How to get a job in fisheries?

How would you guys suggest I approach the tast of getting a job doing something with fish? I am a college student, and while not officially qualified, I am very knowledgeable on the subject and have experience electrofishing as well as other sampling methods.

I currently work for a very small enviromental engineering firm part time, but I need another position. Where/how do you guys think I should try and find a job? I was looking into working for a pond management company(I know, the bad guys.) or aquarium maintance. What would you guys reccomend?

Try contacting a few companies and asking them what they look for in an applicant for X job. Even if they're not hiring right now you'll know what to add to your resume to make yourself a desirable candidate for when they are.

If all else fails, don't do nothing: volunteer.

Caveat:
If you weren't in college right now, that word 'volunteer' right there would instead be 'start your own business'. But fish need permanence and it's understandable if you're moving around a whole bunch what with dorm rooms and summer housing. It's a bit difficult to start your own native fish breeding business when you'll have to move yourself (and your tanks) at least once a year for the next few years. I've been there, so I know how it is. Once I got out of college, I was able to stay in one apartment long enough to make setting up multiple large breeding tanks reasonable. Don't worry, graduation day will come. Then you can breed all the lepomis and heterandria and notropis you want. When you get to that point, send me a private message, and I'll tell you what I've learned first hand about tank setup costs, live food culture, water quality maintenance, online fish auctions, and shipping. Oh the various profitable and nonprofitable fish gambits I've tried. It's a good side job, though, overall, fish breeding.

I'm right there with you. I too am a college student with an interest in a fisheries job. I volunteer with the SC DNR as much as I can to gain experience and references. I check the Texas A&M Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Job Board website as well as the AFS job listing website regularly. These sites don't typically have aquarium jobs, they will occasionally have lake/pond management positions or hatchery positions. Normally, those are for people who already have degrees, but it's worth looking at. They are two of the best websites for wildlife/fisheries job postings out there. They have everything from internships to permanent positions.
I would volunteer with anyone I possibly could. Network. Make connections and get your name out there. Tell people your interests, someone may just send you a job opportunity one day.

The amount, diversity, and level of work experience is of utmost importance now, although the type of work and your professional cieling are limited by how advanced of a degree you acquire. Also, think really hard about just what you mean as far as "fisheries" versus "working with fish". I suggest you volunteer with your regional fisheries biologists to start.

There are plenty of summer internships in state and federal governments, too. This is is what I did while working on my undergrad. It led to eventual graduate school and a degree in fisheries.

While an undergrad, I also worked at a local fish store and did aquarium maintenance on the side. That's a good way to get in that field. I have a friend that went to school (in the UK) until he was 16, and now makes six digits cleaning fish tanks and breeding fish. I prefer to make peanuts studying wild fish.

Thanks for the info guys. To be more specific about what I'm looking for, I really just want a job that has something to do with the outdoors and isn't flipping burgers or selling coffee. I currently assist an enviromental engineer in the field, doing the dirty work and I was hoping to find something similar in fisheries. Something that wouldn't require a degree, but that my experience would help with. Everybody's right about volunteering, while I don't have the time to do that much now, I have volunteered in the past for the state, universities as well as other less "fishy" private organizations that do work outdoors.

Unless you are talking about a summer technician or internship where you are holding bucket and maybe a net (more of the dirty work you are currently doing) "something in fisheres and doesn't require a degree" are not really compatible. We routinely have people with advanced degrees applying to temporary jobs with minimum requirements of a bachelors or less.

Unless you are talking about a summer technician or internship where you are holding bucket and maybe a net (more of the dirty work you are currently doing) "something in fisheres and doesn't require a degree" are not really compatible. We routinely have people with advanced degrees applying to temporary jobs with minimum requirements of a bachelors or less.

Yeah, "holding a bucket and maybe a net" is pretty much what I'm looking for. More of what I do now would be great, but my job isn't that good! haha I mostly just dig holes in the ground for soil samples, do paperwork and navagate.

Yeah, "holding a bucket and maybe a net" is pretty much what I'm looking for. More of what I do now would be great, but my job isn't that good! haha I mostly just dig holes in the ground for soil samples, do paperwork and navagate.

It could be worse, you could be in your position in the groundwater sampling end of the biz! I used to help out sampling by bailing monitoring wells manually. Some of them were almost 200' deep. I still get cramps in my shoulders thinking about it!

Unless you are talking about a summer technician or internship where you are holding bucket and maybe a net (more of the dirty work you are currently doing) "something in fisheres and doesn't require a degree" are not really compatible. We routinely have people with advanced degrees applying to temporary jobs with minimum requirements of a bachelors or less.

This is spot on. I lucked out and got a permanent position a couple of years ago (even before fully completing grad school, which is done now). It's been extremely competitive for a few years even to get tech jobs and entry biologist jobs. Out here in LA, marine fisheries in my office has two people with master's degrees in temp positions. It's very rough, and if you want to get in fisheries these days, you need a degree (or degrees) and experience. People are applying for jobs that they are overqualified (sometimes ridiculously so) for all over the place. One thing I've noticed is that when you look at the minimum job requirements for a position, bump it up a level to see what education level will probably be hired. Sometimes experience with less education can surpass someone a little greener with advanced degrees, but I'd say that situation is an exception these days.

A couple of years ago, positions I was applying for often had 50-100 applicants. The job I landed had 62. It's cutthroat, and unless you really stand out, your application will be tossed. The type of job it seems like your looking for sounds like an internship (many of which are paid). They do want students with a major and future in the field for those spots.

Edited by rjmtx, 21 March 2013 - 09:15 PM.