This is good to know!! I'm hoping to defend my MS thesis in summer 2012. I decided to join the workforce instead of following up a PhD after defending. Now I know what to expect.
On Sun, Feb 13, 2011 at 7:54 PM, Josh Brinks <[email protected]> wrote: > I dealt with the same issue for 3 years in-between undergrad and grad > school. I spent two Michigan winters mowing down invasives for the Nature > Conservancy in areas not as accessible during the summer, but it was > miserable work most of the time. If I was lucky they would save 4-6 weeks > worth of funding from my summer job at MNFI for me to count tree rings and > process samples we collected during the summer. The other times were spent > waiting tables and working my high school job at a record shop. > > Those times were nerve wrecking as funding was only guaranteed for a few > months at a time if I was lucky. In my experience, exhibiting a good skill > set (field botany, sampling procedure) and an eagerness to work long days > in > terrible weather seemed to result in off season funding and having your > name > passed on to other agencies. > > Josh Brinks (SERC) > > > On Sun, Feb 13, 2011 at 6:36 PM, Ruchira Datta <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > I just wanted to say how much I admire the dedication of you and the > other > > seasonal technicians who've responded to wildlife / conservation biology. > > Thank you for keeping up the good work! > > > > --Ruchira > > > > On Sun, Feb 13, 2011 at 12:15 PM, Merran <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > It's so nice to hear from other seasonal technicians! I work as a > plant > > > technician and as much as I love winter, it can be a problem. After > > > college, I was able to find an awesome job working year-round in > Western > > > Washington -- it was a revegetation job and we spent our winters > > > planting. Another good place to look for a year-round job is in the > > > desert. I spent some time volunteering in Joshua Tree earlier this > > winter > > > and loved it, and I think they spend their February's pulling Sahara > > > Mustard > > > (a horrible weed). I've also seen that some National Parks will give > you > > > free board in exchange for volunteering. > > > > > > I began working seasonally last summer because I wanted to travel and > > work > > > in new plant communities (incidentally, I worked in Utah and a common > > > offseason job there was ski instructing). Being unemployed can really > > get > > > you down, so I would recommend volunteering whenever you have a break > -- > > > although the temping idea is a pretty good one. Thanks Zuri! This > > winter > > > I've been collecting unemployment and volunteering, and it's so much > > > fun. I'm currently helping out at a nonprofit that does environmental > > > education -- another type of year-round work. > > > > > > Merran Owen > > > > > >
