How do I become a park ranger?

November 6, 2014 3:26 PM

I would like to have a career in one of the federal agencies that administers our nation's (that is, America's) public and protected lands—a park ranger or similar. What are the prospects like for those types of jobs, and how do I go about getting one given where I am now and where I plan to be in a year or so's time?

I am currently in the latter half of a master's program in conservation biology, and when I am done I would like to move toward a career in the National Park Service, US Forest Service, or Bureau of Land Management working in the national system of public lands and protected areas. I would like to have a field-based career in the National Parks/Forests/Wilderness Areas/etc where I can spend most of my time outdoors and where I can work face-to-face with members of the public to help them enjoy and learn about America's absolutely stunning natural landscapes and the importance of conserving them.

I am currently thirty years old and living in Louisiana; I plan to be moving north (Michigan, in case you were wondering) at the end of the next summer or in the fall, depending on when my degree is finished. At that time I would like to move into a job either in the NPS/USFS/BLM itself, or in another agency or organization where I would be well positioned to move into one of those agencies a few years down the line.

I worked as a seasonal ranger for a state park service in my early 20s, which is the closest thing I have to direct experience so far. I've spent a lot of time doing fieldwork as a graduate student (in Africa) and I'm pretty experienced with working and living outdoors. I am deeply passionate about conservation and believe that the best way to express that passion, for me, would be to spend my time sharing it with other people by helping them to understand and appreciate the natural world. I have a personal need to spend as much time as possible outdoors in beautiful natural settings, for the sake of my own sanity and fulfillment. I could see myself being happy either in the "interpretive" or "enforcement" aspects of the parks and related services.

I've taken a gander at the listings on usajobs.gov, which gives me a sense of the kind of qualifications that are needed for the kinds of jobs that I want to get; I know I will be qualified, but I also have a feeling that competition is fierce and that the number of people who want those jobs far outweighs the number of openings available. I know little about what it takes to get oneself into a career in the park service, and want to arm myself now with as much information as possible, so that I can work my way into that dream job at some not-too-distant point in the future.

Please share whatever experience, insight, or advice you may have. I welcome anything that you can offer.

posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The to Work & Money (11 answers total)

I recommend checking out Federal Soup, which is a set of forums focusing on the federal jobs process.

I have never worked directly for any of the land-managing agencies (BLM, USFS, NPS), but I have worked with them extensively. IME, the people are generally overworked and underpaid. Park Service staff, in particular, compete fiercely for (sometimes) grueling jobs in beautiful locations that pay fairly poorly and provide crappy housing. I like the Park Service's mission, and the people mean well, but they are severely under-funded and that isn't going to change anytime soon. Also, park rangers are by necessity peripatetic. The rangers I knew moved often, and they had to work their way up to the prestige parks like Yosemite or Grand Canyon.

My recommendation would be that you focus on a technical track position, such as a field biologist. Get training appropriate for the geographic area you want to work in.

Rather than applying blindly through USAJobs, consider one of the alternate tracks, such as internships, term/temporary/seasonal positions, or contract gigs. Those may be less competitive and may give you a leg up if and when you apply for a permanent position. They would also provide a less romantic picture of what it's like to work for that agency.

Have you considered the Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service? Or the Army Corps of Engineers? All of those are agencies that hire field biologists, but their focus is more on regulatory compliance than management of great parcels of land. You might also consider state level fish and game agencies or parks departments, which also hire biologists to regulate/manage those resources.
posted by suelac at 3:39 PM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

In Queensland, Park Ranger jobs are hotly contested by workers within EHP and DNR. They are hotly contested because there are so very few of them, because there is no funding for such (important) work. Park Rangers tend to be radically overqualified.

Here are two links I've found that you've probably seen already, but which contain a great deal of useful information anyway:

Michigan CSC Park Ranger Job Description (the key bit you want to digest is 'Job Qualifications')

ParkRangerEDU.org (Michigan page)

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to memorize all the critters and plants. Good ammo for the interview.

I also see from Google Maps that Michigan is wedged nicely between Dick, Balls, and Taint Lakes, so some kind of knowledge of boats/licence to do boating would probably be helpful too.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:41 PM on November 6, 2014

Response by poster: While I appreciate your advice suelac, I wanted to respond quickly lest this thread become a torrent of "become a field biologist!" recommendations. One thing that I've learned for sure in my graduate program is that I freaking hate research. In fact, I recently stepped down from a PhD track to an MS track for exactly that reason. I don't want to work in research or regulatory compliance, I want to work directly with the public. I also absolutely will not be joining the Army, ever ever.

So while those are great recommendations in general, they don't work for me personally as I know enough about myself at this point in my life to know that those jobs would not make me happy.

I should also have mentioned that while I'm happy to move around a bit, I have a committed partner (who also works) and a couple of kids in my family. This obviously brings its own set of complications.

