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Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 1:10 am
by Fletch
These are all really good suggestions. My wife is generally supportive of whatever makes me happy. And my existing job is a very good one with good days and bad weeks, but who's isnt, right? I was just curious if there was a way to combine what I love to do in my free time with what I do in my have to time. Sometimes though, when those things get combined it takes the fun out of the thing you like to do...

Maybe I should try out for the Lakers?

Anybody want to start a website with a bunch of funny, grumpy characters? How much could SP be worth? HAAA!

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 1:38 am
by mountainsandsound
Hey Fletch. I'm a young guy, so I don't want to sound wise beyond my years, but I have noticed a pattern in my family and many of my friends (all happy people) when it comes to work. Either have an awesome job working in the environment you want, or have pretty good job that gives you the time off to spend in that environment. Sometimes it's a combination of the two. I teach a subject I enjoy, and get 3 months off in the summer. My brother works at a hospital doing something that is exciting for him, and after three 12 hr days he gets his 4 day weekend. My dad works at sea, gets a month off for every month worked. We all like our jobs, but they don't define us as much as what we do in our time off. With a marketing/sales background it might be a bit more challenging, but I think you could find something to fit the mold.

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 4:44 am
by Damien Gildea
Fletch wrote: Sometimes though, when those things get combined it takes the fun out of the thing you like to do...


Yep. Makin a career out of your passion or hobby can kill the joy for sure. Once you bring money and profit into it, as needs be done with all business (and all work is business nowadays) then jobs can tend to flatten out into the same thing. ie. sell yourself, keep costs down, get more clients, don't get fired, etc etc.

Staying in a sucky but high paying desk job and using the cash to expedite your weekend adventures is fine, so long as you do get out on those adventures and don't spend your free time needing to recover from the work week, or shopping at Ikea. The more demanding your job, the more you actually need to work at prioritising and making happen the fun stuff you're slaving away to pay for in the first place. As we get older it's easier to slack off.

The one thing that's really different now from 20 years ago, when I started climbing, is that a lot more people work on contracts, rather than permanent full-time, stay-til-you-die type jobs with only two weeks off a year. This is more insecure for your income and family, but can give you more free time, and time in blocks to do stuff you otherwise couldn't. Engineers, doctors, IT people are benefitting from this particularly well (Radson, bastard!). So if you're good at your white-collar desk job, look down the track to see if you can do it in a contract or consulting form, rather than full-time. That type of thing really needs to be set up in advance, maybe years in advance, often surreptitiously, by making and maintaining certain contacts, specialising in things others hate, doing courses etc. 'Create a market for yourself', as Arnold Schwarzenegger said (seriously).

But whatever you do, however you do it, if your wife is on your side with it (and you on hers for her stuff) it will come down to foreseeing the compromises, putting up with them if they still (mostly) lead to what you want, and not being afraid to change if they don't.

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:54 pm
by mattcav
http://www.malakye.com/asp/front/default.asp

This is a good website for outdoor retail jobs. Many will be management or higher. I also recommend checking individual company sites (Keen, Black Diamond, Prana, TNF, whatever) as they are always posting new ones. Good luck!

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 4:52 am
by CClaude
Damien gives some good advise.

Also think about jobs that let you live where you want and gives you the time you want. If you are doing the job you want, but need to do it 7 days a week to keep you family feed, it may be cool to begin with, but after a while it will get old.

If you are working for an outdoors company but living 3-4 hrs away from what you like, does it help you any?

If you can find a job in a company you can respect, is near what you like to do, and gives you the time off to do what you want to do, then you are kgolden ( and i am very thankful for my employer, since they fit that bill)

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 4:51 pm
by mconnell
After bailing from the computer industry, I worked retail for a couple of years. Got to work and sell to great people, good deals on gear, no money to do much of anything. I opted to do something that paid better ( a little better, anyway) and gives me a lot of time off. (I'm a teacher and get about 10 weeks a year off.)

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 7:13 pm
by desainme
One of the guys from my high school class was the chief designer for North Face from 1970- 89, but I believe he then started his own company.

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:42 am
by lcarreau
Image

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 2:29 pm
by simonov
You should go to one or more industry trade shows and sniff around. In general, trade shows are not such a great place to hand out resumes, but if the booth staff aren't too busy you can chat with them and get a lot of questions answered. Then after the show you can follow up by phone or mail. You can get a good idea of who is who in the industry, etc.

Just be respectful and never forget those companies are spending lots of money to be at those shows to sell stuff, not to waste time with unsolicited jobseekers. Hit them up when traffic is slow, not when they are busy.

It looks like the main outdoor industry show is Outdoor Retailer.

The biggest show in my own industry is the SHOT Show, which is mostly firearms and hunting focused, but more than half the exhibitors are part of what I would call the general "outdoor industry."

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 10:32 pm
by norco17

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 7:00 pm
by Fletch
Thanks everyone. Yes, I know about the AAC opening (Keegan is a friend). They are good people.

I really apprecate everyone chiming in. I think I may old onto my job for the forseeable future. Someone said do what you have to, so you can do what you want to... Thanks again!

Re: Outdoor Industry?

PostPosted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:48 pm
by colinr
Been there.



[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULjCSK0oOlI[/youtube]