Those Vacation Jobs 6: Voluntary Environmental Work

For a year or two the paid vacation job lost its attraction and I discovered voluntary work. By definition it didn't help your dwindling bank account but with luck you could boost your skills, do something very interesting and make some life-long buddies.

For a couple of summers I ran projects around the UK: small teams repairing archaeological sites which were being destroyed by erosion (weather and/or human) or the burrowing of wild-life. A range of skills from fencing to cooking to leadership needed to be learnt and learnt quickly. Every week I would pick up a new bunch of volunteers whose passion for the cause and the tolerance of cold, wet, hard ground and long hours constantly impressed me.

Those summers I really discovered we all need a cause to do our best work.

Those Vacation Jobs, 1: Picking Grapes in France

Those Vacation Jobs, 2: The Bakery and The Fish & Chip Shop

Those Vacation Jobs, 3: Head of Sales, Zenith Science Magazine

Those Vacation Jobs, 4: The All-Night Cleaning Team

Those Vacation Jobs, 5: Stacking Boxes, Filling Shelves