7 Jobs You Can Do If You Enjoy Working Outdoors
Does the idea of being stationary and working in an office bore you? If you are an outdoors person, consider these jobs that won’t restrict you to an office.
Updated 20 Apr 2020
There are two types of people — those who prefer to work in a safe cubicle, at their desks all day and those who are more wanderlusty and prefer to explore the outside world. Like the saying goes, to each their own. Well, if you happen to fall under the latter, you have landed on the right page!
Here, in no particular order, we shall explore some of the most interesting jobs that require you to step out of the office.
#1. Landscape architect / Urban planner
The main role of an architect is to design buildings and physical structures that could be located anywhere, while a landscape architect focuses more specifically on designing and creating outdoor spaces and environments. This makes it an ideal job for you if you’re interested in expressing your passion for design by shaping nature to develop beautiful, environmentally friendly creations.
As a landscape architect, you’ll definitely need to leave the office often to make site visits so that you can oversee the development of your projects. This could include the design and construction of private homes, parks, gardens, office buildings and more. To excel in this career, you must be detail-oriented with good drawing and problem-solving skills.
#2. Journalist / Reporter
A journalist or reporter’s job is to uncover the truth and either report the news or convey a message to the public through articles written for a newspaper or magazine. When writing for the “News” section of a newspaper, this job can be exciting yet unpredictable as you’ll be assigned to many different locations (police stations, ministry departments, crime scenes, etc.) nearly every day to report on the latest news about politics, crimes, social issues and more.
You will need to learn how to adapt to tight deadlines to deliver timely news articles and will have to be on standby 24/7 as breaking news can occur any time, anywhere. If this sounds like too much to handle, don’t worry there’s still hope — you can always aim to become a lifestyle reporter where you only cover events such as restaurant openings, movie premieres and other lifestyle-related events.
To become a journalist or reporter, you will need to have a flair for writing and good people skills so that you can conduct interviews and get all the information you need for your story. A Degree in Mass Communication can definitely help you enhance your skills and prepare you for the world of media and journalism.
#3. Event manager
Are you a meticulous person with good interpersonal skills? Do you enjoy planning events?
If you answered yes, then you have the potential to be an event manager! As an event manager, you’ll be responsible for planning a range of events such as business conferences, corporate annual dinners, product launches, award ceremonies and so much more.
Working in the events management industry can be tiring as you may also be required to work weekends or late nights, depending on what the event you’re organising is. However, it can also be an exciting job as you’ll get to experience a variety of different events and it can be quite satisfying once you have brought your vision for the event to life!
#4. Petroleum Engineer
If you always thought that an engineer would be confined to the office desk all day, solving mathematical equations on the computer — we’ve got news for you! You can be an engineer and still spend time outside of your office.
Petroleum engineering is one engineering field that requires you to travel to different locations around the world to search, extract and process natural resources. As a petroleum engineer, you will need to analyse data using special computer software to help your team find the most suitable spot to drill and extract oil and natural gas, in the most efficient and cost-saving method.
Although your working environment may not always be great, you’ll still get to experience the world. From discovering remote local locations in Bintulu to exploring places like the Middle East — you’ll definitely expand your worldview and will have many interesting stories to tell.
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Start now#5. Business consultant
Are you an entrepreneur at heart who is great at giving people advice? Can you picture yourself meeting and liaising with various clients to help boost their businesses?
If yes, then being a business consultant could be your calling. As a business consultant, your job is to help improve a company’s business by evaluating their weaknesses and suggesting suitable solutions for the company to implement. In order to be a great business consultant, you must stay updated with the latest business trends and know everything there is to know about running a successful business.
While you may need to stay in the office once in a while to conduct research and work on reports, the bulk of your day would be spent out and about visiting and evaluating a range of different companies. If you think you have what it takes, check out our business course guide to help you establish a clearer picture of your business education pathway.
#6. Wildlife veterinarian
If you absolutely love animals and have a strong desire to rescue wildlife animals from extinction, being a wildlife veterinarian will be a satisfying job for you. A wildlife veterinarian is a licensed medical practitioner specialising in diagnosing and treating sick and injured wildlife such as birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals — for example, rescuing an injured orangutan and restoring it back to health. This is usually done in a rehabilitation facility.
Depending on your job, you can opt to work only in your office or go out onto the field to care for exotic animals or native wildlife species. Sounds interesting? Taking up a veterinary science course can help you achieve this dream!
#7. Professional photographer / videographer
Being a photographer or a videographer is indeed exhilarating as no shot can ever be the same and you’ll get the chance to experience different places and events. However, to become a professional photographer, you need more than the ability to press the shutter on a camera. You must be creative and have the ability to snap breathtaking or extraordinary images or videos using professional equipment.
Aside from being able to understand and operate a professional camera, you will also need to be skilled at using design software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Premiere to edit your photos and videos.
If you’re interested in becoming a photographer or videographer who is always on the go capturing special moments on film, studying a course in photography would be the best choice for you. But if you’re looking for a professional study path that ties in with your passion, a graphic design course would be perfect for you, as you’ll be taught essential skills such as how to use design software.
PRO TIP
If you’re unsure if this is the right career path for you, you can always be a part-time freelance photographer and see where it takes you.
Have these outdoor-based jobs inspired you to pursue your passion? There are still plenty more jobs out there which allow you to escape the office and get a breath of fresh air — all it takes is a little bit of research. So keep researching and choose a career that you know won’t bore you!
Unsure which career path suits you? Find out the best job for you, based on your personality!
Josephine Serena
Media studies and journalism graduate. Buy me coffee and I'll spill the beans. Also really tall.
