Post Course - Outward Bound

Just finished your OB course? Congratulations! You're now part of a prestigious group of over 70,000 OB alumni who have undertaken the life-changing journey to Anakiwa.

No doubt you're enjoying seeing family again and relishing in life's luxuries like sleep-ins and dry shoes! It's pretty sweet, isn't it?

However, completing your OB course is just the beginning of your development journey. The values you learn at Outward Bound will remain with you for life. Keeping those values front of mind in every day life can be challenging. We've come up with a few tools for you to utilitse once you return home.

In your community

Volunteering

Engaging in social good for your community is a key aspect of the Outward Bound kaupapa – Āwina mai, Āwina atu - to give and receive service.

Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) is an association of volunteer centres and national organisations with a commitment to volunteering. They promote, support, represent and encourage volunteering in Aotearoa. Head to the VNZ website for details about your local volunteer contact centre and a list of volunteer opportunity websites including Seek Volunteer, Do Good Jobs, BeCollective and Collaborate.

Volunteering in your community also further strengthens the vital soft skills you developed on your course. More and more employers are looking for candidates who have volunteering history which demonstrates real-life experience and transferable skills for the workplace.

So remember to include your volunteering experience on your CV and refer to the unique skills you have acquired from the experience.

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Employment

Put OB On Your CV

If you’ve been on Outward Bound, but you haven’t put it on your CV, then you might be missing a trick in differentiating yourself from your competition in the job market.

That’s what the latest research from the NZAGE suggests. Their research revealed it’s extremely important to continue to be involved in extracurricular activities after high school. They also found employers seek multi-dimensional people who are resilient and adaptable in the ever-changing working environment.

We picked the brains of some of NZ’s largest graduate employers to find what they look for in candidates, watch the video and find out!

Pulling Everything Together

So you've got your new skills from Outward Bound and a slick Social Resume with Be Collective - now what?

Here are a couple of handy resources to help you compile your new skills into a polished CV and helpful tips to help nail that upcoming job interview!

CV template

Tips for interviews

OB Champions

OB Champions all over the country are passing on the torch and working hard to make Outward Bound a reality for someone just like you.

And you can do it too. Be a champion for someone else. Someone who feels unsure of their future, or struggles to believe in themselves, but has hope that Outward Bound could change their life.

Sign up for an event or challenge, set up and customise your page, share it with family and friends and start raising funds for OB.

Your donation will help make Outward Bound a reality for someone just like you.

Become an OB Champion

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OB Champion - Maddy Whittaker

Independent research conducted by Research NZ illustrates the many valuable long-term impacts of an Outward Bound course for the individual, at school, in the workplace and within the community;

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Inspiring Alumni Stories

As you no doubt witnessed from your own watchmates, OB brings out the best in people in many different ways. Our OB alumni are constantly inspiring us with their stories of service and compassion post-course.

Make sure you look out for our ‘Inspiring Alumni’ stories in My Watchmates and consider becoming an OB Champion if providing someone else with the gift of an OB experience is something you’d like to do.

How an Outward Bound Experience Inspired a Lawyer to Partnership

Sarah Scott, a partner at the Simpson Grierson law firm in Christchurch, completed an Outward Bound Professional course in 2014. As she explains, her experience in Anakiwa has filtered into and influenced many aspects of her professional life. Read more

Life After OB - Keeping the Momentum

Before Outward Bound I wanted to change. I lacked direction and was in a stressful place. During Outward Bound, I flourished and discovered the ways I wanted to grow. Here's my personal account of OB and my life afterwards. Read more

Going the Extra Mile

Wellingtonian Breanna Ward swam the Strait in 7hours 26mins on Saturday 1st December, 2018 to raise funds for the Outward Bound Champion programme. We caught up with Breanna to chat about the swim and what she's planning next. Read more