Go beyond what you believe is possible
How Outward Bound Costa Rica is making the most of pura vida and building a global team (with a little help from Jobbatical).
Outward Bound Costa Rica is an organization that provides students with outdoor adventures that build up their intercultural competence, Spanish language, self-awareness and life skills. Their mission is to facilitate personal growth and success in character development, leadership, service and academic achievement.
With a history reaching back more than 70 years, Outward Bound now operates in over 30 countries, offering life-changing journeys to thousands of students every year. They recently signed up on Jobbatical and hired a programs and partnerships manager from France to join their team in Costa Rica. We asked Deb Woolley, Director of Marketing & Communications, about life in that gorgeous Central American country, as well Outward Bound’s mission and their experience with hiring on Jobbatical.
Deb, I saw on your website that your hometown is Long Branch, New Jersey. How did you end up in Costa Rica?
Oh my gosh — I would say my interest in intercultural education came from my time with AFS-USA, an international high school student exchange organization that’s been around for close to 70 years. That’s where I really became passionate about experiential education—it’s not just what happens inside a classroom, but it’s what you learn about yourself; it’s what you learn about the world around you. It’s about becoming more global, learning another language. I’m passionate about all all of that.
I left AFS-USA and went to the National Society of Leadership and Success, because they, too, had a similar mission, this time with university students. That leadership and self-knowledge and world-awareness makes you a more well-rounded person and a better, productive person in the workforce when you graduate from school.
And from there I thought, “You know, it’s about time that I had my own international experience. I’ve traveled a lot, but I’ve never lived in another country.”
I’d always known about Outward Bound, had always wanted to do something like an Outward Bound course, but never did, so — here I am. I’ve just completed my first year.
What is Outward Bound’s mission and what kind of world are you working towards creating?
Outward Bound was formed, or the whole concept was developed, by Kurt Hahn just over 70 years ago. His vision was that there was more to learning than just sitting in a classroom and memorizing books. That learning actually comes when a person pushes their known boundaries and moves beyond what they believe is possible.
Outdoor education is where it really began. It’s a respect for the environment, it’s knowledge about the environment, it’s leadership amongst peers, but it’s also teamwork within a peer structure. It teaches self-reliance, it teaches self-confidence, along with being out in nature and having outdoor experiences.
Why did Outward Bound decide to hire on Jobbatical?
We want a diverse office, and Jobbatical offered us that. That’s important to us. Our students are multicultural and diverse, so I want to be able to reflect that in our office. I had hired my marketing manager last February, and when I wasn’t getting the responses I really wanted from other sites, she told me about Jobbatical. So I took a look at it and I thought, sounds good to me! So I posted the job.
And Jobbatical was a lot of help. When I first posted the job, the responses that I was getting didn’t meet the needs of the job itself, so I contacted Jobbatical and I said, you know, I’m not happy with these responses, what can we do? And so they rewrote the posting for me, and it was a complete change. The responses that I got, the people that applied, really were qualified. So I would recommend Jobbatical to anybody.
Why is Costa Rica a good destination for global talent on the move? What’s the atmosphere like?
Oh my god. Costa Rica is just an amazing, amazing place. From the rainforest and the cloud forest to the beaches—everything is beautiful and clean and pristine. So part of Costa Rica’s allure is its beauty. Not just in the mountains, but also in the beaches and in the rivers. But even more so are the people of Costa Rica. They are so welcoming and so peaceful, and so interested in ecosystems and sustainable farming and preservation of their oceans and their rivers. And they’re so accepting of outsiders. If you choose to come here and live as your native nationality, that’s fine with them. If you choose to come here and live as a Costa Rican, they embrace you wholeheartedly.
Pura vida is not just a marketing term — it’s their way of life.
Pura vida means pure life, and that is how they live. So it’s not just the beauty of the nature, but it’s the people.
What might someone be surprised by when moving to Costa Rica?
The big shock? That you can eat rice and beans every day and still lose weight. That the rainforest and the cloud forest is 55 degrees (Editor’s note: that’s around 12.8 degrees Celsius) at night — it’s cold! — versus the beach that never gets cold. At times the bugs and the spiders can be as big as the palm of your hand, but you learn to live with them, because everything coexists here. The fruits and the vegetables come directly from the farm to your table. I can’t even begin to describe how delicious the food is. Costa Rica needs to be on everybody’s bucket list.
Convinced? We sure are. Outward Bound’s new Jobbatical team member will be joining them later this month. We’ll follow their inspiring story as it unfolds—stay tuned!
Meanwhile, are you looking for a jobbatical of your own? Right this way, please!
Hiring? Looking to add some jobbatical flair to your team? Sign up here!
