Summer jobs

[No Worries]

I posted this site http://www.usajobs.gov/ a couple years ago and someone said they would rather get unemployment than work a summer in a National Park for $10/hour. The good news is that most of the salaries now start at $15/hour. If your bucket list is to work at a park or wilderness area instead of collecting unemployment, check it out.

I searched "Ranger" and found over 100 positions. But most close this month.

Here's my own story. As a senior in college, I put in for a summer job as a geologist and got it. I was assigned to the roadless Absaroka Range, SE of Yellowstone. Outside of Alaska, this area is one of the most rugged in the US. I was used to reading a subway map, not a topographic map.

The job started before Memorial Day and back east, my school didn't finish until early June. My professors gave me early finals and I missed graduation, but it was worth it. The geology, the mountains, and the wildlife were spectacular. The thing I remember most was seeing the Milky Way for the first time.

I only got $5/hour, but there was nothing to spend money on. Plus, we worked 12 hour days, seven days a week, so I made a bunch in overtime. After the summer job, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I worked over 20 years in mining and mineral exploration and enjoyed every second of it. It's a big risk, but I hope someone else tries it.