So You Want To Be A Park Ranger

One of the questions that I was asked quite frequently during my career and even today is, "How do I get a job as a park ranger?" Working for a large bureaucracy you can imagine that this might not be the easiest question to answer. Each ranger you talk to will likely have a bit different story of how they got their first jobs. The system and procedures have changed quite a few times over the years, but here are some of the common denominators for those who are seriously interested:

Most full time park rangers started their careers working in temporary seasonal positions.

These jobs run for periods of three to six months and do not include any benefits such as

health and life insurance or retirement. There is also no guarentee of employment beyond the

period hired for.

The basic requirement for a park ranger job in any discipline is a four year college degree. Many rangers started out working in temporary seasonal positions while in college. There are no specific degree requirements. I worked with park rangers with degrees in history, biology, parks and recreation management, nuclear physics, Russian studies, education, business, criminal justice, English and more. Several Universities have programs specifically designed to prepare a student to become a park ranger.

The advantages of working a temporary seasonal position are that you get to learn if this is the career for you, you have the opportunity to develop skills and abilities to aid in obtaining a full

time job, and you have the chance to show your stuff and establish a solid work reputation.

To find these jobs you need to become familiar with the Office Of Personnel Management

(OPM) website. All positions are announced nationwide at OPM's USAJobs website

(http://www.usajobs.gov/). Specific application instructions can be found for each position listed at this site.

Permanent full time positions can also be found at this same site. To apply for these jobs the

position needs to be open to the general public or all sources. Otherwise only those

person who already have federal hiring status can apply. That translates to people who

are already in permanent positions with the federal government.

Applicants who have experience working in parks as temporary seasonal employees have

a great advantage in the hiring process since they have direct experience to site and

are often known entities to the agency.

Remember the National Park Service is a small agency with large responsibilities. A weak employee can not be easily absorbed into the organization without causing disruption to the accomplishment of its mission. That is why a person whose abilities and attitudes have been tested through previous employment will stand out on a list of applicants.

So no matter what your level of education or experience in other jobs, you will greatly increase your opportunity for starting a career by considering those temporary seasonal positions first.

If you are interested in park ranger jobs in protection or law enforcement, there are colleges and universities approved by the National Park Service to train and certify candidates for temporary seasonal positions in that field. For a list of schools and details about these types of positions, you can go to www.anpr.org/academies.htm.