GO! Girls Outdoors

Why take up a career in Outdoor Recreation?  A passion for the outdoors, a hankering for self discovery, a wish to help others, an exciting journey?  Entering the industry - converting the place you love into the place you work - can be a daunting task to say the least! 

Twice a year Outward Bound runs an internship program, training interns with the necessary skills and qualifications to gain Certificate IV in Outdoor Recreation and become group instructors.  Two of the current interns, Ashley Olsen and Erin O’Reilly, have agreed to share their experiences and be part of GO! Girls Outdoors.

Ashley Olsen

“Not all who wander are lost” - JRR Tolkein

Ashley Olsen has come all the way from Canada to be part of Outward Bound’s Internship program.  For Ashley the outdoors is a hobby that has developed into a passion, and she is in the process of exploring the opportunities that a career in the outdoor industry can provide.  A graduate from a Police Foundation program and a veteran of several Outward Bound courses in Canada and Australia, Ashley decided to put her policing career on hold for a while and complete the internship program to see where it might lead her.  Ashley says, “I soon realised through life experiences that if you don’t physically put yourself out in the world of opportunity then the opportunity will never find you.  Its taking those obstacles and making them stepping stones that will take you that much closer to living your dreams, making them a reality”.

Ashley believes it’s important to have options and to never limit yourself, and says that part of the reason why people don’t pursue their passions is fear.  She suggests letting fear be a motivator instead, and be encouraged rather than discouraged by difficult experiences.  Rather than quote someone else, Ashley provides her own: "Hesitation makes you pause but your legs are the only obstacle hindering your progression - success can only be measured once you move them."  

Erin O’Reilly

“Feel the fear and do it anyway” - Susan Jeffers

Erin O’Reilly grew up in a beach town, giving her a love of water activities, and spent five years in the Australian Army Cadets which introduced her to abseiling, bushwalking and outdoor expeditions.  One day, while she was working in a local coffee shop, someone asked Erin what she’d love to do but what wouldn’t seem like work, and the answer became clear to her - taking people on outdoor adventures!  She found out about Outward Bound’s Internship program, applied, was accepted, and will soon achieve Certificate IV in Outdoor Recreation and be a qualified instructor.

Erin says her biggest accomplishment so far has been getting accepted into the Internship program.  She says she was involved in a ‘bad crowd’ when she was younger, but came through thanks to persistence on her part and with the assistance of two mentors along the way.  She says that she now realises that until you accept yourself and who you are, you can’t grow as a person and inspire others to do the same - lessons that will definitely come in handy in the outdoor industry. 

Erin says that she has found the outdoors to be a male dominated environment, but also that this has never effected any of the choices she has made.  She says that the people who work in the industry do so because they love the work, and tend to be very accepting and non-judgemental.  Her advice to others is that you don’t need to be the best at everything, all you need is passion and the willingness to learn new things - which will not only give you physical skills, but understanding of yourself as a person.

Good luck to Ashley and Erin in their internship!  For more information on Outward Bound’s Internship program, go to www.outwardbound.org.au and follow the links through Careers to Training.