Well,
I do have a Biology Degree w/ a Marine Emphasis but I am not using it right now. I'll answer what I can.
My Previous Job was a Wildlife Technician so I'll use that one since my job now has nothing to do w/ my degree. I am going to try to answer what questions I can w/ Marine Science. I know it will go back and forth, but it's the best I can do. Hopefully this will be some kind of a help.
Best Regards,
Ben
Name: Ben Holder
Where you work: Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Occupation: Wildlife technician
Q. What skills, talents, and personal characteristics are needed for working in this field?
1. Wildlife handling experience (College lab work great)
2. Biology Degree
3. Lab experience for holding animals and looking for disease
Q. How do your education and experience relate to what you are doing now?
It plays a great part in the job. My education did quite a bit to provide the necessary expreience to deal w/ the situations. In classes like Environmental Management we'd take trips to wetlands and work with Gopher Tortoses and other animals to see how they live in their current habitat and ecosystem.
Q. What kind of experience will help me enter this field? (for Marine study) Marine Biology, Marine Botany, Marine Lab, I'd recomend definately Ecology classes to understand how populations and communities and Earth Capital work together. For Wildlife,
Animal Behavior, Zoology, Botany, Ecology, Environmental Science, Environmental Mgt, Wildlife Mgt. I'm sure there are many more; gear your electives towards your goal.
Do as much volenteer or paid work as you can for theme parks such as Sea World, local zoo, Busch Gardens, local or national parks and forrest ect
Q. Could you recommend some classes to take for this career?
See above question
Q. Are there any schools that are recognized in this industry?
Univeristy of West Florida,
Texas A&M
University of South Carolina,
University of Southern Cali Santa Barbera
Q. What are the benefits of your job?
Looking forward to going to work in the morning,
Work is almost like a hobby and you get paid,
Working outdoors versus inside,
Everyday you deal with something different and see new things,
Requires unique thinking
Q. What do you think of the experience I have so far, in terms of getting into this position?
I don't know what you have.
Q. What are some alternative routes in this occupation?
If you have a degree your options are unlimited. I'm currently doing a lead Engineering position for IT until I can save up and get my Masters degree. Unfortunately it seems hard to make decent pay w/o it.
Q. Are there other individuals you could recommend I speak with to learn more about this occupation?
Dr. Tripp at Florida Southern College (Marine Sceineces Professor)
www.flsouthern.edu
Q. What is the average pay for this job?
With a BS degree it can range from 16,000 - 30,000 unless you are lucky.
With Masters quite a bit more.
Q. Describe how you spend your time during a typical workday?
AS a Wildlife Technician I would report to the station about 7am. Usually I would have duties to either Relocate Prairie Dogs, Do Surveys for Endangered Species, or Elk Tracking. For Prairie Dog relocation I would usually Survey a site that irrigated land rented by Ranchers. I'd then either Set up traps or I had a process called flushing where I'd Flush the Prairie Dogs out of the Burrows. After getting all I could in a day they would go back to this shelter to be inspected for Plague. After 14 days Quarintined they would be taken to a new more suitable property and released. There was a lot to be seen in a given day though: Badgers, Bald Eagles, Coyotes, Horned Toad Lizards, Rattle Snakes. It was quite a neat experience.
Q. What things do you like most about your job? Least?
Working outdoors trying to preserve nature
Getting to travel to new sites each day
Least:
My coworkers liked Tofu way to much and we had to go to totally organic food places for lunch break.
Q. What are the greatest pressures, strains, or problems that you must deal with in your work?
1. Time Deadlines. If we didn't get Prairie dogs moved they would be poisoned. If we didn't get a site surveyed for endangered species, the site would get demolished for construction and development. Animals getting loose was another thing; sometimes catching an animal uncontrolled is rather difficult.
Q. How many hours do you usually work? What yours do you usually work? 40 hours/week. I worked on a rotating schedule Monday - Saturday usually 7am to about 5pm
Q. Do you work with people?
Oh yes, wildlife work can definately require a team to be successful. I see the same w/ Marine life work
Q. Has your work experience differed very much from what you imagined it would be? In what way? Yes, I really wanted to do Marine work but when I graduated it seemd to be to competitive and little money to pay off my loans. When I got into the Wildlife work I'd have to say there was way more involved in responsiblity and little task I had to do each day to make results happen.
Q. How would one get to this position? Volenteer, Volenteer, Volenteer. I have to say Networking is the best way. The more people you know in the business and the more volenteer work you do, the better your chances are of finding what you are looking for. It all adds to that piece of paper we work so hard for; the Degree.
Q. What trends do you see developing in this field?
Honestly, I haven't done enough research on it lately. I know there will always be oceanography positions available to protect the reefs, and study climate conditions that could effect the reefs
Q. Is there a high turnover rate in this field?
That kind of depends on the economy, but from what I saw if you have a job, most people want to keep them for quite a long time.
Q. What type of people is in this type of field?
People who love the outdoors,
Activist,
People who don't know near as much as they think! and for some reason get the advanced jobs. They'd make good politicians.
Environmentalist
Q. Did you imagine yourself having this job when you were younger? Actually I always wanted to have a job that revolved around wildlife and Marine Studies. I still hope to someday get my Masters and work in the field.
Q. Where did you attend college? Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL
