The full guide · 12 chapters · PDF + job tracker

How to get hired on a wildland fire crew with no experience

Last October I applied with a farm job and rowing on my résumé. In May I started on a Forest Service engine crew in Montana. This guide is every step I took, what I wish I'd known, and what hotshot crew leaders and a former smokejumper told me.

You also get a tracker for every job you apply to, with the phone number of every Forest Service station in the towns you pick.

The call is 30 minutes, just you and Graham. On its own it's $37, so the $97 version saves $19. Checkout by Stripe. You get the PDF and the tracker right after you pay.

The hiring window is short

Most entry-level seasonal jobs post on USAJOBS in late October and stay open about two weeks. In 2026 it's October 30 to November 12. Then the stations start calling. Chapter 4 has the whole calendar, and your account keeps your applications and calls in one place.

What's inside

1 Who this guide is for. Students, people changing careers, and veterans: where to start.
2 What the job actually is. One real day on a fire, the crew types, and every word you'll hear your first week.
3 Why people stick with it. The crew, the places, and what one summer did for me.
4 How hiring actually works. The month-by-month calendar, what to apply to, and word-for-word scripts for calling stations.
5 Your résumé and the hiring call. How to check that you qualify, my real résumé, and the questions to ask before you say yes.
6 Getting physically ready. The pack test, what crew leaders told me to train for, and a 12-week plan.
7 Gear. What they give you, what you buy, six fire boots compared, and the $500 boot reimbursement.
8 Choosing where to work. How to pick your 10 towns and find the station behind each one.
9 Your first weeks on a crew. From the offer to week three: housing, rookie training, and the first fire call.
10 Money, explained. My real paychecks, line by line: two quiet weeks at the station next to two weeks on a fire.
11 For your parents. The real safety numbers, and what keeps crews safe. Written to them.
12 Where this can take you. Year two, the paths up, and how to set it up during your first season.

The job tracker

The guide tells you to apply to a lot of jobs and call every station. The tracker keeps all of it in one place.

✓Save any job to your account from our jobs page. Click "I applied" when you do, and it keeps the date.
✓Get the station phone numbers. Every Forest Service station on each job you save shows up with its number, all on one page. You don't have to look each one up.
✓Log every call. Who you talked to, what they said, when to call back. When an unknown number calls in January, you'll know who it is.
✓Keep notes on each job. They stay after the job closes on USAJOBS.

Who wrote it

I'm Graham. I'm a college student, and I got hired on a Forest Service engine crew in Montana with no fire experience. I worked the summer of 2026, and I'm going back next summer.

Everything I did to get hired is in the guide. For the rest, I went to hotshot crew leaders, a former smokejumper, and the official Forest Service and OPM rules.

Graham in fire clothes holding a hand tool

Me, summer 2026.

What people say after talking with Graham

“Talking with Graham was super helpful, he explained the hiring process and how to successfully reach out to fire crews. He is very knowledgeable on the different paths to becoming a Wildland firefighter and answered all my questions.”

Will C., after a 1-on-1 call with Graham. September 2026.

“Clear up a ton of questions and got me so excited to start applying!”

Mason G., 5 of 5 stars, after Graham's hiring webinar. October 2026.

Questions

How is this different from the free mini-guide?

The free mini-guide is about 900 words: the pay math, what to apply to, and why you call. This is the full version, about 30,000 words, with the scripts, my résumé, my paychecks, and the tracker.

Do I need fire experience?

No. Entry-level crews train you after you're hired, on the clock. The guide shows how to check that you qualify with the jobs you've already had.

Can parents buy it?

Parents are welcome to buy it. Chapter 11 is written to parents: the real safety numbers, and what keeps crews safe.

The call is 30 minutes, just you and Graham. On its own it's $37, so the $97 version saves $19. Checkout by Stripe. You get the PDF and the tracker right after you pay.

Already bought it? Sign in.

Not ready to buy? Start with the free mini-guide.

Drop your email. Get the free guide.

Inside: the pay breakdown, a resume template, a training plan for the fitness (pack) test, and the hiring timeline.

100% free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.