Wondering Why Become a Tree Surgeon? -
The DTE Academy
Some people are born to be tree surgeons, for others it’s a decision they arrive at over time. The biggest hurdle most of these late bloomers face is answering the simple question: “Why become a tree surgeon?” It is, after all, an uncommon career path and not one that will have a person navigating the corridors of power. There are, however, a slew of good reasons to become a tree surgeon which we will get into now.
Why Become a Tree Surgeon? Here’s Why:
1. You’ll help make the world a better place - Tree surgeons spend all their time looking after the health of trees great and small, even historic trees that have important roles to play in local and national history. As a tree surgeon, your job will be to help our arboreal friends navigate the many challenges of the 21st century while maintaining the beauty and charm of the British landscape.
2. You enjoy fresh air every day - Some people enjoy the atmosphere of the office, others see it as a kind of prison. If you are the latter type you will love working as a tree surgeon. You are constantly outdoors amidst the splendour of nature, breathing fresh air, hearing the birds sing, and soaking in the sunshine. In some ways, it's like being on one long holiday.
3. You won’t be stuck in one place - Whether you work in an office, a restaurant, a clothing store or a factory you spend most of your waking life in one place, dealing with the same people. When you work as a tree surgeon you are almost never in the same place twice. One day you may be working on a large estate, the next day you may be felling a tree in a park, and the day after that you might be pruning trees on a country lane.
4. It’s an amazing workout - Scaling and felling trees and pruning branches high above the ground is a tremendous workout. You will need to be in shape to become a tree surgeon, but the job itself will probably improve your conditioning in ways you never imagined.
5. It Will Keep Your Mind Sharp Too – When people think about what tree surgeons do for a living every day, they tend to focus on the physical aspects of the job, as we have also done up until this point. However, if you decide to become a tree surgeon in the UK, you can also look forward to a decent mental workout every day. Every job you undertake will need to be carefully planned and sometimes you will have to exercise your diagnostic skills to figure out why a particular specimen is struggling. Solving each problem you encounter (and preparing for each new job) will be a satisfying mental exercise and could help to ensure that you remain sharp as a tack for many years to come.
6. Job Security – Barring a global climate catastrophe on a scale that we have never witnessed before, you can rely on there always being trees that need your expert attention in the future.
This fact alone makes tree surgery one of the safer careers to pursue as far as job security is concerned. As long as you conduct yourself in an ethical manner at all times and learn your trade well, you can look forward to many years of well-paid work in your new profession.
7. Opportunity to Start Your Own Business – Becoming a tree surgeon is a great idea if you like the idea of running your own business. Once you have established yourself as a reliable professional who knows exactly what he or she is doing, you will be in an excellent position to think about setting up on your own. With your own business, you can build a great future for yourself (and for your family), with no limit to what you could earn. You will need to learn some new skills so you can manage your business effectively but this should be well within your capabilities if you are properly motivated.
Qualities That Make for A Good Tree Surgeon
Unfortunately, not everyone is cut out to be a tree surgeon. Even some folks who think they would enjoy the work end up crashing out when faced with the reality of the job. In the interest of perhaps saving you some time we've compiled the following list of the personal qualities we at Tree Care Training believe are important for tree surgeons to have.
You should be physically fit: There is no way around this one. You'll be spending much of your time as a tree surgeon climbing and descending trees carrying equipment like chainsaws. You simply will not be able to do that if you are out of shape.
You should have no fear of heights: If you are afraid of heights you will have a very hard time climbing trees or working in the canopy. It is essential for tree surgeons to be cool, calm and collected at all times, which can't happen if the person is afraid of heights.
You should have a love of the outdoors: You're going to be outdoors most of the time, where the weather will not always be great and you are likely to encounter many types of animals, insects and birds. If you're not a nature lover you may have a problem with that.
You should be a good communicator: When working with other tree surgeons outdoors and at height it is essential that all communications be clear and easily understood. A failure to communicate clearly could lead to oversights or accidents.
A modicum of toughness: Toughness is an important quality for a tree surgeon. The weather can turn on you quickly and you cannot always abandon what you're doing. You may also encounter snakes, large beetles, bats and other types of wildlife and you must stay calm during the encounter.
You should work well with others: Yes, many tree surgeons exude a certain amount of rugged individualism. But that cannot interfere with their ability to work well with others. It is important that everyone on the team know and trust one another without question.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss your future as a tree surgeon with a member of our team, or enrol on one of our courses.