Jobs in the conservation/ ecology sector.

[MarkE70]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can give me some advice to help me decide to enter the conservation/ ecology profession. First I will give you a bit of background infomation about my situation: I'm 38 years old, a single dad of 2 and have recently finished a degree in Environmental Biology at Newcastle Uni. I absolutely love the great outdoors and would love to find a job in the conservation sector. However, I am very concerned about the prospects of getting a job after I complete my forthcoming Masters degree this september. I have made a previous thread about this and the main message to come out of this is get experience, of which I totally agree. I have limited experience in volunteering with my local wildlife trust, mainly putting fences up and stuff (of which I've done loads in the past anyway). I am finding it hard to do this volunteering down to my circumstances, I can't afford to pay for childcare to do volunteering work. However, if I got a job I could afford it. So, as you can see I'm in a catch 22 situation. I'm beginning to think is it worth entering this area, even though I'm 100% keen on working in this sector. I would first of all like to know if employers are sympathetic to having less experience (and would take into account life experience gained in my previous career, along with life-skills gained). Secondly, does anybody know of any voluntary groups in the North-East area (Tyne and wear/ Northumberland) where I can gain more job-related experience? Any advice would be welcome, Cheers, Mark.

[turkeyneck]

Hi mark, sounds a bit like you're between a rock and a hard place. I would've thought you're qualification would 'over' qualify you in being in the field much and rather be in the office 'the brains behind the brawn' as it where. I tried to gain access into the conservation side of work and worked as a volunteer for two days (National Trust) and in Dentistry for three. After several months I gained a position as an Arboreatum Assistant and worked full time for a private Arboreatum. The problem I found really was the poor pay and like yourself I'm a Father and having a mortgage to pay and live on the south coast was crippling me. As much as I enjoyed the work I was better of doing the Dentistry for three and conservation for two. I was in my early thirties when I did this and really wanted to get into the outdoor work place, realising that enjoyment at work being so important as you spend so much time there. Now I live somewhere more wild than the south coast, slower pace and cheaper. I sit in my surgery looking out the window aching to be out there, but at least my mortgage is being paid and it makes it all worth while once I do get out in the great outdoors.
I speak and treat several conservation wardens etc and the common theme they all say to me is 'you have to do it for the love of it' not for the money. I wish you all the best of luck and would love to hear how you get on, better than me I would think.

[ripplingwave]

Hello!

Have you been applying and receiving the childcare grant available from your LEA/student finance dept?

This also covers any work you do through the holidays.

I receive it for all work/voluntary work I do.

I attended a seminar recently and the guy, Keith Bowey, running this project below was in need of more volunteers:

Northern Kites in Gateshead's Derwent Valley

Hope that helps

[coasty]

have you looked into the construction industry , Most large civil engineering and construction companies have some enviromental staff, to do enviromental impact studies and enviromental and ecology studies...

[wellies101]

I got a post as a seasonal assistant at a country park, its not exactly what I had planned, but it is a step into the industry and will probably get me tickets like chainsaw, pesticides, etc.
My advice is try and be broard when getting your first job in the industry. Accept the fact it won't be exactly what you wanted, but may be 50-60% there and give you foundations to build upon. Having been a seasonal for 6 months now I am in a much stronger position when it comes to applying for jobs as everything work related has improved (id skills, habitat management, estate skills, leading groups, etc.)

[MarkE70]

I haven't been on this site for a while now after starting this thread. Thanks to all that gave me advice. I feel as if I've "sold out" a bit as I have taken a different career path. I start teacher training for secondary science next week. One day I would really like to work in the conservation sector, but at my age I needed to take the teaching option. Cheers, Mark

[ChrisJB]

Not really constructive advice Mark, but teaching is grim, though 13 weeks holiday a year is not to be sniffed at!

Good luck, Chris