Volunteering Overseas

For more information on tips to make the most of planning and enjoying a gap year, read my Gap Year Guide. It has lots of advice on volunteer work and volunteer jobs overseas.

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The post Voluntary Work Overseas Improves Your Employment Chances appeared first on Active Outdoors.