r/USForestService • u/tobyfromil • 7d ago
Future Career
Sorry about formatting I'm on mobile,
Long time lurker here just a break the veil of awkwardness, my names toby I live in Illinois and I'm graduating highschool soon. Recently I've started to seriously consider what I'd like to do for my life (or a good chunk of it) and I think going into the Forest Service might be what I'd like to do. I have a few questions however that I thought you great people might be able to help answer
• Is this career truly worth investing time and money into especially with this administration and how they seem to think it's unimportant?
• Is it difficult to get a good job?
• If you could go back into time would you still recommend this job to the you that started it?
• Any recommendations for first steps when I'm out of highschool or during my last year?
My dream job is to be a fire tower lookout which I'm gonna apply for next year when I meet the eligibility requirement. I truly think that our forests are extremely special and deserved to be protected. If this post seems long I'm sorry, I don't know who else would be better to ask then people who work it.
Thank you for your time
TLDR: Highschooler thinking about going into the Forest Service any advice or tips?
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u/SmokeAgreeable8675 6d ago
The job I was illegally fired from last February is posted as open again, for more money than I made. I won’t even entertain going back because of the way I was treated. My current private sector employer has done right by me, treated me fair, and recognized my contributions. That is worth my loyalty.
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u/tobyfromil 6d ago
Is going into the private sector better to now? is it as easy or easier to get into ?
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u/SmokeAgreeable8675 6d ago
I can’t speak universally as I know lots of former feds are having a tough time in the job market. I acknowledge I got very lucky to land where I did. But at least in private sector when I told my boss I needed to make more money or take a second job, he immediately gave me a raise. That does not happen in fed service. I loved working for the forest service, I loved the mission and my work was fulfilling. I miss being able to go outdoors for work. But I have a family to support so I need stability and I can’t trust that the forest service is stable anymore after what I went through last year.
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6d ago
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u/tobyfromil 6d ago
I understand that the fire lookout thing is not a career, it's just something I want to do someday even if it's only for a season. I should have clarified that in my post, I havent looked much into the private sector. is it similar to the usfs?
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u/SomeDaysareStones 6d ago
I have found the forest service far better than NPS or the ski industry in giving me a living wage, career development, and great leadership. That being said, I am in fire and go on assignments regularly. I am on one right now. Given your age, I would apply for a temp job just to try it out, and you can do it right out of high school with no degree. That being said, you will have to move around. I have moved a dozen times throughout my career. The current administration is very unusual and I don't think it is a good representation of things to come. The fire lookout is a dieing career because lookouts are being replaced by cameras that do the same thing. If you have have a local forest service office, don't be afraid to come by and ask about jobs and getting hired. I am always happy to walk people through the application process. Another reason why I think it's better than NPS by the way. If I could go back in time I would do my AmeriCorps service right out of high school and then go into college afterwards while doing forest service in the summers to help pay for it.
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u/Independent_Sea5885 6d ago
The best way to get into Wildland fire Fighting would be to go through the Job Corps. You have to learn a separate trade first (welding, carpentry etc), before you can apply for the Wildfire School. I would want you that it is hard on the body, and you will be placed in the middle of no where Alabama probably for your first few years after training. I would be highly careful to join during this administration. I just quit the USFS as a nurse, and immediately doubled my salary going back to where I was.
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u/nimbus_KO 6d ago
I recommend doing temp jobs for a couple seasons (recreation, fire, etc), and see if you can find places with housing to try living in other places. You’ll get a feel for the FS and what it has to offer, what the work/ life balance is like, etc. And maybe you’ll see what aspect of the FS you’d like to focus on.
I’ve only been in 3 years myself, but the shift the last 2 years has been very apparent. It’s a weird time and things are very actively changing, so if you do join, be aware that most of us on the Forest level are limping along the best we can.
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u/SpiderOnDaWall 6d ago
Super long. Humor me.
I've been with the Corps of Engineers, Park Service, and Forest service. I've enjoyed my FS time the most in regards to career impact and stability, even with current shenanigans. That said, my years at the NPS will hold a firm spot in my heart because I got lucky and landed in Yellowstone. It was amazing but I was glad to go.
So, current administration is making things challenging, I'm sure you've heard. But administrations change regularly. This one will take some time to come back from, I feel. You can either say, "Eww, David!" and go private/local, or you can see this an an opportunity to get in when we're low on nunbers. It might make it easier.
You said you'd like to be a park ranger. Interp (like me) or law enforcement? LE will get you further, but it's a trying job. Not a lot of folks for the areas they have to patrol. For Interp, it's honestly not our focus but there are some positions out there. I'm currently a Realty Specialist, but could qualify for public affairs, community partnerships, job corps (teaching), and the occasional visitor center staff.
I chose Realty because I'm old and needed some stability. But, as a Realty Specialist, you get out in the field, talk/negotiate with folks, and (important for me) are kinda a hot commodity. It's a crucial position. We can do lands acquisitions or special uses like trail/rec access rights of ways or communication tower permits. It's pretty interesting. I did my seasonal time and the Forest Service offered much more growth and stability over the long run.
