Dear Heather, When I ask the students who want to do MSc with me where they want to be in 5 years, what the student wants in many cases is a professionally rewarding career. Which is much larger space than 'wildlife manager' or 'research prof.' That larger space is often a sequence of positions, includes consulting firm, teaching at community college, going off to teach in Qatar, corporate position (green them from inside), and state and federal agencies beyond just the wildlife division.
An example I can give you, among many, is a student who did MSc with me, worked for NGO in Labrador, then with Nature Conservancy, and is now with the provincially regulated electrical power provider (think hydro and minimizing environmental impacts of the electricity that makes our lives possible). Ecolog is a wonderful source of professionally rewarding positions because of its size. Ask yourself where you want to be, and cast your net as wide as you can, including Ecolog. Masters degree has become entry standard for many positions. It is not the only route to professionally rewarding career in your area of interest, as I know from the careers of several people I know, now in their 20s and 30s. You might want to think about casting your net wide to paid position outside academia or state agency or NGO, and use the time to decide on non-profit management masters program. Best, David S. http://www.mun.ca/biology/dschneider/ Quoting "Watson, Heather ([email protected])" <[email protected]>: > Dear Fellow Eco-loggers, > > I am desperately seeking advice. I am a recent graduate (degree in ecology > and conservation biology with a minor in wildlife) who participated in campus > clubs, volunteered, worked as a biology lab TA, ran my own research project, > and maintained a decent GPA. I am trying to make my big break into the "real > world" and have found it to be harsh and full of rejection. I am trying to > work towards a non-profit management position and am unsure how to further my > progress. My thought is to go into a non-profit management masters program, > however I would like to get more career experience first. Therefore, I am > asking the skilled professionals of the eco-log world to give me their best > advice on what kind of job I should be looking for now. As well as any > suggestions for making a resume and cover letter that would make you want to > hire someone. Someone online videos suggest making them visually different by > adding a picture or color and I felt that seemed unprofessional. How does a > recent graduate like myself make it through the minefield of the job market > into landing an interview and hopefully a meaningful job? > > Sincerely, > > A stressed graduate > Any much appreciated responses can be sent to [email protected]. Thank > you very much for your time and consideration. > ? >
