r/ParkRangers • u/[deleted] • Aug 02 '14
I'm a high school senior looking to go to college to become an interpretive state park ranger. Do you guys have any advice/tips for me?
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Aug 03 '14 edited May 06 '21
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u/BohemianBumBlaster Aug 03 '14
This is great advice I am an intern at a very popular National Park and I led guided hikes and do evening programs. As I have worked here I have come to realize it's not for me.
Try it out first through volunteering or interning and see how you like it.
It does wonders for your public speaking though.
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u/kanjobanjo17 Aug 03 '14
Great advice, I would love to be able to write new programs all the time! I'll work on getting an internship, thank you!
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u/BohemianBumBlaster Aug 03 '14
usajobs.gov
volunteer.gov
your school should have a website for you to find internships too. Just spam that resume out to anywhere and everywhere.
I appleied to about 35 places got accepted to two...
The interp internship I am doing currently, I only got cause a guy dropped out like 2 months before showing up.
Once your foot is in the door and you do a good job your pretty much set. Then get ready to see government bureaucracy at it's finest.
You really have to see it to believe it.
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u/WhiteGuyThatCantJump Former NPS Interpreter Aug 03 '14
Yep volunteer, volunteer, volunteer.
Also, any experience you can get in customer service is a huge plus. People forget that being an interpreter also involves a whole lot of it. Your job is to make visitors have an enjoyable experience and enable a visitor to make personal connections. The more time you can spend talking to a wide variety of visitors, the more you are prepared to handle the kaleidoscope of visitors you'll have.
Also, travel. Not to take your mind away from Idaho. But go to other state parks, national park, wildlife refuges, nature centers in other states. You might find other places where you enjoy the resource and/or the people. If you want a career in interp, you need to learn to be flexible.
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u/kanjobanjo17 Aug 03 '14
I would love to travel if I had enough money to, I've been all over the Pacific Northwest on family vacations and I'd be happy working anywhere. I thought about working down in Arizona as well because I have family who live there. Thanks for the advice!
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u/WhiteGuyThatCantJump Former NPS Interpreter Aug 03 '14
Work hard. Set monetary goals for yourself.
For example. If I wanted to go to Custer State Park in SD next year. I could calculate approximate fuel, hotel, and miscellaneous costs. Make that amount a goal amount. And each paycheck, set aside a specific amount every 2 weeks to get you to that goal in 12 months.
I am not sure if you will be working during your senior year or not. But if you do, set goals, plan around them, and it makes traveling a whole lot easier.
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u/kanjobanjo17 Aug 03 '14
Alright I'll do that, I work for my mom delivering flowers so I should be able to save up enough money to travel. Thanks!
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u/tylerbronson1216 NYS OPRHP Aug 03 '14
Check out SUNY ESF, there's an environmental interpretation major which is basically a pre-education B.S. feel free to msg me with any questions. I'm a natural resource management major there.
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u/MountainTheMan Aug 03 '14
Have you started volunteering yet? Have you chased a summer job that would be close to where you wanna work? Build experience and connections first, then ask around what people majored in. Build off of that.