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So I was offered a job as a park ranger at a major national park (think Yellowstone, Everglades etc.) when I graduate in the Spring. I won't get rich from doing this obviously but I am into the outdoors/wildlife and this would be a really, really fun opportunity. I am considering taking a year to avoid burn out, and I was just wondering if this would be an alright job to do, or if law schools would wonder why I took such a random job.

This is an outstanding opportunity. Great resume item. Has a LE bent (obviously). Great thing to talk about in interviews. DO IT. My only surprise is that the federal govt is interested in talking on a person for one year (or do they think you're in it for the long haul?). Congrats! Enjoy it!

Edit: Just don't get eaten by a gator or run over by a bison.

ns77770 wrote:So I was offered a job as a park ranger at a major national park (think Yellowstone, Everglades etc.) when I graduate in the Spring. I won't get rich from doing this obviously but I am into the outdoors/wildlife and this would be a really, really fun opportunity. I am considering taking a year to avoid burn out, and I was just wondering if this would be an alright job to do, or if law schools would wonder why I took such a random job.

Yale 203 Blog wrote:Before joining us at YLS, the Class of 2013 pursued a variety of jobs, activities, and careers, including:

· public charter school co-founder;
· special assistant to the Philippine government;
· Marine Corps combat correspondent;
· speechwriter for former President George W. Bush;
· aide for House Judiciary Committee;
· media advisor for Sesame Street;
· slam poet;
· park ranger in Vermont; and
· conducting field research in Tostan villages.

They might wonder, but you could probably explain why you took it, right? I mean, it won't necessarily be impressive, but if you like it...

Sounds cool, would make a good PS. Who cares about how schools perceive it if you want to do it?

Good thing you preserved anonymity by not naming the actual park. That could really come back to hurt you later.

bostelo wrote:Good thing you preserved anonymity by not naming the actual park. That could really come back to hurt you later.

Wow you're really witty, you sure got me! I actually don't know the exact park yet because it is going to be one of a few possibilities since it's going to depend on where they need help the most when I graduate.

bostelo wrote:Good thing you preserved anonymity by not naming the actual park. That could really come back to hurt you later.

Shocking that people don't always want to share their exact details with strangers over the internet. Would you like to share your name with us good sir?

ns77770 wrote:

bostelo wrote:Good thing you preserved anonymity by not naming the actual park. That could really come back to hurt you later.

Wow you're really witty, you sure got me! I actually don't know the exact park yet because it is going to be one of a few possibilities since it's going to depend on where they need help the most when I graduate.

LIAR!

bostelo wrote:

ns77770 wrote:

bostelo wrote:Good thing you preserved anonymity by not naming the actual park. That could really come back to hurt you later.

Wow you're really witty, you sure got me! I actually don't know the exact park yet because it is going to be one of a few possibilities since it's going to depend on where they need help the most when I graduate.

LIAR!

You mad.

Also, even if I did know the exact park out of the couple I will possibly work at, I don't want to post on here my exact work location and when I will start working there. Care to share the addresses of where you work (or worked)?

ns77770 wrote:

bostelo wrote:

ns77770 wrote:

bostelo wrote:Good thing you preserved anonymity by not naming the actual park. That could really come back to hurt you later.

Wow you're really witty, you sure got me! I actually don't know the exact park yet because it is going to be one of a few possibilities since it's going to depend on where they need help the most when I graduate.

LIAR!

You mad.

Also, even if I did know the exact park out of the couple I will possibly work at, I don't want to post on here my exact work location and when I will start working there. Care to share the addresses of where you work (or worked)?

Nah, I'm too mad.

bostelo wrote:
Nah, I'm too mad.

Yeah I figured, it's cool, your're mad.

MrKappus wrote:This is an outstanding opportunity. Great resume item. Has a LE bent (obviously). Great thing to talk about in interviews. DO IT. My only surprise is that the federal govt is interested in talking on a person for one year (or do they think you're in it for the long haul?). Congrats! Enjoy it!

Edit: Just don't get eaten by a gator or run over by a bison.

This is what I was actually wondering about. Would being a park ranger be a good thing to talk about at interviews? I was thinking that it would not be a good thing to talk about since it seems so random...

ns77770 wrote:This is what I was actually wondering about. Would being a park ranger be a good thing to talk about at interviews? I was thinking that it would not be a good thing to talk about since it seems so random...

