Hey Heather, After I graduated from Oberlin College, I was lucky enough to get a summer internship and then a job afterwards, but I have to say that the best life policy for me so far has been "Spray and Pray<http://www.aphotoeditor.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/spraytshirt.jpg >." You might not get the job that you initially hoped for - but I don't think anybody really does. Anything that sounds remotely interesting just apply for, which is pretty much what I did. Eventually, something will come along.
I think too many people don't find work because they're just too picky about what positions they think they're interested in (don't know if this is the case for you). Pretty much any work experience will likely be helpful when you apply for a masters program, given it's in a somewhat related field. And you might be surprised by what you end up liking, and if you need to quit then don't worry about it - most people will understand if you say you have to leave a job because it isn't the right fit for you. What you may find, though, is that one thing will lead to another. Also, I actually have a visual/artistic/creative resume which has actually helped me out a lot. I think it's still quite professional, and I modeled it off of a popular type of figure used by geologists. I've been told that it was "the most interesting resume" people had ever seen and definitely helped me to the shortlist for research techs at a couple of top research universities. (And besides, I decided I didn't want to work for someone who wasn't going to value my creativity and way of thinking anyway, so having a visual/artistic resume was a way for me to vet my employers/potential advisers!) All in all, though, the most important part of any application are your references/recommenders as well as your professional network so really cultivate those. Word of mouth is often the most effective way to finding work; you just need to get into the right circles. If you're at a loss for what to do, start joining professional biological/wildlife societies near you and go to their events (ESA chapters for instance) - volunteer at places, zoos, museums, and talk to the PhDs who are professionals there. One of them may have a lead that you can follow! If you do good work with them, even volunteer work, that may prove to other potential employers that you're a good hire. Good luck, Angus On Thu, Mar 6, 2014 at 9:36 AM, Angus R. Chen <[email protected]>wrote: > Hey Heather, > > I graduated from Oberlin probably the same time that you finished at Idaho > (2013?). I guess I would say I was lucky enough to get a summer internship > and then a job afterwards, but I have to say that the best life policy for > me so far has been "Spray and > Pray<http://www.aphotoeditor.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/spraytshirt.jpg>." > You might not get the job that you initially hoped for - but I don't think > anybody really does. Anything that sounds remotely interesting just apply > for, which is pretty much what I did. Eventually, something will come > along. > > I think too many people don't find work because they're just too picky > about what positions they think they're interested in (don't know if this > is the case for you). Pretty much any work experience will likely be > helpful when you apply for a masters program, given it's in a somewhat > related field. And you might be surprised by what you end up liking, and > if you need to quit then don't worry about it - most people will understand > if you say you have to leave a job because it isn't the right fit for you. > What you may find, though, is that one thing will lead to another. > > Also, I actually have a visual/artistic/creative resume which has actually > helped me out a lot. I think it's still quite professional, and I modeled > it off of a popular type of figure used by geologists. I've been told that > it was "the most interesting resume" people had ever seen and definitely > helped me to the shortlist for research techs at a couple of top research > universities. (And besides, I decided I didn't want to work for someone who > wasn't going to value my creativity and way of thinking anyway, so having a > visual/artistic resume was a way for me to vet my employers/potential > advisers!) > > All in all, though, the most important part of any application are your > references/recommenders as well as your professional network so really > cultivate those. Word of mouth is often the most effective way to finding > work; you just need to get into the right circles. If you're at a loss for > what to do, start joining professional biological/wildlife societies near > you and go to their events (ESA chapters for instance) - volunteer at > places, zoos, museums, and talk to the PhDs who are professionals there. > One of them may have a lead that you can follow! If you do good work with > them, even volunteer work, that may prove to other potential employers that > you're a good hire. > > Good luck, > Angus > > > On Thu, Mar 6, 2014 at 12:17 AM, David Schneider > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> 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. >> > ? >> > >> > > > > -- > -- > Twitter: @angRchen > Website: angusrchen.blogspot.com > -- -- Twitter: @angRchen Website: angusrchen.blogspot.com
