On Changing your Life

[KJS]

[ QUOTE ]

If anyone is familiar with Thai geography, please let me know.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am. Lived there for 18 months.

KJS

edited to add quote

[Frinkenstein]

Awesome! more please!

[cbloom]

Awesome adsman, keep it up. I always thought raft guiding or some other kind of tour guiding would be a really fun short term job.

[adsman]

[ QUOTE ]
Awesome adsman, keep it up. I always thought raft guiding or some other kind of tour guiding would be a really fun short term job.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought about starting an ask me thread about becoming a guide, but I figured that the amount of people wanting to do it would be too low to sustain it.

[Runkmud]

Great stuff Adsman, screw rafting, you should be a writer.

[El Diablo]

ads: "I thought about starting an ask me thread about becoming a guide" Let's keep this thread rolling and open it up to any questions about being a guide, rafting, or whatever else you've covered in the thread. Very interesting stuff.

All: ads has set a high bar here, don't feel the need to write huge essays like that, feel free to share any experiences like this, good and bad. That means you, bruiser.

[cbloom]

[ QUOTE ]

I thought about starting an ask me thread about becoming a guide, but I figured that the amount of people wanting to do it would be too low to sustain it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm kind of seriously interested. I always thought it would rock to work for someone like "Backroads" that does adventure tours, but I don't really have the fitness or skills at the moment. El D, if it's appropriate ads could just answer some questions here or you can move it.

How hard is to get the training? (I'm assuming most places won't hire you and train you). Is it really hard to find work? I guess a lot of times you go live in a camp near where you run the water, does that suck or is it a fun party environment?

[adsman]

[ QUOTE ]

How hard is to get the training? (I'm assuming most places won't hire you and train you).

[/ QUOTE ]

There are a few ways to start. One is to pay for a training course run by a company. However, it needs to be at least a 3 weeks long to have any usefulness. 5 day courses and the like are just a way to scam you for money. Also, just because the company runs a training course doesn't necessarily mean they're hiring. But if you stand out they might pick you up after the course is over.

Another way is to show interest by helping out. Go to the company and tell them you want to be a guide and that you're willing to work for experience time in a raft. Do your homework before you do this though.

What do companies look for in green recruits? People skills, physical aptitude, ability to work within a team, leadership skills, and how easy you are to get along with. You need to learn how to steer the raft, how rapids work, knots and rescue work, people handling skills, crew management and the like. Like anything, if you really want to do it you will.

[ QUOTE ]
Is it really hard to find work?

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on your experience level. I can get a job anywhere I want. Normally I pick a country and then start emailing my resume. I consider a years rafting to be a minimum cut off point. That means 12 months in the boat. If you work in a seasonal river that only runs for 3 months you need to do 4 seasons. That's why it's so good to go work in a location where they raft all year round. Tully guides from Australia are well known to have very high skill levels. You get them when you raft all year on a technically difficult river.

[ QUOTE ]
I guess a lot of times you go live in a camp near where you run the water, does that suck or is it a fun party environment?

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to love it. Now I value my privacy and own space so it would suck. Depends on you. You can do some serious partying and some serious pulling. It's the perfect job for someone in their twenties. You will not believe how much tail you can get with this job. I tend to play it down as people tend to think you're full of it.

[firstyearclay]

ads: Serious kudos bro for dealing with adversity. When you carry those heavy loads and keep moving you are a better person for it. If we were all judged by the home runs we hit or accomplishments; we would all be heroes. Instead, we all are judged by how we handle(d) adversity.

You are a testament to most who kick and scream their way to the top.

I am very anxious to here the next 7+ years.

[Joe Tall]

Adsman,

Great story. It's worthy of an editor and maybe print if you can fill in more details.

Thanks,
Joe