Outdoor sports industry help guide
There are literally hundreds of jobs in sports and the outdoors, varying hugely in the qualifications and skills required, and location. There are over a thousand outdoor centres in the UK, and great many more abroad. From the surf breaks of South West France, to the superb diving off the Great Barrier Reef, there are opportunities to instruct, learn and support but the options can be overwhelming.
If you are a qualified watersports instructor the world is literally your oyster. Each year, many companies use Season Workers and its sister site Adventure Workers to recruit watersports professionals for centres in the UK and overseas. Check out this section for the latest jobs and a run down on how to get into this fantastic industry.
Many organisations conducting research in remote and exotic locations recruit people on a GAP year or year out to help and contribute. You might choose from saving endangered wildlife, protecting threatened environments or aiding in the provision of vital ecological data. Many providers allow you to gain qualifications along the way (such as PADI diving tickets). Read a first hand account of working at entry level in outdoor sports here.
From hospitals to orphanages, during a caring or medical GAP year you will usually be helping out with the extra things that full time staff do not have time to add, and that make a real difference to peoples lives. You may be working with people rehabilitating from drug addiction or helping out in homes for abused children so going into it with a mature and open mind is essential. Use the search options to the right to find caring and medical volunteer placements abroad.