[pct-l] Jobs after the Trail

[Matt Impey]

I have a personal anecdote about sharing similar information during an interview that worked out well for me. During the summers I have worked as a river guide for five years, and last winter I was applying for a Christmas light company, totally unrelated fields, but I told them about my river experience anyways. I'm sure the main reason I got a job once was because when I interviewed I told them that I am a river guide. They instantly went from bored, and thinking "lets get this hundredth interview over," to being attentive and intrigued, maybe even impressed. 

To be river guide, or a through hiker is something the average person would never do, wouldn't even know how to start, but it is something similar to what they would do if they weren't stuck in the 9-5. For most people this wold be a good segue into talking to the interviewer how they have always wanted to travel more, or loves to go camping, or a friend who loves the outdoors. Being able to relate on a personal level about your interests is enough to show them you are human, and one that would be interesting to work with, not some robot with no life outside of work. Even if they think your trail experience was a dismal waste of time, just giving the interviewer that hook to remember you by could be enough to land you the job. If you met 50 people in one day you would remember only the handful that gave you a reason to remember them. Like when you go to a party where you don't know anyone, a week later you can remember the guy who plays clarinet, the motorcycle guy, and the woman who is about to run a marathon, but the rest are all a blur because there was nothing interesting about them. The same goes with an interview, give them a reason to remember you, and you will be remembered. Even if your experience with the PCT is utterly untransferable it could be enough to give you a slight advantage.