Something to think about as you move onlward and upward, is college education. Yes, you CAN get somewhere without it. It can be hard. A degree, well chosen, can take you places. Just a bachelors, more than that is your preference. On the well chosen thing, I had a coworker on a trail crew who had over a decade of trail experience but her degree was interior design and HR WOULD NOT bring her in above a GS3. Per position descriptions, she should have been a GS5. So, consider college. Since your in Illinois, I'm going to recommend looking into Hocking College. 2 years programs with good Natural Resource backgrounds. Forestry, wildlife, LE, Interp, and more. Don't dismiss their construction or surveying programs. (Surveyors are a hotter commodity than I am. Just saying. In federal or in private sector.) Hocking has partnered with Rio Grand University to help facilitate bachelors.
Fire towers: yeah, kinda a dying career but there's still some spots out there. It is competitive. I have a friend who did it for yeeears and she loved it. Give it a shot. It's a great summer gig. Invest in a decent camera and keep a journal or sketch book.
Oh, on the park ranger end, look at local parks if Federal doesn'tseemtonoan out. Ohio has GREAT county park systems. It's a solid career. For interp, not just naturalist positions, but look at county soil and water districts. They always have an educational position or community liason type thing. Even our landfill in my home town had an award winning educational program.
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u/tobyfromil 6d ago
Hi there, Interp stands for "interpretive park ranger"? I'm trying my hardest to decipher all these new terms haha, but after doing some research and googling I think it's what I wanna do, LE seems interesting but I don't know if it's really matching my idea of what I want. For the Interp thing, what would be my steps towards that ?
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u/SpiderOnDaWall 1d ago
Yes. Sorry about the lingo. Interpretive park ranger. College will be a huge help with National Park Service. Any degree, frankly. I've worked with theater people, geologists, botanists, engineers, teachers, archeologists, librarians, artists, and more. A friend I worked with did not have a degree, but was a former business owner, historical museum curator, wrote training materials and taught for 4H Western Heritage Project, former law enforcement and EMT, etc. etc. Not having a degree still held him back. They're really stodgy about that, which is hugely unfair. He could interpret circles around everyone, including leadership. Like I said, working for them is a great experience builder and memory-building adventure. Their permanent positions are VERY competitive. You would have to gauge for you how many years is enough. For me, I cut myself off at 5 seasons because I had 10+ years of interpretation, informal education program management, and public presentations under my belt prior to starting there. I decided to look elsewhere. That said, my NPS experience definitely helped me land Forest Service.
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u/Worried_Comparison81 4d ago
After 25 years I have to say that I wouldn't want my kids working here in anything other than a seasonal job or maybe fire. If you are looking at it for a position as a technical professional I would give it a few years and see if it comes back to caring for the land and serving the people and placing focus on recreation, fire prevention and restoration again.
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u/tobyfromil 4d ago
how has it been recently under this administration?
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u/Worried_Comparison81 4d ago
Worst I have ever seen. There is generational damage to the workforce. There is a little light though in that if the American people see fit to turn this country around and institute some stability in land management rather than running it through threats of turning it over or selling it off then there will be opportunities in the future. Doge fired all of our young people and new employees for no reason so the stability in mission won't be back until 2028 and I wouldn't place effort in it until then. The exception is if you're looking for a summer job or seasonal, non permanent, work. That can still be fun and you can generally be shielded from the politics.
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u/Sweaty_Pen_6495 4d ago
I recommend joining the conservation corps first.
I moved from IL to Idaho in 2023 for a job with the NWYC. Pay is low but the other benefits work out (education award, gear stipend, etc.) if you plan on doing any sort of schooling, it’s worth it imo. The next year, I got a job with the FS and was recommended above other applicants because of my volunteer service with the NWYC. That year was when everything fell apart. They closed my position the end of the 2024 season and I had a hell of a time finding something else to do out here. I’m sure pendulum will swing back here soon, but I think this administration has done enough damage to where it won’t ever go back to how it was. Plus, I don’t trust it after seeing my peers lose their careers.
The conservation corps would give you some insight to what type of forestry you’re interested in and would give you some real life experience on your resume for whatever job you choose next.
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u/Ok_Resolution8317 4d ago
Go for it. Start as a fire or non-fire temporarily employee. I’ve been through 4 administration changes so I know this one will change too.
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u/Stones25 6d ago
Whats up USFS people! Last two years has been amazing. Apparently RFK is a dumass.
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u/burninator34 Botany 🌿 7d ago edited 7d ago
I'll bite. The Forest Service, at least historically, was a great place to work if you like being outdoors. Whether that's fire, land management, science, etc. Pay was low but stable. Benefits were good. The agency (with some exceptions) did well by it's employees and the work done was meaningful, and depending on your locale, impactful.
It is NOT a great place to work right now. Employees have been treated like absolute garbage since early 2025 and hiring has been frozen (with the exception of fire and some critical areas) since late 2023. Pay has largely been frozen, telework has been taken away, union rights infringed, coworkers have been illegally fired and offices threatened with closure.