USDA Forest Service

Strategic Communication Intern

September 2020 • Asheville, NC

What I liked

- Self-paced - Ownership of projects - Manageable workload (<10 hours/week) - Professional development opportunities

What I wish was different

- Compensation (unpaid)

Advice

- This experience is what you make of it! There are opportunities in social media, research, science, and more with the Forest Service.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Biologican Technician

June - October 2020 • Moab, UT

What I liked

I was able to get my foot in the door of federal employment!

What I wish was different

Advice

Take it seriously. You may receive low wages, or none at all, but a good work ethic can lead to future opportunities.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Wildlife Technician

June - August 2019 • Logan, UT

What I liked

SOme of my favorite aspects about this job is the variety of tasks that were given.

What I wish was different

Advice

Always do your best

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Forestry Technician - Trails

May - August 2020 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

Getting to work outside, learning lots of new skills such as motorcycling, chainsaw use, tree felling, and trail design!

What I wish was different

I wish I had been able to work longer!

Advice

Be prepared to work really hard!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Forestry Technician

May - August 2020 • Moab, UT

What I liked

Loved being in the high elevations during the heat of the summer. A lot of beautiful country and recreation opportunities as well as great work projects.

What I wish was different

Upper level management was a little hard to work with.

Advice

Be ready to work hard and play hard.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Biological science technician (invasive species)

May - August 2020 • Prospect, OR

What I liked

Everyday was a new experience! Got to spend lots of time in nature in a beautiful area helping to keep the forests healthy. Very knowledgeable crewmates with various backgrounds and skills to teach. Options for on the job training such as wildland firefighting!

What I wish was different

A little closer to home! And that COVID-19 didn't restrict our work of course!

Advice

Learn as much as you can in this environment, it is a breeding ground for new ideas, connections, and skills.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Forestry aid

May - August 2019 • Alturas, CA

What I liked

I loved the ability to get outdoors and hike all the time. Also protecting the land was something I have always loved and so to get paid to do that it was special

What I wish was different

The only thing I wish was different was I got to stay longer.

Advice

Is to follow your training and know your 10s and 18s they are there for a reason and they will keep you alive.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

stream technician

June - August 2020 • Logan, UT

What I liked

I enjoyed traveling and camping the entire time in the field. I got to go all over Sawtooth National Forest, places in Oregon, north of Bear Lake, and even the Tetons and Jackson area of Wyoming. I also liked being in the streams.

What I wish was different

We were gone 8 days at a time. I agreed to this, as it was part of the work, but I did miss my husband often. Especially since I could not call daily. Other than that, COVID-19 made things limited, which was a little disappointing, but in all honesty, we were lucky to have job still.

Advice

There will be hot and dry days, cold nights, and sometimes you can be hiking and/or sleeping in a storm. But the experience makes you tougher. Keep a positive attitude and remember that it's all part of a great experience.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

OHV Trail Crew

May - August 2020 • Gunnison, CO

What I liked

The crew I worked with

What I wish was different

I wish the Pandemic wouldn’t of limited to all the experiences I could’ve learned from doing this job.

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Forestry Aide

June - August 2020 • Jackson, WY

What I liked

Working Outside

What I wish was different

Finished the work assignment I was on at the emd

Advice

You have to like being outside

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Biological Technician

May - August 2020 • Warren, PA

What I liked

Being able to learning new techniques on how to do a vegetative survey. Being in a different ecosystem and learning more about our natural resources. Also, the people that make the Forest Service a great place to work for.

What I wish was different

Have more time to learn about the agency.

Advice

Ask a lot of questions about your job and why people enjoy working for that agency.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

timber crew member

June - September 2020 • Ephraim, UT

What I liked

My crew members Being in the mountains

What I wish was different

I wish it had started earlier in the summer.

Advice

Do it with a friend it is hard work.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Biological Technician

March - August 2020 • Cloudcroft, NM

What I liked

Being able to work outdoors in the woods. Doing the type of work I majored in in undergrad, which is what I love to do.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Wildland Firefighter

June - August 2020 • Libby, MT

What I liked

It was fun having a different job most days of the week. Lots of variety.

What I wish was different

I wish the season had been longer, was having so much fun.

Advice

You had better be ready to work hard.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Forestry Technician

May - August 2020 • Springerville, AZ

What I liked

I enjoyed being outside, and the education I received.

What I wish was different

I wish I had gotten more experience with forestry methods.

Advice

expect to get covered in paint every day.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2020 • Bonners Ferry, ID

What I liked

I loved being able to work outside everyday and explore new country. My crew was great to work with and I learned a lot!

What I wish was different

It would have been nice to not have all of the COVID restrictions as that really hampered our work.

Advice

Don’t be intimidated by your work or your crew. I was the only female on an otherwise all male crew. Be cause I wasn’t intimidated by them, they respected me and treated me as their equal.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Wild land firefighter

May - August 2020 • Grangeville, ID

What I liked

I love being in the outdoors, and the job is submersed in it. The job also allows for great profession even in the few short months. The crew was amazing and the work was good!

What I wish was different

In this profession we have to do physical training every day (PT). We started the season off really strong. In the first week we had ran 15 miles, and hiked 20 in full PPE. But after that first week, we really started to decline. We would have really easy PT and then every once in a while we’d get hit with like an 8 mile run. We were all out of shape for this and it made all of us struggle.

Advice

This job takes hard work. It also consumes your life. Out of the four months I worked I like I had about 10 days off MAX. The year before, I only had 3. It’s takes dedication, but it will bring the money in and train you hard!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Seasonal Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2019 • Elko, NV

What I liked

The whole job from responding to fires to just working out getting ready for fires

What I wish was different

Advice

Be in good shape and be ready to work extremely long and hard hours

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Botanist

June - August 2019 • San Bernardino, CA

What I liked

I really enjoyed getting to apply my skills in the field.

What I wish was different

I would have liked to spend more time doing botanical surveys.

Advice

I recommend applying for internships as soon as possible.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Hydrologic Technician

April 2019 • Cedar City, UT

What I liked

The forest service is a great place to work. My supervisors have been really helpful and have taught me a lot about how things operate on the Forest. I also have enjoyed being able to spend 40 hours every week up in the mountains exploring new places and helping map springs.

What I wish was different

One thing I wish was different is the time I have had to spend imputing data into the computer. It’s not hard, it’s just slow and not very exciting.

Advice

I would say apply for jobs you want even if you feel you are not the most qualified. I didn’t fill qualified for this position, but applied anyway and expressed a willingness to learn.

3 ${count} people found this helpful