When I was a kid I always liked going on Scout camps. I think what I liked specifically was:
- It meant spending an extended period of time (whole days, with little break) in the same collective of 20+ people.
- I would drift between the various groups there, and would get to know everyone.
- The collective would experience new situations every few hours, or even just being bored together when ‘nothing’ was happening (when waiting for stuff etc.).
- (Possibly also the fact that there was an authority above us and we didn’t decide things for ourselves…?)
What I liked was how there was a strong feeling of community because we were all experiencing the same thing together. Being around people meant my mind was continuously in the present. For these reasons I feel that this is the environment I thrive in the most.
Unfortunately this would only ever happen once or twice a year, and since I am 20 I wanted to ask if anyone can think of any job descriptions where this happens.
The first thing I thought of is working on a submarine but I was hoping for something a bit less radical. I thought this might be the experience in university dorms but it turns out that in my country dorms are pretty dead because with the exception of cooking, people stay in their rooms.
Strongly encourage you to find work in a conservation corps or similar organization if they exist in your country and you are able to do manual labor. You would be on a crew of 6-15 people usually living out at a field site for 1-2 weeks at a time, cooking and living and working together to improve the natural environment or recreation infrastructure. Hard rewarding work, good peaceful downtime. Great chance to read a lot of books too since you will be away from computers and modernity.
Look for a book called ‘Discover What You Are Best At’ by Linda Gail.
First half of the book is a series of self administered tests you can knock off in half a day. The second part is a list of jobs that use those skills.
It pointed me at a job I’d never considered, but turned out to be a great fit.
Ooh that sounds useful, will check it out
Enjoy!
Why not work as a camp counselor?
The first thing I thought of is working on a submarine
That is also something I’ve had some interest in, but besides military (I don’t want to be involved with it in any way), I don’t think there are that many submarines out there.
One fewer than there used to be, certainly.
Did the front fall off?
Turns out a wave hit it
At sea? Chance in a million!
Well you can’t be certain how many submarines are out there unless you have sonar and depth chargers
Public service might be your stick. Firefighter/medic is almost exactly your experience with the new situations every few hours, downtime, having a strong sense of community. Police have a similar feel, if you’re in a more rural area. You’ll never have the same situation twice, even if things are similar, and you’ll almost always have a partner (or more, depending on if the whole truck shows up with the box) to depend on.
Treeplanting might be up your alley. Doing the actual job is pretty solitary, you’ll see your tree-runner a few times a day, you might have a planting buddy, and the boss might come around once or twice to check your trees.
But outside of the work day, it’s very much the camp environment you describe.
Working for the parks, I have a neighbor who stays home a few days and packs up his truck with a camper and heads off to different national parks for weeks at a time
Search Google for Kwajalein Jobs. It’s an Atoll in the Marshall Islands that hosts a US military installation, however there is no need to be in the military to work there. I do work there as a contractor for a week every year or two and it sure reminds me of the summer camp I used to work at.
I work in construction and when I was younger and single I did a couple years ago a remote work site; two weeks on and one week off rotations. We all stayed in the company provided camp while there. Definitely formed some strong friendships with my coworkers while there and made/saved a ton of money. It was an interesting experience.
I was a field engineer but jobs in the trades are always in high demand pretty much everywhere.
Production/stage hand at events fits up this alley!
Hotshot firefighting? Assistant river guide someplace like the Colorado? National Park Ranger?
I found working at a ski-resort and living in staff accommodation to be a bit like this, although there can definitely be a bit more of a “party” attitude, which might be a positive or a negative depending on what you’re looking for.
My first thought was working at a startup.
Park ranger?
Land surveying would be my recommendation. Jobs can be all over and as someone living in BC, my days of fieldwork could be absolutely spectacular sometimes. You also tend to jump around in worksites and with the right firm, travelling is definitely possible.
