Edited by bumpylemon, 15 May 2010 - 09:18 PM.
Career Paths
Started by
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, May 15 2010 09:18 PM
6 replies to this topic
#1
Guest_bumpylemon_*
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Posted 15 May 2010 - 09:18 PM
I am 27 and I do not have my bachelors degree yet. I got a good job so therefore never finished my college. My family has been telling me i should do something with the fisheries or of that nature. they know i care about our nature and our fish to the point where i collect hours a day after a full day of work. so my question is what are some of the degrees i could get? or career i could pursue. i know some of you work in the industry and was wondering what direction i should take. is a bachelors enough? is masters preferred? what are the job opportunities? maybe i could go "shadow" someone on the job for a few days and see what its like and to see if thats something i would be interested in. thanks!
#2
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
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Posted 15 May 2010 - 10:55 PM
When I graduated college with a BA in biology I applied for as many wildlife and fisheries job I could find including working at a fish hatchery. This was ten years ago when the job market was good. Needless to say I am stuck in a dead end job that needs no education.
To quote what a professor told me ten years ago "A bachelors degree is worth what a high school diploma was ten years ago".
I wish their were fisheries job openings around here.
To quote what a professor told me ten years ago "A bachelors degree is worth what a high school diploma was ten years ago".
I wish their were fisheries job openings around here.
#3
Guest_ashtonmj_*
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Posted 16 May 2010 - 07:22 AM
I've been wanting to write a "so you want a job with fish" article for AC for about two years now. There is also one nice thread about undergraduate biological degrees from about a year or so ao somewhere on the forum. We also have several current, prospective, and recent graduates of undergraduate and graduate school, as well as a few professors, unfortunately starting that article is far down my list of things to do. The most important thing I think anyone should consider when they consider a new, and especially a career move, into something like native fish is that are you willing for it to become a job. More specifically, are you ready to not enjoy aspects of a position that comes with said job. You may absolutely love being outside, netting fish, studying them, etc. but field work is not a year round thing, things eventually have to be written up, there is always paperwork, unfunded from the beaurocratic top drop everything mandates, lack of funding, etc. that can really eat away at the love you have for the 'job'. I'd imagine 1/4 of my job are things that absolutely drive me nuts and as resource agencies are reduced in size and funding it will likely only increase. For example Maryland DNR has had 40% of its budget cut over the past 3 years and I've lost track of the number of positions. The hilarious thing is that while many positions are cut, many are filled through quasi-state agencies or USDA coop centers that chage outrageous overhead, but they technically are not state positions, so the size of the work force is "reduced". My simplest answer is really think if you want this to be a job, or a hobby, because it tarnishes its purity once it is a job, trust me it will. Then consider the educational requirements that you'll likely need and options. A bachelors for nearly everything in fisheries is not enough unless you are okay with lower level technican jobs as a career; a masters with accompanying experience is preferred. Regardless of what you decide I suggest volunteering with a program or project or a variety. A one or two day shadow is quite burdensome for the shadowee.
#5
Guest_darter1_*
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Posted 17 May 2010 - 07:57 AM
I totally agree Matt! I graduated with a BS and had been working as a seasonal with the State (PA) while finishing my degree (5yrs ago). I thought I would be a shoe-in. No such luck. Now I have been doing the same seasonal job for far too long and still waiting for the long-term position in the field I love. It seems like it is completely possible to get a full-time job (within a State agency) with just a BS in biology, aquatic ecology or something similar... but... The "ceiling" is going to be lower, and there will not be as much potential for promotion over the long-haul. Federal jobs are very tough to get without a MS or PHD right now.
And, as was previously mentioned, the political and paperwork side of fisheries work can wear a person down. It is one thing to love collecting fish... but the science/agency procedures is a horse of a different color altogether. Fortunatly, I still love the job I have... even with the monotonous side.
Good Luck
Tim
And, as was previously mentioned, the political and paperwork side of fisheries work can wear a person down. It is one thing to love collecting fish... but the science/agency procedures is a horse of a different color altogether. Fortunatly, I still love the job I have... even with the monotonous side.
Good Luck
Tim
#6
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 17 May 2010 - 08:50 PM
More specifically, are you ready to not enjoy aspects of a position that comes with said job. You may absolutely love ...but... things eventually have to be written up, there is always paperwork, unfunded from the beaurocratic top drop everything mandates, lack of funding, etc. that can really eat away at the love you have for the 'job'. I'd imagine 1/4 of my job are things that absolutely drive me nuts and as... (companies) are reduced in size... it will likely only increase. For example (my company) has had 40% of its budget cut over the past 3 years and I've lost track of the number of positions. The hilarious thing is that while many positions are cut, many are filled through (contractors) that charge outrageous overhead, but they technically are not (c0mpany) positions, so the size of the work force is "reduced".
Matt, I slightly modified your comments, and now they are true for any job in manufacturing, engineering, computers, or most other industries. All jobs are jobs... I love engineering, but much of my job is now as you describe... it is really just the nature of work. So there is really nothing so pure as a "fun every day, every minute job". This important part is not trying to put up with the 1/4, everyone has to, it is making sure that you really love the 3/4.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#7
Guest_Thalan_*
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Posted 20 May 2010 - 11:47 PM
Matt, I slightly modified your comments, and now they are true for any job in manufacturing, engineering, computers, or most other industries. All jobs are jobs... I love engineering, but much of my job is now as you describe... it is really just the nature of work. So there is really nothing so pure as a "fun every day, every minute job". This important part is not trying to put up with the 1/4, everyone has to, it is making sure that you really love the 3/4.
So true. I hear speeches like that from people in all kinds of industries. "Yeah the part you see is fun but so much goes on behind the scenes and its a job whether you like it or not" I just want to shake them. Most all of the work I've done over the years didn't have a single high point, nothing to love or take pride in, it was all that 1/4 thats unbearable. So yeah while it may have its downside and politicking and so forth that make a "job", at least some small part of it is rewarding and enjoyable. Even after all the paperwork and other sundry nonsense at the end of the day you still get to "play with fish".
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