I am willing to hear that the job of my dreams is not actually a very good fit for me, if that's people's honest advice. If so, I would love to hear about other ideas for jobs that would have me out in nature, working with the public in a recreational/educational capacity, earning a living wage, and that would allow me to have a fairly normal family life as well.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 3:55 PM on November 6, 2014

I also absolutely will not be joining the Army, ever ever.

You will be surprised to hear that most of the people who work for the Army Corps of Engineers are civilians, then.

If you want to be a public-facing ranger, that's great. Again, look at seasonal/contract gigs, because the competition is fierce and funding is slim.
posted by suelac at 4:12 PM on November 6, 2014

Hi there. I was an interpretive park ranger for the NPS for 4 months in 2003. A few things that I experienced:
- low pay, $12.00/hr although I only had a Bachelors at the time, not a Masters (didn't care at the time since I was in it to gain more experience and career transitioning)
- crappy housing
- I was 35 years old, so I was definitely one of the "older" ones there (although it didn't bother me at all)
- I had considered making NPS a career, but, yes, it would involve basically job hunting for your next gig as soon as you landed at your current gig. And this was the case for a high percentage of the rangers, as suelac points out above. The positions are very competitive and you have to, at least to get your foot in the door (and the perception), be willing to travel to the next park/site for your next gig (that is, if you even get it). I personally was not interested in living out of my car like that, but for many of the 20-somethings, they didn't seem to mind that aspect (of course).

While there, this other ranger, actually a few years older than me, very experienced in education and science (forgot which field) and he made an AWESOME ranger, but he was NEVER able to nail down a full-time position despite his history with seasonal park service gigs, experience, enthusiasm, and his willingness to travel. Definitely not saying it couldn't happen for you, but just to emphasize the competitiveness...

What concerns about what you said is that you may not have the flexibility that may be necessary to get your foot in the door.

Sorry if this further deflates you. Good luck in your search, I hope you find something. I can totally relate to the desire to work in the great outdoors!
posted by foxhat10 at 4:24 PM on November 6, 2014

My brother works for the Game and Fish of my home state, so I've witnessed a lot of what he's gone through. I also know a lot of people in those type of jobs (I grew up and live in one of those square states out west) and have friends who had similar dreams.

1) Is there a specific reason you've chosen Michigan, instead of the western states where there are a lot more opportunities? Have you considered the availability of jobs in Michigan for these federal agencies? I see very little BLM administered lands in Michigan, for instance. There's only 1 National Park, with only 4 other NPS administered areas - 1 of them in Detroit and 1 a battlefield site. Would these areas need your skills? Would you actually be outside, or would you be stuck in an office the majority of the time doing something like NEPA evaluations? Have you truly considered how underfunded gov't agencies are at this moment, and with the recent election how that could get worse? Have you carefully considered the kind of competition you might see from Michigan/Minnesota/Wisconsin/Illinois applicants by looking at websites of similar programs at their universities to get an idea of the number of applicants you might be up against? (I know Wisconsin has a good sized natural resources type program.) Are you aware that only 29% of field biology type positions are filled in federal agencies?

2) You might not want to be a field biologist doing research, but have you considered other types of jobs with USF&W, the state wildlife service, or their DNR? There are jobs that don't require research. What about the EPA or Michigan's state regulatory agency? Have you branched out into other Dept of Ag agencies like the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS, the old Soil Survey agency) or the USGS? Agencies that deal with mineral management (both federal and state). What about the private sector fulfilling Environmental Impact type of work? Or non-profits working on environment issues?

3) How much experience do you have working with the public, really? Because I know a lot of people who work in natural resource gov't agencies with the public, including my brother. . . and their experiences are not really what you describe. It isn't some dreamy kind of "let's educate people about conservation and land use!" 95% of the time, and what time they do get to work within that realm can be incredibly frustrating, especially with contentious issues. How comfortable are you with repetition? Frustration? Patience? How comfortable are you with public meetings? Landowner access issues? Working with hunters? Have you realized that a lot of natural resource type work isn't working with the public at all, but working with industry and ag for regulatory compliance? Could you do that?

4) You say you're willing to work in enforcement. That can be a lot different than helping people understand public land use and value. How much law enforcement experience do you have? Any kind of classwork or certification?

5) How do you define a "living wage"? (My bro works in an oil and gas royalty rich state, and he makes $24k.) How do you feel about seasonal and temporary work? Because IMHO it will be hard for you find a permanent job without some more experience.

6) Do you have any additional skills in wildfire management? Are you willing to get some? Do you know how to operate a chainsaw? How are your boating and water skills?

I don't mean to be disheartening, but I chose a career that would send me outside a lot...and then reality set in. I'm in an office type situation 75% of the time, and I'm lucky. And I know so many people with similar dreams as yours who've struggled along for years on a series of temp/seasonal jobs in various agencies without ever being hired permanently. (I also have to say, half the people I know working in public agencies, mostly state, are from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.) It's quite possible you might need to be more creative about how to achieve your goal (e.g. consider something like working with a logging company to replant trees or working on a trail crew), consider areas with more agencies and public lands, or have a wider set of expectations.

