Req 8 — Choose Your Career Path
8.
Careers. Do ONE of the following:
You must choose exactly one option from this requirement.
This final requirement helps you look past the badge and ask where these skills can lead. One path focuses on a professional career. The other focuses on volunteer service roles that often grow from training, teamwork, and community commitment.
Your Options
- Req 8a — Research an SAR Career: Investigate one real career connected to search and rescue or emergency management, including training, costs, pay, duties, and advancement.
- Req 8b — Volunteer Response Paths: Explore how the badge could prepare you for volunteer work on a disaster relief team, wilderness rescue team, or ski patrol.
How to Choose
Which option fits you best?
Pick the path that matches what you most want to learn
- Choose 8a if: You want to compare job duties, education, salary, and long-term career options.
- Choose 8b if: You want to see how ordinary people grow into skilled volunteers who serve their communities.
- What you gain from 8a: A clearer picture of one profession and the steps needed to enter it.
- What you gain from 8b: A realistic view of service, training, and short-term goals you can start building now.
| Option | Focus | Best for | What you gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8a | Career research | Scouts thinking about jobs and education | A detailed picture of one profession |
| 8b | Volunteer pathways | Scouts interested in service and practical next steps | A plan for building experience over time |
Finish the badge by looking first at the career-research path.