If you’ve ever gotten lost in the woods, you’ll remember that sinking feeling when everything starts to look the same. You know where you came from and where you want to go, but you have the sneaking suspicion you’re walking in circles. It’s a lot like recreation and outdoor companies’ hiring practices today. Distinguishing great roles from dead ends can feel a bit… directionless.

Frankly, it’s an unsurprising experience given that competition is fierce in this highly specialized job market. Besides the fact that the economy is down—meaning businesses prioritize top-line sales—outdoor activities have seen a mixed boom since the pandemic. This industry has witnessed tighter margins than ever but with potentially more customers.

How can you, a job seeker, maximize your visibility while distinguishing a dud role from a perfect fit? Let’s dive into the three elements that will help you simplify the process: selling yourself, finding the right job platform, and getting placement help from an expert.

How to Sell Yourself: Resume, Experience, and Attitude

According to the Outdoor Industry Association’s 2023 Participation Report, there are record numbers of recreation participants age six and older. However, the number of outings per person has declined for the first time in over three years. That means each person buys less, and businesses must think leaner about their hiring decisions. Workers who can make better impressions one-on-one, meaning those who can drive bigger sales in individual interactions, have become invaluable.

Why does this matter to you, a frontline worker? You should know that you’re being weighed against potentially dozens of other applicants, all of whom may have similar skills or experience. In that environment, how you structure your resume can make a huge difference in how you appear to recreation and outdoor companies’ hiring managers.

At V20 Recruiting and Consulting, we provide expert guidance and career tools to help you shape an honest, best-foot-forward resume that showcases your unique gifts and motivated attitude. Here are a few of our top tips for highlighting your candidacy:

1. Highlight Challenges You’ve Overcome: Use the “three-legged stool” method to describe your achievements in a past or current position. It works like this:
   1. Provide an example of a challenge you faced.
   2. Explain how you handled it, like by solving a problem or starting a new initiative.
   3. Describe the results, such as increased sales or streamlined workflow.
2. Use a Summary Statement: According to research using eye-tracking software, employers spend about 7.4 seconds looking at each resume. That means the top third of your resume is the perfect place to summarize your key talents, exceptional experiences, and differentiating skills.
3. Customize Your Resume for the Role: Employers notice when you tailor your submission for the position they’re advertising. Your cover letter and resume should be ultra-relevant to the job you’re applying for, highlighting the exact assets that make you the perfect fit.

Finding the Right Job Network

Popular professional networks like LinkedIn or job sites like Monster have been mainstays for quite some time, but they’re all beginning to show their age—or, rather, their true selves. Each one comes with its own set of pitfalls, and after decades of monetization, they rarely have the job seeker’s best interest at heart.

In a high-skill and competitive industry like ours, it can feel like a minefield wading through job ads on sites that give you minimal background on a role. Meanwhile, as a job seeker, you’re taking on most of the risk when it comes to positions outside your region. There’s little investigation you can do apart from checking out their website and social media channels.

Working with a recruiter means you’re in line for high-quality positions placed by fully-vetted employers. For example, at V20 Recruiting, we post the majority of open jobs on our website and social media channels. When a candidate spots an opening they like, they can easily find it and follow the prompts to get in touch with that client’s V20 recruiter. When you sign up with us, we’ll regularly reach out when we find suitable positions.

Working With a Job Placement Expert

It’s no myth that outdoor companies hiring new staff face unprecedented times. The executive director of the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance, Becky Leinweber, said in an interview with The Colorado Springs Business Journal, “[Outdoor businesses] are looking at where they can make investments or expand services, but there are still some big challenges that make that difficult,” including supply chain issues and staffing problems. Leinweber noted some vendors couldn’t join a yearly industry event because “they just don’t have enough staff.”

With so much upheaval, it’s crucial to find a hiring partner who understands the unique pain point of this sector while prioritizing your individual needs. Unlike large, impersonal recruitment firms, V20 Recruiting and Consulting carefully considers all the variables when pairing a candidate with a new employer. Is the company a good fit for you? Do their goals, values, and attitudes align? Can they provide the work-life balance you want?

At V20, we’re dialed into the pulse of this industry. Working with us as a job seeker, you’ll benefit from a vast network of premier employers and a personal touch in job placement. Our team of seasoned experts has been where you are right now, and we’re ready to help you plan a path to your dream job.

Reach out to V20 Recruiting today to learn more about how we can shape your resume for success, introduce you to a tailored job network, and guide you toward long-term growth. When you sign up with us, we’ll reach out to you when an opportunity looks to be a fit. There is no obligation or cost for you!