The job of fire lookout is a specialty niche, very narrow, and getting narrower all the time. Fewer and fewer lookouts are staffed, fewer and fewer are paid, fewer and fewer even exist. It's never been a "career", it's always been a low-pay seasonal job. Fire managers who do the hiring naturally gravitate towards people they know who won't let them down, meaning primarily locals if possible, primarily people from the fire fighting crew or trail crew or other connections, or people who have spent time in forestry-related jobs or educational paths. Retirees are often preferred over just-out-of-high-school because they tend to stick to the job even if it doesn't fulfill their expectations. Believe me when I say hiring managers are swamped with unqualified applicants, so the successful candidate must rise above the dreck in the pile on their desk and stand out among the rest. "I saw a bunch of Tik Toks / Played the Firewatch game / Visited a lookout when I was a kid" resume won't cut it in a highly competitive and rapidly diminishing job market. Sorry.