Have you considered other completely different occupations that would send you outside (like ag) or do you have your heart set on conservation? What do you really value? That may help. Good luck with your search, I really mean it.
posted by barchan at 4:34 PM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

I have not worked for the government but I have worked for several conservation organizations that worked closely with the agencies you mention. I hate to be telling you to narrow your options in a competitive field, but do make sure you know what you're getting into with BLM and the USFS if you are primarily interested in conservation. Depending on the administration and the local administrator you work under, you could find yourself in a situation where your work is helping resource extraction (mining, drilling, industrial logging) more than conservation. This is certainly not always the case, but I have met several jaded former BLM/USFS employees that figured this out too late.
posted by lunasol at 4:41 PM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I work for the U.S. Forest Service. I work for a really neat agency, which is invested in research and cutting-edge science but at its core a practical land management agency. In many ways working for BLM or USFS can be a more challenging career than working for NPS simply because we are so applied in our focus and most Forests and Grasslands are intermingled with people and communities. Logging, mining, etc. are all tools we use as part of a coordinated landscape management plan - it is all part of sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of our nation's lands for current and future generations. I really enjoy my job and am proud of my agency.

It is a tough time to be looking for a job in the federal government. Many of the land management agencies are condensing staffing (FWS among them, BLM and NPS are cautiously moving in that direction). For the agencies that are hiring, we are getting a great deal of interest for positions advertised outside government. But - we are hiring!

The best way for you to succeed in getting a job is without question to be totally flexible in location. Don't worry about the job - you want a foot in the door, and from there you can move towards interp/etc. I hear you about the challenges of being mobile - this is something that impedes career development for many current agency personnel as well. However, that is bar none the best way to increase your odds of getting a federal position. I left the federal government for a number of years and when I came back, I moved from California to Georgia, leaving my spouse behind, to accept a position. At the time I did so, there weren't any jobs in California that were a fit for me. So we made the tough decision for me to move across the country. This is a good time to talk to your spouse and family about flexibility on location. If you truly can't be flexible at all about location, you may have to be flexible about the grade (salary, or GS level) and kind of position you are looking for. You may also want to start trying to volunteer or get a intern position on the Kisatchie if you have any interest in staying in LA, or explore something similar with the Huron-Manistee or Hiawatcha in Michigan to start building connections and relationships if you're focused on a very specific area.

I'd also suggest considering differentiating yourself in terms of your skillset. Did you do any wildland firefighting while you were a seasonal park ranger? If you have 90 days of wildland firefighting experience, you can apply for positions that are fire-covered which very few members of the public have the background to be able to apply for.

And the way to get a job is to spend several days being sure your USAJobs application is correctly configured, apply for a number of positions, make sure you're leveraging your federal contacts (ask for informational interviews if you don't know the hiring managers personally, make sure the hiring officials know who you are when they're sifting through their stack of dozens of resumes), be patient because federal hiring is slower than molasses, and keep applying for positions. When you don't get jobs, follow up with the hiring managers (note: NOT HR, the hiring official for the position) and ask what you could work on, and ask if they'd keep you in mind if they hear of other opportunities. Of these possibly the most important advice is making sure you have USAJobs sorted out - I can't tell you how many qualified people don't even make it onto my certs (the list of applicants) because they didn't check the right boxes on USAJobs. It is cumbersome, annoying, and you just have to invest time in it.

If you are able to be flexible in location (or even if you aren't), you should also check out the Presidential Management Fellowship program. The application period just closed for this year's cohort, but the PMF program is an excellent way for mid-career professionals with any kind of recent graduate degree to move into a position at the GS-9/11/12 level with the federal government. We typically hire a dozen PMFs annually, and NPS usually hires ~3. Occasionally BLM hires a PMF, I don't know if FWS ever does. I've written at great length elsewhere on the site about the program, but I can't say enough good things about what a great experience it was for me.

Feel free to contact me at my government email address (you can look it up on our website) if you'd like to talk further about careers with the Forest Service.
posted by RachelSmith at 5:11 PM on November 6, 2014 [13 favorites]

Would you consider working for nature-focused non-profits, like a nature center? There are some very good ones and jobs can range from site maintenance to educating school groups. You are still looking at a very tight job market but that at least gives you more options outside of USAJobs hell.
posted by Anonymous at 10:28 PM on November 6, 2014

You will be surprised to hear that most of the people who work for the Army Corps of Engineers are civilians, then.

The CoE hires actual rangers, too, all civilians.
posted by the christopher hundreds at 6:21 AM on November 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Be aware that a NPS Park Ranger is a law enforcement position. There are certainly interpretive aspects to the position, rescues are a definite thing, but it's largely (primarily?) a law enforcement position. FWIW, I have a friend who is a full time NPS Ranger, and the housing I've stayed at inside two different parks has been 100% fine.

My limited understanding is that to get into NPS as a full time position, you work seasonal positions at any park in the country for years, and maybe, eventually, you get a full time position.
posted by cnc at 11:36 AM on November 7, 2014 [1 favorite]