"Non-Office" Careers...

I'm currently in college, and I recently switched my major to Environmental Studies/Urban Planning. I was majoring in Information Systems, until I discovered that being indoors, in front of a computer all day, wasn't at all for me. And after working several jobs in retail, office, and food, I know for sure that I do NOT want to be stuck inside; I don't have the patience for it. I feel like ripping my hair out after thirty minutes in the office, or behind the counter.

Now, I'm still considering joining the military; however, I think I will wait until after I get my degree so I can go in as an officer.

So, I'm wondering if anybody here has suggestions as to what I could do career-wise (if I decide not to, or can't, join the military) that doesn't force me to stay in all day? I can handle a VERY little bit of office work, but I'd like it to be more 75/25 in favor of non-office work.

Also, I'm not opposed to additional schooling. So if you know of something I could do that requires a Masters or doctoral degree, that's fine.

I work in the ambulance service. That's non-office, and you're always out and about.

Other suggestions.....landscaping/gardening, firefighter, personal trainer, commercial diving, taxi driver, police officer (although, there's a fair bit of paperwork involved there)

I am an environmental technician for a consulting company and am never indoors. Try looking into consulting for environmental work, especially if you are already in the field. I have a technical diploma... tbh, if you go much higher than a bacherlors, you'll be placed in an office doing reports. Lots of work, and good pay without lots of school. And you'll be outside, all over in no time.

Edit: just noticed you're in Texas: TONS of environmental consulting work in the oil and gas industry (which I am in)

well, a teacher is inside, but not sitting in front of a computer all day!

Join the Peace Corps for a 2 year stint. That should really expand you as a person while keeping you out of an office.

I am not sure what exactly your course covers but a job that may cover similar areas to your studies and has a fair amount of time outside of the office could be an environmental health officer. It might be something different in the US but in the UK the role could be something like the following.

"Areas of work include food hygiene and nutrition, workplace health and safety, housing conditions, air/noise pollution control, contaminated land, industrial waste, communicable diseases and animal health."

"Typical work activities vary according to specialism and area, but tasks may include:

* carrying out routine inspections and investigating complaints to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation;

* ensuring premises where food for human consumption is produced, manufactured, processed, stored and presented for sale, meet required standards;

* taking samples of unfit food through voluntary surrender, detention or seizure, to be tested at specialist laboratories for infectious disease or contamination;

* investigating complaints of unsafe workplaces and attending accidents to identify areas of negligence within working areas;

* monitoring housing standards within private and rented accommodation, in order to improve conditions and make sure the necessary alterations and repairs are made;

* taking water samples to maintain and improve standards in public swimming and bathing areas as well as private water supplies;

* monitoring radiation activity, taking action when safety levels have been exceeded;

* ensuring animal welfare keeps within legislated standards and issuing licenses for premises including pet shops, zoos and abattoirs;

* monitoring levels of noise, air, land and water pollution - liaising with others over issues such as the contamination of land, or complaints about antisocial behaviour;

* giving talks at public enquiries, meetings and exhibitions, as well as ensuring compliance through education, advice and enforcement;

* initiating legal proceedings and giving evidence in court;

* complying with administrative and monitoring systems, producing detailed documentation and complex reports;

* analysing the source of problems, suggesting solutions and, where necessary, making recommendations for changes in council policy or strategy."

As you can see there is a lot of out of office based work here and it might overlap with your course in some area's. You would probably need a science related degree and study for environmental health professional qualifications too.

Alternatively there are lots of jobs that involve a lot of out of office and outside work such as Customs and Border protection, Coast Guard, Geophysics (for use in construction, dams, exploration for minerals and oil), fisheries and water related work and probably a lot more, these were just things off the top of my head.

*cop/fed agent/security

*machine repair/servicing

*anything in resources - mining, timber, fishing, oil, etc. Some can be very cerebral outdoor jobs, some very straight up physical, and a range of different educational requirements.

*crafting (fine or rough carpentry, metalworking, etc. Especially if you are artistic)

*firefighting, urban or forest

*machinIST

*high school coaching

*youth camp counseling or similar (a very low grade summer sort of job mostly, but good insofar as the higher up positions with more responsibility are ALSO usually outdoors)

*social work

With lots of education, there's all kinds of crazy things you can do, however it's probably inadvisable to go into a PhD program with the goal of mainly just avoiding a desk job... You should only commit to this if the subject itself is something you have a true love for. But with that disclaimer, there are all kinds of engineering and natural sciences and social sciences jobs that involve a ton of fieldwork. I'm in psychology, which you would think would be very officey, and yes, my last adviser spent a fair amount of time in bureaucratic settings and office hours, but the majority was actually teaching, or doing stuff that could be done from home or anywhere else (writing/reading), and she was constantly flying out to strange tropical tribal places to run studies on people. Something in anthropology, I presume, would involve that sort of thing much more. Biologists often spend lots of time in the field, if they specialize in macro sized animals and behavior (marine biologists, primatologists, etc.). Research engineers and physicists and chemists are usually indoors working with various contraptions, but not at a desk. And so on...

Join the Peace Corps for a 2 year stint. That should really expand you as a person while keeping you out of an office.

And they really pay you for less. I had a coworker who did it for 2 years and only made 3k. If you're looking for something that will help pay bills, stay out of it. Get the bills/loans out of the way first... if not then it's something to consider, but it's not a money making business while you're in it.

Yea, if you don't want an office job then I suggest trade school. A lot of the programs they offer earn well paying jobs fast.

There's a big need for Speech Pathologists and they do in-home work as well as work in schools. It requires a master's degree. Not really an office job persay, but it's not all outdoors either.