We have just finished an instructor development course (IDC) here on the west coast of Mexico and the excited new instructors are traveling to far flung places in search of getting jobs as instructors. These flights have to be paid for out of their own pocket, which is fine, but often you arrive at the destination, ready to start working, only to find someone else got to the job! Some are flying to the other side of the world hoping to find employment wherever they land. This is a risky thing to do, but it often pays off if your homework is done ahead of time. Arriving somewhere in low season or rainy season is not the best thing to do.
There are always jobs to be found, even in a recession, divers will always find the money necessary to fulfil the need to dive. Crazy, but true! PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) had their most successful year during the recession in the early 2000´s, and it doesn´t seem to be any different now. Looking forward to the freedom, a round of golf, a ski down the black run or diving in the ocean, gives you release and motivation. What life is all about!!
I had it fairly easy when I started off as I was offered a job teaching at the college I trained at. Little did I know I would be working 6 and a half days a week doing 16 hours days, but I sure did learn my trade. Through this job, we were offered a job in Borneo with a $200 bonus if we could get there within the week! What a bonus when the flights cost $800 each. This was a new company, so we had nothing to do when we arrived, therefore earned nothing for the first, 3 months until our marketing paid off and we became busy. Here again, we worked 6 days a week and dived 3 or 4 times a day, but this was fun as the diving terrific . Living on a tiny island with a poor diet and no electricity makes you crave civilisation, but thankfully we had great guests who made our evenings fun. I swear if I hear someone playing Beatles medleys badly on a guitar again I will, well, swear! It was all helped by us managing to smuggle in some local rum to ease the guitar pain. Maybe I should have done some research about living on a dry island.
A lot of instructors teach all day, and then take their guests out in the evening, which is tough. Getting up at 6am with a hangover to haul tanks is not a lot of fun. But, we all do it for the buzz of teaching guests to dive, showing them the wonders of the ocean and sharing our passion.
We are in a nice position now though, setting up our own business, so if it all works as planned, we will employ staff to work with us, and take life a little easier.
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