In my experience, unusual but responsible work experience is great to have. You break up the motonony for the interviewer, who's been dealing all day with kids with either no WE or the standard paralegal/political intern/whatever stuff. They finally have something genuinely interesting to talk about, and that makes them very likely to remember you when they're reviewing the 20 people they interviewed in a day and have to pick the two or three they'd give a CB.

Being "that guy who was a park ranger" would probably be a major asset.

Provided you meet the baseline requirements for the position (i.e., grades, LR, moot court, personality, et al.), the best thing to bring to interviews are GOOD STORIES. These stories need to fall into one of two categories:

(1) things your interviewer knows a ton about; and
(2) things that are really funny/unique/interesting that your interviewer knows nothing about.

For (1): if you see a Boston marathon medal on his desk, and you're a runner...dive in! "Wow you did Boston? They lowered the qualifying time for it right? How'd you prepare? Did you use Hal Higdon's online program? Is Heartbreak Hill heartbreaking? I have run/am going to run in _____ marathon." The 20 minutes is up in no time, and the interviewer has a very positive impression of you b/c he/she likes marathons and people, in general, like talking about themselves. It's just part of being a human, I guess.

For (2): the people you're talking to will be, almost w/o exception, very smart. Very smart people have all kinds of qualities, but one is almost universally common in this group. Intellectual curiosity. This means your interviewers will enjoy hearing you talk about stuff about which they know very little, provided it's interesting, engaging, and you're enthusiastic about it.

Now, you'll obviously want to avoid the stories of how the crazy gunman went into the park and you had to go find him and when you did he'd done this terrible thing that leaves your interviewer wishing he could undo the last 20 minutes of his life. But if you have funny stories and interesting tidbits, you can fill up your 20 minutes w/ anecdotes that your interviewer actually wants to hear. W/ some research and forethought, you can tie these stories and your part in each of them into broader qualities that firms and companies of all kinds look for in employees (intuition, self-starting, creativity, teamwork, etc.).

Just make sure: (1) you enjoy what you're doing; (2) you cultivate some references in the job; and (3) you develop yourself professionally. Enjoy your year off. I'm betting it might turn into 2 or 3.

Thanks for the replies vanwinkle and krappus!

Do it. I'm coming from the perspective of someone who is currently doing the year-off thing. I've got pretty standard jobs: legal intern & social work. But I'm very glad I am taking the year, if for no other reason than it is good to get some experience just doing work and not being in school. The experience has also confirmed that I want to go to law school. At this point in your life, I can only think that the time off and WE would be beneficial.

I truly believe that one of the (many) steps that needs to be taken to reform legal education is a de facto WE requirement (like B school).

Haha P.S. Kappus. K-A-P-P-U-S.

MrKappus wrote:I truly believe that one of the (many) steps that needs to be taken to reform legal education is a de facto WE requirement (like B school).

Haha P.S. Kappus. K-A-P-P-U-S.

Lol my bad... Working on a paper past midnight+watching Jersey Shore = typos

ns77770 wrote:I won't get rich from doing this obviously but I am into the outdoors/wildlife and this would be a really, really fun opportunity.

So, anyone who is telling you this would be bad for your application is a goofball. You state the reason why right here. Law schools have hordes of people marching through who are resigned to hate life, because they're only interested in big law, because they're only interested in money. You're different - if I'm on adcom and I get your app and an app with your exact numbers and 2 years investment banking experience, and they "want to make a difference in the world now," guess who comes off as more authentic and more memorable.

Plus, you only live once, and you want to do it, so... do it. Bring bug spray.

Somebody I know at my school worked at Yosemite before law school. It sounded like a lot of fun. Looking back, I definitely wish I would have tried to do something like that.

This is a good job to do for a lifetime, IMO.

As far as law school admissions, it doesn't matter. Take a job scraping gum off of the sidewalk. Won't matter.

OP, it sounds like one hell of a job. I regret going straight from undergrad, and I didn't realize that I felt this way until I entered this thread.

The most important applications you'll file this cycle:

http://www.nps.gov/personnel/permanent.htm

Make sure to bring a camera in addition to the bug spray.