Open University

[ring ouzel]

I know Jenny, thank you. And I did say it was OK! However if you are sitting down with 250 CV's and every one has RSPB or WT experience it leaps out when someone has BTO or BCT. Even better if they have both!

[charlieb]

But people who volunteer with the (e.g.) RSPB do volunteer with (e.g.) BTO surveys as it is invariably the (e.g.) RSPB's land that the surveys are conducted on.

[Jenny W]

Originally Posted by ring ouzel

I know Jenny, thank you. And I did say it was OK! However if you are sitting down with 250 CV's and every one has RSPB or WT experience it leaps out when someone has BTO or BCT. Even better if they have both!

I'm not saying don't volunteer for the BTO/BTC or any other organisation

But as I said, I was just tyring to get the point across that if you volunteer on a reserve for the RSPB/WT then it's likely that you will have contributed to BTO or BTC or But. Cons. surveys as part of your whole volunteering role. I have done countless BTO/butterfly surveys/bat surveys throughout my voling and paid work with RSPB/WT's which all goes on my CV as experience of BTO surveying etc.

When deciding on voling I think it's important to consider area you want to go into in terms of wardening, research, consultancy etc.

[ring ouzel]

When deciding on voling I think it's important to consider area you want to go into in terms of wardening, research, consultancy etc.[/quote]

Definitely agree Jenny! Not only with voling but also the degrees they do. I love the optimism of people who say they have always wanted to work with wildlife and recently gained a degree in astrophysics with applied underwater basket weaving; a wee bit of thought beforehand would have come in very handy.

[wild flower]

I did an OU degree (BSc(Hons)) and never looked back. Two years in to my degree I applied a job and got it - not because I was the most qualified or experienced (I certainly was not) but because I was in the right place at the right time. My point here is to always have a go as you never know what an employer is looking for.

As someone who has recruited ecological staff I agree that most people are volunteering to get experience and that is great, I wholeheartedly advise it. But when you are sat reading through the cvs you are looking for someone that stands out and a match with the criteria you are looking for. At the moment I would say bats and botany are key areas for consultancy work and seriously - an ability to write and spell! Even when applying for quite senior posts I have been asked to demonstrate that I can write by undertaking an impromtu test!

Others may disagree with me but many (not all) cv I have read prefix all experience with the word 'volunteering' and I dont think it is needed. I was not interested in volunteering per se, not even as a demonstration of being proactive-because most applicants do it. But what often got lost in all the volunteering discussion is what skills and experience an applicant gained - relevant to the job. I know that all sounds quite blunt but employers want to know, for example, that you have experience of Phase 1 habitat survey not simply that you volunteered with the WT. Of course not everyone will do this but it may help someone refine their cv.

Wildlife/conservation is a great field to work in, I love it and if it is what you want go for it!

[shirl]

Originally Posted by forestwildlife

You can tailor the degree towards either spectrum and im going to do mine towards the living one. I would of done environmental science but you have to do a compulsory course which requires you to go away for a week. Which unfortunately as I cant drive and working for a rubbish company I would not have been able to do. You can either get a BA hons or a BSc in environmental studies but not sure how it is decided which award you will get.

That is a great shame as the summer schools offer you so much in terms of practical experience. See if you can find a way of attending, you won't be disappointed. My all time favourite was the level 3 Ecology course, a week at Malham Tarn doing all sorts of projects from soils to mammals - it was brilliant!With alot of summer schools you can choose your location so it would fit in with public transport, now all you have to do is get the time off work! I did BSc Hons in Natural Sciences mainly so I could choose the courses which met my needs which were mainly ecology/environment based.Good luck with whichever route you choose.

Shirl

[NJ]

Originally Posted by shirl

That is a great shame as the summer schools offer you so much in terms of practical experience. See if you can find a way of attending, you won't be disappointed. My all time favourite was the level 3 Ecology course, a week at Malham Tarn doing all sorts of projects from soils to mammals - it was brilliant!With alot of summer schools you can choose your location so it would fit in with public transport, now all you have to do is get the time off work! I did BSc Hons in Natural Sciences mainly so I could choose the courses which met my needs which were mainly ecology/environment based.Good luck with whichever route you choose.

Shirl

Wow, thank you for the response everyone.


Yes it's a shame they don't offer the ecology field course anymore. In fact, the OU are trying to remove the residential schools entirely because they cost so much to run. I'm very concerned about this as they are gradually phasing them out now whilst I am trying to study for my degree. The OU also seem to be removing courses that don't relate to human biology (as well as adding more courses that do relate to human biology) and I'm not sure that the university will be replacing them. So I'm very dubious about completing my degree with the OU now.

But even if my circumstances did change to allow me to go to a traditional university, I've heard university tuition fees will be increasing after the next election. I really don't know if I could justify leaving university with so much debt to pay back. I really wish I knew what to do about this.

[Johnny Redgate]

I did my doctorate part-time and mostly self-funded at a traditional university. I just wondered if this is a potential route for a first degree. Things may be more flexible for students these days.