If I may add to the list of resources for internships, check out: http://thesca.org/serve/internships
I have found the volunteer work I did with the Student Conservation Association as a recent grad to be invaluable to my career. > Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:26:25 -0500 > From: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Advice for a sub-qualified postgrad looking for > ecology experience? > To: [email protected] > > Kevin, and other undergraduates or recent graduates looking for an internship: > > I have mentored quite a few students who have had a similar experience to > yours. The problem is not class-work or motivation, it's lack of field > experience. I always tell my students to start small. Apply to the short (3-6 > months) opportunities, especially near your home base. You should be able to > find something that pays a small stipend or housing & living expenses. What > you need is for a field-work supervisor to vouch for the things that aren't > on your grade transcript or application cover letter: how hard you work, how > comfortable your are in the field, how well you are at solving problems, how > well you communicate to the research team and the public, how comfortable you > are working & living with others, how responsive you are to the directions & > criticism of the supervisor, how well you follow protocols, and whether you > seek clarification or make suggestions when protocols are unclear or > problematic. Sometimes, other skills are relevant (ability to drive a 4-wheel > drive, repair a vehicle, navigate, cook). > > You won't get a dream job studying zebra in Tanzania until you have a lot of > experience. But I have seen some of my recent graduate s work up to that > level, by starting small and taking progressively longer term and more > challenging field research positions. > > As an annotated links guide to looking for internship and research positions, > I humbly suggest this web page: > http://people.clarkson.edu/~tlangen/joblinks.htm > <http://people.clarkson.edu/~tlangen/joblinks.htm> . > > Good Luck! > > > Tom Langen > > Associate Professor > Departments of Biology & Psychology > Clarkson University > > Box 5805, Clarkson U., Potsdam NY 13699-5805 > Phone: 315 268 7933, Fax: 315 268 7118 > www.clarkson.edu/~tlangen <http://www.clarkson.edu/~tlangen> > > ________________________________ > > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on behalf of Kevin > Neal > Sent: Wed 12/9/2009 1:14 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Advice for a sub-qualified postgrad looking for ecology > experience? > > > > Hi all, > > Apologies in advance if this gets long-winded. > > I'm becoming increasingly anxious as opportunities for field > internships/assistantships are posted here and elsewhere. I graduated in May > from Brown with a BS in Geology-Biology (one degree); my main focus was > geology, but in my senior year I decided to shift focus to > ecology/evolutionary biology. With a year left to graduate, and myself > already deeply involved in a project in paleoclimatology in Brown's Geology > department, I didn't have much opportunity to get field or research > experience in ecology. I was able to take a fair amount of coursework, > including the intros to ecology and evolutionary biology, a rigorous 5- > person seminar in behavioral ecology, plant physiological ecology, and > vertebrate comparative biology. Additionally, this summer I took an animal > behavior field course at the Southwestern Research Station, and a field > conservation biology course through University of Montana. And somewhat > related, I did geology field camp last summer, so I am familiar with the > rigors of fieldwork in general. > > But is this enough? After being turned down for a few positions this past > summer, I decided to enroll in these latter two courses hoping to fill my > assumed gaps in knowledge and field experience. I worry, though, that the > gap in experience remains, and that it will prevent me from getting the > research exposure I need to get into a strong graduate program. > > My interest in and motivation to do ecology research and fieldwork, > especially in the areas of community ecology, behavioral ecology, and > evolutionary ecology, is exceedingly high. But with seemingly so few spots > for assistants and interns on projects, it seems all too likely that I'll be > overlooked for applicants with more field experience. Of course, there is > the option of volunteering, but in this big bad economy as a postgraduate, I > don't know if I can realistically do that. > > I know this is a little nebulous, but I suppose I'm just asking for general > advice for applying for fieldwork or graduate school with my credentials, or > if anyone knows of any groups, agencies, or programs that would sympathize > with my situation and be willing to take on an "untested" young researcher > in ecology. > > Thanks, > Kevin
