5 Jobs if You Can’t Sit Still

Some people just aren’t meant for the 9-to-5 cubicle lifestyle. If the thought of an office job makes you break out in hives and run for the door, consider these five jobs that will get you going and keep you moving.

Get on your feet with 5 active jobs

The jobs below aren’t your standard retail drudgery, and they aren’t for office drones. These careers typically require training and require a lot of energy and commitment every day. If you’re ready to get away from the office for good, take a look at the full-time jobs that get you out of your chair and into the world.

1. Registered nurse

Spend your days making a difference as you break in all your pairs of sensible shoes by becoming a nurse. Registered nurses (RNs) are likely to work long, stressful hours, but for the nurses that love it, no office job can compare to the satisfaction of saving a life. Specialties include geriatric, forensic, trauma and neonatal nursing. Telenurses may even work from home or in a call center, giving patient care remotely.

• Recommended training: This varies depending on your career goals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). An associate degree in nursing can get you started, but a bachelor’s degree in nursing or a specialized master’s degree could open up more career options for a nursing student.

2. Teacher

Some teachers may get summers off, but they are all on their feet for much of the rest of the year in this demanding, essential career. In fact, for those who are looking for a career where they can make a difference in the lives of others, teaching may fit the bill. The chance to change a child’s life for the better is worth all the sore ankles in the world. With the right training, you could be standing in front of a classroom before you know it.

• Recommended training: According to the BLS, a subject-related bachelor’s degree plus certification is generally required to teach through secondary education, though some school systems allow teachers to work with any bachelor’s degree plus certification.

3. Pharmacist

This job has you working on your feet with some of the trappings of an office or laboratory setting. Pharmacists interact with vendors and customers in a retail setting but their real skill is in their precision, math and science skills, and specialty training. Long hours and night shifts may be required, and management skills are a must. These health care workers are typically found in retail and hospital environments, dispensing knowledge to customers along with their daily medicine.

• Recommended training: The BLS states a doctoral degree is required for licensed pharmacists. To work as a pharmacy technician, you may need an associate degree.

4. Conservation scientist

Save the environment as you save yourself every day from eight hours in a cubicle with a career as a conservation scientist. These environmental scientists spend time in the field taking surveys, gathering data and supporting government projects. Most conservation scientists work for the federal, state or local government, according to the BLS, though a select few work for social advocacy groups or consulting services.

• Recommended training: Education varies, but a bachelor’s degree in forestry, agricultural science, rangeland management or environmental science is recommended, depending on your specific career goals.

5. Construction manager

Take charge of residential and commercial building with a hands-on management job that takes you out of the boardroom. While you may spend time at the computer and at meetings, you’ll also don a hardhat and visit job sites. You can even make construction management a green career — many construction managers work retrofitting homes for solar panels and other sustainable technology.

• Recommended training: Bachelor’s or master’s degrees in construction management or MBA degrees may help prepare you for this career, typically along with experience in the construction industry, reports the BLS.

Find a career that keeps you on the move

When you’re spending at least a third of your life at a full-time job, it’s important to love what you do. Think of the careers above and others as a way to blend your active life in with your career future. When you’re out working on your dream job and not staring at the clock at the corner of your computer screen, you might find your work day go even faster.

About the Author:

Mary Fineday is a freelance writer in Los Angeles, Calif. She writes about education, careers and the environment.