What Type Of Person Thrives In The State Parks Industry, According To A California State Park Interpreter At CA State Parks
California State Park Interpreters who thrive enjoy interacting with the public; while an extroverted personality can be beneficial given the frequent public speaking involved ("I had about a hundred people join me"), the ability to connect with audiences is a skill that can be developed, as demonstrated by Michelle's own career trajectory.
Communication, Public Speaking, Extroversion, Environmental Education, Interpersonal Skills
Advizer Information
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Job Title
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Undergrad
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Michelle Claassen
California State Park Interpreter (Naturalist)
CA State Parks
Cuesta College and Liberty University
Communications
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Government & Public Sector
Climate, Environment and Sustainability
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Enjoys interacting with people and is comfortable speaking to groups.
2. Extroversion is helpful but not essential; diverse personalities are valued.
3. Public speaking skills are a significant part of the job but can be developed over time.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
Those who thrive in this industry are those who genuinely enjoy and love people in general. Being extroverted can make the role a little easier.
However, everyone in my office has different personalities. The people I reach with my extroverted personality might be different from those my coworkers can reach. You don't have to be an extrovert to be in my role.
It can help in certain situations because we do talk to groups of people. I recently gave a program to about a hundred people. You have to be able to speak to the public.
This can be a learned skill. When I started, I didn't like speaking in front of people, but now it's one of my favorite things to do. So don't let that deter you. It is a significant part of the job, and you will learn this skill, which is exciting.
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