Advice wanted!

[gardnerbr]

Originally Posted by eeyore

My experience is more in the practical conservation field but in my opinion it is not a mistake to volunteer at all - you can tout your CV arround as much as you like but if you dont have the minimum required experience (which is often a year or so) then you will get nothing except letters of rejection.

Amy it seems to depend on what type of work your going for. As shown by the diversity of responses. Do what ever you can to find work be it volunteering, education or just sending out your cv.

Originally Posted by eeyore

you must get the experience and if you cant get a job then the only route open to you is to volunteer - incidentally volunteering with a good organisation is not about "working for nothing" it should be a mutually beneficial experience where in return for your work you get valuable skills , experience , training and a reference when you apply for your first paid job. It is also a valuable networking opportunity that not only helps you get a job but helps you make contacts which will advance your career later too.

Some people can't financially afford to volunteer when they first leave education no matter if it provides a beneficial experience, if you can afford it then go for it since potential interviewers love it if you can talk about working in some exotic country studying some little known species or wokring down at your local nature reserve. Amy note the networking comment as this will help you throughout your professional life.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by gardnerbr

Some people can't financially afford to volunteer when they first leave education no matter if it provides a beneficial experience, if you can afford it then go for it since potential interviewers love it if you can talk about working in some exotic country studying some little known species or wokring down at your local nature reserve. Amy note the networking comment as this will help you throughout your professional life.

I completely realise that it can be financially tough particularly if you have other commitments , - in fact i would advise anyone who finds out about it in time to volunteer while they are at uni (if you do 3 summer holidays that will be nearly a years experience) and/or to find a course that has a practical element.

However I still standby the bottom line - you have to have experience to get 99% of the jobs out there particularly if you are without proffesional contacts - look at countryside job service or enviroment job and see how many jobs there are that dont specify previous expereince - the answer is not many and those that are will be hotly contested.

You may be fortunate enough to find temporary or casual work that can provide theis experience ( I have one contact who hire temporary newt and bat surveyors for instance and other wabbites may know of others) but the great majority of people wind up volunteering.

btw I'm not saying this in an I'm alright jack manner - Ive been there done that and bought the t shirt - on leaving college into the height of the recession I put cheese on quiche on the night shift for the best part of a year to fund six months full time volunteering with the national trust , then supported another 18 months volunteering with a wildlife trust by working evenings in a pub (40hrs a week volunteering another 30hrs per week bar work) then put myself through my masters while still volunteering by working on a golf course with 4am starts and 1pm finishes.

that kind of thing is very hard , but it impresses your commitment on employers 10000% more than sending off a CV with no real experience on it and hoping for the best.