Who wants to help me with Career Advise?

[Dakota314]

So, I'm about 1/4 of the way done with junior year of high school, and my parents/grandparents/aunt/just about everyone else is nagging me about college and jobs and getting me foot in the door. I know I want to try to get into a career with reptiles or some other kind of animal, but I have no clue where to start.

I don't want to be a vet. Too much school and money that I don't have.

I was thinking either working for the DNR doing something with reptile conservation. (I don't even know if that is a real job, but it sounds like it could be?) My other idea was working at the zoo in the reptile building being a charge of feeding or cleaning or education or whatever else they need.

What are your guys' advise on starting researching schools and getting to know more about these jobs or others that might fit my goals? My grandma suggested going to the zoo and volunteering, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about this. Has anyone had experience in getting a job like this? How did you get started?

 

[cornsnakeforsale_com]

I don't know too much about it, but I would say don't rule out getting a "regular" job and keeping pets as a hobby or personal business. It's good to do what you love, but it's also good to do something that makes enough money that you have the freedom to do what you want personally.

 

[Outcast]

You could go to school for Wildlife Science. That is the degree that I am going for right now. I actually have a summer internship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service. Next summer I will be going to work in a fish hatchery, or something on the aquatic side of things. Last summer I worked at a wildlife refuge, doing invasive species removal and endangered species management.

 

[BSLMichael]

Well alot of places where you would get to work with reptiles tend to want you to volunteer for... a few years. Zoos and aquariums for example.

My suggestions is, start trying to volunteer now. Find out what their requirements are for hire. Go to college and meet those requirements (While volunteering and working-- you wont have too much of a social life tho) then try to get a job at the palce you are volunteering.

The chances of you getting hired are greatly higher than those who havn't volunteered.

 

[Outcast]

Also, see if there are any professors in the Biology or Wildlife (Ag.) Science department of your local college. Let them know that you are interested in volunteering in a reptile or animal lab. Most professors that I have met, love to have volunteers... In fact I am doing work in my advisers Laboratory, working with Triops (tadpole shrimp). They are awesome little creatures.

 

[Quixotic]

I don't know too much about it, but I would say don't rule out getting a "regular" job and keeping pets as a hobby or personal business. It's good to do what you love, but it's also good to do something that makes enough money that you have the freedom to do what you want personally.

I would second this, and not to be a dreamcrusher, but I'm sure things like zoos and reptile conservation have a heck of a difficult time getting funding. Seems like no state really has the money to spend on things that aren't absolutely necessary. So I'm skeptical about whether there's even a good number of these jobs available. You can never go wrong with a business degree though! At least you can apply that to a wide variety of jobs.

 

[AliCat37]

I think there are only two schools that specialize in teaching animal care for zoos. One is in California (I think), and one is in Colorado Springs at PPCC (the program I'm in!). Though, I have found that 99% of people want a job where they can just play with animals all the time, it definitely doesn't work that way. MOST zoos don't touch any of their animals unless it's in the educational building. Plus, you have to have great public speaking skills, since 80% of your job will be interacting with the public. Just another thing I am tossing out there, since most people who want to work with animals don't want to interact with people. I work at a wildlife sanctuary, and I maybe get to see the animals for five minutes in the morning, unless it is a slow day. The rest of the time I am doing landscaping maintenance such as raking and cleaning enclosures, the grounds, pulling weeds etc. Painting, fixing fences, draining freezing cold ponds that have gotten clogged, giving tours, answering phones, preparing diets (yay chopping up frozen solid turkeys with an axe!), staining, etc, etc... Plus there is a lot of work caring for and working with animals that you're not specifically interested in.

 

[Nanci]

There's a school here with a zookeeper degree and their own zoo. Santa Fe College in Gainesville.

I used to want to be a vet, but I just couldn't apply myself in HS well enough to even attempt to go to vet school. I wanted to work with animals, and went to horseshoeing school. I loved that job, but it was very hard work and took its toll on my joints.

After I had a child I went to school for a "real" job, radiologic technology. (Where I got As in every class except a B in geology, proving had I just "applied myself" in HS instead of dicking around I could have been anything I wanted...) A job in the medical field is a wonderful thing. It pays well, you can work anywhere, and you always have nice health insurance and almost always nice other benefits such as life insurance, long term disability, retirement savings with employer contributions, tons of paid personal time off- etc. Plus, I didn't think I wanted to work with people, patients, but I actually love it.

 

[Chip]

Lots of good advice here. I also suggest volunteering and seeing how you like the zoo. Sometimes when you do what you love for your job, it loses it's appeal as a hobby. I still enjoy aquariums, but not near as much as I did before opening an aquarium store and cleaning tanks 7 days a week. There's nothing wrong with doing something totally unrelated to your interests. Or seeking a profession that is lucrative!

 

[Outcast]

Lots of good advice here. I also suggest volunteering and seeing how you like the zoo. Sometimes when you do what you love for your job, it loses it's appeal as a hobby. I still enjoy aquariums, but not near as much as I did before opening an aquarium store and cleaning tanks 7 days a week. There's nothing wrong with doing something totally unrelated to your interests. Or seeking a profession that is lucrative!

Seeking a position that is lucrative, as long as it does not demand every waking second, is good to keep your hobbies going.

 

[dave partington]

you might consider getting a job while getting the basic courses completed in college at a "Laboratory Animal Resource" department, often persons working at a college get a little tuition shaved off their fees, and it's a great way to get a lot of experience working with all sorts of animals.

 

[Zombiegirl]

There is a school in Oregon that has a zoo program now, Portland Community College. I know that when I talked to the head veterinarian at the Portland Zoo about being a Vet Tech there, he said there was ALOT of volunteering that needed to be done first, and it's a pretty political job =/

 

[Outcast]

Yes, I did forget to mention that... You have to get in good with the Mayor/heads of the city council if you want to work at a zoo. It is a city job, and, at least in most places I have every tried working, it is all about who you know and who likes you.

 

[Nanci]

Yes, I did forget to mention that... You have to get in good with the Mayor/heads of the city council if you want to work at a zoo. It is a city job, and, at least in most places I have every tried working, it is all about who you know and who likes you.

This is true. When I was a teenager, and then 20-something, I was a zoo docent, and then dated a zookeeper, at the zoo in St. Paul. Every zookeeper had come into that job by having YEARS of seniority as a city employee, in completely unrelated jobs (like secretarial, etc.!!) and the field was HIGHLY competitive among city workers. No one had any actual zookeeper training beforehand. Now the state-run Minnesota Zoo was a different story- I believe people employed there all had/have college degrees.

 

[AliCat37]

Not all zoos are city run, though.

 

[Alli_Draggy]

Eastern New Mexico University has a nice Natural History center which includes a SW reptile rescue/conservation program. They're on call with the police/animal control to deal with reptile-related issues in several counties, which usually involve rattlesnakes, but have also involved such things as a Caiman in a bathtub . I used to hang out down there as an undergrad when I was missing my animals (I think one reason why I was willing to let Allidraggy have a snake was because I learned just how much personality herps have when I didn't have access to the cats/dogs I was used to). They have a large Wildlife management/conservation degree program. They're also a fairly cheap school, even out of state, and at least used to have pretty liberal scholarship programs.

 

[Dakota314]

I don't know too much about it, but I would say don't rule out getting a "regular" job and keeping pets as a hobby or personal business. It's good to do what you love, but it's also good to do something that makes enough money that you have the freedom to do what you want personally.

I've been thinking about this, but I don't know what else I would want to do.

You could go to school for Wildlife Science. That is the degree that I am going for right now. I actually have a summer internship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service. Next summer I will be going to work in a fish hatchery, or something on the aquatic side of things. Last summer I worked at a wildlife refuge, doing invasive species removal and endangered species management.

That sounds like an interesting job. What school are you going to?

The chances of you getting hired are greatly higher than those who havn't volunteered.

I know, and that is what makes is so hard. I have no idea what I want to go into yet. The problem is there isn't a lot close to me where I could volunteer to hopefully get a job in the future.

