Hello all, I've been doing seasonal fieldwork the last 3 years and another option, similar to the desert strategy, is fieldwork in the tropics. I've spent at least part of all my winters, since graduating from undergrad in 2008, working for field ecology research projects in Latin America.
A questions that has been growing in my mind - is there some "point of (almost) no return" of working as a seasonal field tech for too long and narrowing your options for other types of work in the sciences? Especially in the context of applying to graduate programs - can you get too old to be taken seriously? Thanks Erin On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 10:37 AM, Chalfant, Brian <[email protected]>wrote: > An emphatic ditto of the AmeriCorps suggestion - assuming the Corporation > for National and Community Service funding isn't zeroed out. > > An AmeriCorps program helped me personally get into a full-time, year-round > ecology gig, and I know of many others who can say the same; not to mention > education gigs. Plus, you can do a full-year term or two with many > AmeriCorps programs, which can get you through a winter or two. Granted, > you don't make much money with AmeriCorps, but certainly enough to get by > on. And - as Olivia, Susan and Chris point out - you can gain invaluable > experience through many AmeriCorps programs and different programs can open > all kinds of training and networking doors. The education award can help > with paying off student loans or can be applied to future schooling. If > anyone ends up exploring the AmeriCorps route, my only suggestion would be > to really check out the organization you'll be serving with - 99% of the > people I know who've served with AmeriCorps have had fantastic experiences, > but not all - and those few instances had to do with disorganized host > organizations. > > Smiles > => Brian > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto: > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Chris Coxen > Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 10:12 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] What do technicians do in the "off" season? > > > Chiming in to give one more shout out to the AmeriCorps. I graduated in > December '09 with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife and have been > fortunate > to find steady work. While working as a coastal bird tech, I applied to my > current AmeriCorps stewardship position with a non profit in the > Appalachian > mountains. > > While initially being reluctant to sign on for a full year, this job has > turned out to be invaluable for networking and gaining experience with GIS, > writing management plans, and getting an inside look at NGO land > conservation all while spending time outside in beautiful places. > > There are also several stories of AmeriCorps members finding work as a > direct result of the connections they have made. The education award is > just > icing on the cake. > > Also, please sign petitions to keep the AmeriCorps around, they do a huge > service to this country! > > Chris > > On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 8:58 AM, Susan Pienta <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Thank you Olivia for giving a shout-out to AmeriCorps. > > I am currently serving a second term and through AmeriCorps, I have > gained > > skills in GIS, stream and fisheries restoration, grant writing, > prescribed > > burning, among others. > > If you weren't already aware, it is has been proposed to eliminate > funding > > for the corporation for national and community service which includes > > AmeriCorps programs. > > For all of you who have been an AmeriCorps member, have utilized the > skills > > of a member, or just recognize the importance of this program, please > > encourage your congressional representatives to vote no! > > > > Thanks, > > Susan > > On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 1:21 PM, Olivia D. <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > Dear Jason et al., > > > > > > After 10+ years of doing the seasonal field tech thing (including a > > couple > > > after getting my MS), I absolutely echo what Ms. Orling and Ms. > > Weissinger > > > and others have said (there are winter jobs in Arizona and southern > > > California! go travel and volunteer!), but I also want to put in a plug > > for > > > Americorps. Americorps is not just for recent high school or college > > > graduates. The others in my program were well-educated, > well-experienced, > > > entry-level professionals. My Americorps position with a water district > > was > > > an opportunity to hold a lot of responsibility, learn a great deal, and > > > work > > > for a whole continuous year building resume-worthy experience while > > getting > > > a stipend and funds to pay back some school loans. SCA is another good > > > conservation-oriented organization with leadership opportunities. In my > > > opinion, volunteerism gets short shrift in the US, and it's often > > > overlooked > > > by those of us looking for yet another field gig. > > > > > > Olivia > > > > > >
