Abstract

The notion of career has become increasingly prominent in the outdoor literature, along with references to the outdoor profession (Humberstone & Brown, 2006) and the outdoor industry (Barnes, 1999; Humberstone, 2000). Yet outdoor careers are complex and hard to define. In this chapter we recognise the common association of career with work and working lives (Arthur, Hall & Lawrence, 1989). We also highlight that while popular views of working in the outdoors focus on the provision of adventure activities, the field of outdoor employment is broader and not easily harnessed into a coherent sector. An exhibition on outdoor careers in the UK (www.careersintheoutdoors.co.uk/exhibitors.html) included representatives from adventure travel companies, outdoor activity centres, youth development charities, expedition organisers, field study centres and outdoor equipment manufacturers. To provide a delimitation and to exclude areas of the outdoors such as agriculture or fishing, we have drawn on Martin’s (2001) mapping of the outdoor field and Humberstone’s (2000) definition of the outdoor industry, which includes working in the outdoors to deliver adventure recreation, education, leisure, youth work, management training or therapy.