Also, see if there are any professors in the Biology or Wildlife (Ag.) Science department of your local college. Let them know that you are interested in volunteering in a reptile or animal lab. Most professors that I have met, love to have volunteers... In fact I am doing work in my advisers Laboratory, working with Triops (tadpole shrimp). They are awesome little creatures.

That is a really good idea. I've never thought of that. Do a lot pf professors do labs with students?

You can never go wrong with a business degree though! At least you can apply that to a wide variety of jobs.

That's my plan B. My aunt wenrt to college for that, and she is now a high level manager at PNC bank. She seems to be pretty well off.

I think there are only two schools that specialize in teaching animal care for zoos. One is in California (I think), and one is in Colorado Springs at PPCC (the program I'm in!). Though, I have found that 99% of people want a job where they can just play with animals all the time, it definitely doesn't work that way. MOST zoos don't touch any of their animals unless it's in the educational building. Plus, you have to have great public speaking skills, since 80% of your job will be interacting with the public. Just another thing I am tossing out there, since most people who want to work with animals don't want to interact with people. I work at a wildlife sanctuary, and I maybe get to see the animals for five minutes in the morning, unless it is a slow day. The rest of the time I am doing landscaping maintenance such as raking and cleaning enclosures, the grounds, pulling weeds etc. Painting, fixing fences, draining freezing cold ponds that have gotten clogged, giving tours, answering phones, preparing diets (yay chopping up frozen solid turkeys with an axe!), staining, etc, etc... Plus there is a lot of work caring for and working with animals that you're not specifically interested in.

That sounds like it would be a perfect job for me. My dad works for a small scale trucking/construction company, and whenever he gets side job I get to go with and help. They do landscaping, floors, plumbing, painting, you name it. When someone needs something done they call him. I enjoy going out and helping with all the manual labor stuff, especially if it is going to be helping animals.

There's a school here with a zookeeper degree and their own zoo. Santa Fe College in Gainesville.

I used to want to be a vet, but I just couldn't apply myself in HS well enough to even attempt to go to vet school. I wanted to work with animals, and went to horseshoeing school. I loved that job, but it was very hard work and took its toll on my joints.

After I had a child I went to school for a "real" job, radiologic technology. (Where I got As in every class except a B in geology, proving had I just "applied myself" in HS instead of dicking around I could have been anything I wanted...) A job in the medical field is a wonderful thing. It pays well, you can work anywhere, and you always have nice health insurance and almost always nice other benefits such as life insurance, long term disability, retirement savings with employer contributions, tons of paid personal time off- etc. Plus, I didn't think I wanted to work with people, patients, but I actually love it.

I'm not sure about worknig in a hospital. I'm not a people person. I'm fine if I'm talking to people interested in the same things I am (which would be the case if I did education or something with animals) but other wise it doesn't really work. Plus I get grossed out by sickness.

 

[Dakota314]

So I was going to keep quoting poeple, but that is a lot of replies. So far it's summed up that zoo positions are very competitive and require a lot of before hand experience in other things, a job with wildlife conservation sounds interesting and has a lot involved, and volunteering at a college is a great idea to get a feel on things.

All this choosing schools and jobs is getting complicated. I should just drop out and be a truck driver.

 

[Susan]

I know you said you didn't want to be a vet, but what about a vet tech? The schooling is usually only a couple of years (depending upon the school) and there are even schools that are on-line schooling. And the cost is nowhere near that of vet school. Each state is different on licensing, certification or neither. We have 2 techs at our hospital that are both going to school. They are currently working full time, but I know they will decrease their hours for classes soon.

It's not the best paying job, but it's not that bad either, especially if you have the degree. And with some experience, that degree can open other doors for you that might have been closed otherwise. You may even be able to get a job with a vet that does exotics, many of my drug reps used to be techs, and I think research facilities and zoos would take a better look at tech than a non-tech.

 

[susang]

Well if you get grossed out with sickness, working with animals may not be a good idea. Animals get sick just like humans. I think you should go to college leaning toward sciences. Maybe a comunity college for first year or two. Expose yourself to careers while in school. You don't have to decide your future before you start college, but your future will be better by going to college.