Getting a permanent job in Ecology is so hard for a budding ecologist, please help!

[The Woodman]

Good advice from NicolaB and neldadog, Holly Tree. My situation was slightly different in that I resigned from the EA last June after 25 years and set up in business on my own. The skills and qualifications I gained during that time with the EA have certainly been a benefit to me.

As a sole operator, I find that the admin side of the business takes up at least half my time, being realistic and that a "hard" but fair, open and honest approach to business and driving deals to even the most mundane tasks i.e. purchasing tires for the van can save a few pounds here and there. It all adds up.

Preparing competitive quotes is a black art.

To succeed, I think you need an edge over the competition and/or a good reputation, which of course, takes time to build up.

These things may be different as an employee of an ecological consultancy, I cannot comment on that.

The others have given you some very well expressed pointers and all I can add is that it is hard work trying to succeed, but when you do, there's nothing to beat it.

One of the drawbacks is WaB. Pleasureable distractions whilst sitting at this workstation are welcomed, but it can come a bit too much! Self discipline is the answer.



Good luck.

[Holly Tree]

Thanks for your comments NicolaB and Woodman. Sounds like you had it tough Nicola, 4 years of waiting is a long time! Do you feel it was worth the wait though? Woodman what kind of business did you set up? Are you happier running your own business rather then being high up in an organisation?

[The Woodman]

Hi Holly Tree

I set up my own business seven years ago and the company three years ago. What started out as a passionate interest has now developed into a full time job with wildlife. I deal mainly with bats and planning applications for development, wind turbine apps and management plans for amenity woodland areas. I am also involved with training, both professionally and as a volunteer for the BCT (bat detectors), mammals (badgers and pine martens) and deer management. Canada Goose management is looming in two months. If you want any more help, please PM me.

After 25 years in Fisheries, my other interests were taking up every other hour in the day so I decided to throw the towel in and work for myself. I still have many contacts in the EA and have kept my hand in with some sub contract work surveying fisheries for proposed hydroelectric schemes.

The great thing about changing the job was getting away from four days a week doing administrative tasks e.g. collating weekly reports, allocating every 30 minutes worked to time codes etc. Once upon a time I was outside on the river bank day and night loving every minute of it but the last few years were beginning to guide me into an office clerks seat. There's still a report to write after every survey and quotes to prepare but now I'm master of my own destiny. It's not easy work but the challenge is and that's what keeps me on my toes.

[birding dave]

Originally Posted by Fritillary

I have just finished my phd in Ecology and your commentary worries me
I found very difficult even to find a volunteer job. I am very enthusiast and I have left happy bosses with my part time jobs. However always looking for a volunteer job or a paid job in nature it is just too difficult. They ask too many things that I wonder if I will have a job one day in this sector. Sometimes I have the impression that the jobs given are only for a exclusive circle of people related. Maybe the children of someone that work in a reserve have more posibilities than someone coming from the exterior.... I just wonder

How we can get more experience if they never want to give jobs to people without too much experience?

Please forgive me for being honest here. Do you originate from outside the UK? I ask because your grammar is not very good and I have to wonder if that's one of the reasons why you haven't been able to get a job. With so many graduates and above looking for work now, employers can pick exactly what they want, so it is essential to show competence at all levels.

To Sophiemay - have you tried organisations like the National Trust or the National Parks? Bodies like this are expecting to employ graduates for even lowly jobs (I nearly wrote shovelling xexexexexe!), but once on the ground floor, there's opportunity for advancement.

[JoulesH]

Backing up my earlier comments about understanding and being able to communicate with farmers, I see that Natural England are advertising for Stewardship advisers in East of England - these are good jobs and your advice can make a real difference to the biodiversity of the English countryside, but you need to understand land management practices and their impact on biodiversity and also have an understanding of the schemes so if you don't know all about ELS and HLS then get studying!

[meinchewster]

I am also a freelance ecologist and can only offer the same advice as offered by others, get experience and memberships to a proffesional body like BES of IEEM etc, although these memberships in my experience cannot be used as a proxy for any individuals expertise.

No one as yet has painted a real picture, the reality of working in the environment sector, especially in consultancy. The reality is, that as a proffession, ecological consultancy has a very recent history, only really becoming accepted about 20 or so years ago. In its infancy, when someone stated they where an ecologist, people didnt know what an ecologist was and here is the real crux of the matter....people have jumped on the band wagon as a lifestyle choice, its sounds good, thats what i will do, i want to become a ecological consultant etc etc, the downside is that with the growth of consultancy, every man and his dog wants a slice of pie and not many have the genuine, intrinsic passion or scientific ability that deserves the jobs out there.

Because it seems an ideal job, sounds great etc there are pretenders and they are all competing for the jobs that you are also chasing.

Finally, expertise is always a commodity and is rarely overlooked.

[Holly Tree]

Well after a year of working as an assistant ecologist I left my job to re-locate back down south, and I am currently stuck in the same situation as before. I now have 1.5 years of consultancy experience and sent my CV to about 70 companies with no luck. I have had a few interviews but I understand that it is still early in the year so things should pick up in March.

Still it goes to show that even once you have experience the ecology field is still so hard to compete in. Good luck to everyone job hunting, its hard out there!

[honedan]

Hi,

Just feel something has been overlooked here yes it is difficult I am also a consultant and I can tell you this past year has been difficult for us all. Pay cuts reduced working hours which all filter back down to those looking for work.

However please remember there is light at the end of the tunnel the spring is coming and we coming slowly out of recession.

Over the next month there should be a increase in jobs for graduates.

Think positive its a seasonal thing!

[Holly Tree]

Hey yeah I agree it was harder with the recession and all but this season seems like its going to be a busy one! I managed to get an Ecologist job in February in the end so that was lucky! Also there have been a lot of ecology jobs advertised so hopefully other people have found it easier to find work?

I'd love to hear how people have been finding the ecology job market and whether they have now found it easier to find work? Please post your stories, good or bad, as I feel it is encouraging and supportive for new graduates

[meinchewster]

To be honest Holly, as you will probably be aware,the market place is flooded and the climate is far from ideal.

Maybe this could be a good thing for the sector as there are far too many clingers on who have done it for a lifestyle change rather than having an intrinsic passion for wildlife.

Im unsure wether this is what you were after in terms of a reply but this is my opinion if the situation.