I have done my Master's in Zoology specialization in Wildlife Fishers and for more than one year I have worked with wwf Pakistan as Research assistant and conducted many surveys and camera trapping Survey for snow leopard and Himalayan ibex in mountainous regions of Karakuram and Hindu Kush nowadays I'm running a campaign against plastic pollution in our area although it's volunteer but proud to do some work for mother nature .my future plane is to do my PhD in wildlife and conservation .
Honestly THANK YOU SO MUCH, I've been watching your videos and really appreciate all the advice you give. I was hesitant about going into this field regardless of my passion for it, but now I know how I can work on standing out in a crowd and achieve what I truly want. I am currently studying biomedical science and can't wait to switch out
your videos are helping me learn so much more inside info about wildlife biology, I rlly want to do it and maybe study more into wolf conservation and i feel like ur videos are helping me get more of a perspective on what to expect as well as some helpful tips :)
3:10 exactly one of the reasons I am currently pursuing a PhD. I had a Master's already and worked in biotech for 5 years. I wanted to have a full research experience, but I realize an academic career is a fairy tale nowadays. I'm focusing to go back to industry, but in a higher position...I'm in my 2nd year now and I'm kinda tracking it with some vlogs on my own channel, to have something to look back to once I graduate :) Subbed to your channel by the way ;) Will check out the rest, right after this comment :D Greetings from Belgium!
hi kristina, i just wanted to thank you so so much for your content. I'm studying environmental sciences in germany and felt so lost all the time, as I didn't find a field to expertise in. I didn't know that my dream job really exists and how to get there. You helped me out so much, i feel so much better and now i'm able to focus on what i really want to do. Thank you so much, i wish you a beautiful day and the best wishes only!
Thank you for this video! I definitely think it's a good idea to take a few years between undergrad and grad school to gain some practical work experience, and to get a better idea of what specifically you would like to study.
Excelent vídeo and tips! Even for a m.Sc. Like me and from a diferent country (Brazil). Some pros and cons are diferent but in overall are the same. In my case After my masters degree i spend some time gaining experience and maturity and now im thinking in pursuing the DR./phd.
I have been on the fence for awhile about going back to school, even after working in the field and in research setting for the past 4 years after getting my bachelors. With all that has happened with the pandemic it has been heavy on my mind so I am happy to have come across your channel and see someone (yay woman in STEM!) who has made a successful career with your ecology BS (same here but working on the money part still lol). Its made me feel a little more confident that I haven't been making the wrong decision trying to get more experience vs heading to school and potentially more student debt.
Emily Bryant it depends on your program, PhDs can be anywhere from 4-7 depending on if you get your thesis work done. A girl on my lab was on year 7 which is why I clarified the upper end, so it depends on the depth of your research. I’m not the PhD expert since I’ve never done one but that’s just the experience of my friends!
@@kristina_lynn makes sense! I'm thinking about going for masters if necessary but I can NOT stand the idea of being in school for another 7 years 😂 love your videos please keep up the career series!
So im currently looking into going for a bachelors in wildlife biology after I finish both my firemedic and my nursing degree. I am currently seeing a bunch of jobs across the country in the $75k-$120k for wildlife biologists and ecologists and fishery biologists with just a bachelors degree. 90% of these jobs are from the US geological survey, US forest service and US fish and wildlife service.
I am not planning on going into wildlife bio, but I am planning on going into an environmental career. I am a rising college fourth year and having a quarter life crisis, and this video was super helpful! Thank you!
I would love to see you do a video clarifying as much as you know about any of the following (or even respond here) about some of the questions I have: 1.) What are certifications exactly and their advantages, such as the wildlife society etc? 2.) More info on the private wildlife biology industry (freelancing?) 3.) Is linkedin a good resource for networking within this field / is it used in this field to find competitive applicants? 4.) The differences between working federal/state versus in industry? 5.) Is there opportunities for student loan forgiveness through working for federal or state agencies? 6.) Is calling local biologist via publicly available directories to ask for tips for the work field/internship opportunities weird? I know back in the day walking into places and asking questions was not weird but now in the digital age I am not sure if it is too invasive or strange. On some days I am tempted to phone local park biologist to ask about things they wished they knew when they were a student. But I don’t want to feel like I’m probing or intruding on someone’s busy schedule. I’d love to know your thoughts on that! Sorry for the bombardment of questions! Lol
Good questions! 1. Certifications can be earned on the job and are required for a wildlife job in some areas. For example, where I work, they're starting to make a "Professional Biologist" designation required for a job as a wildlife biologist, where you need a specific amount of courses and requirements. Professional societies like the wildlife society are different - those aren't required to join but can be a good resource for going to conferences and networking, and keeping on top of the latest research trends. I'm a member of TWS and going to their conference next month. Work paid for my membership though! 2. This can be a whole video so I'm not going to get into it in a comment - but in the meantime I recommend you watch Science Finance's video on freelancing: th-cam.com/video/psSHeMbPWW0/w-d-xo.html 3. Yes set up a LinkedIn profile and add people on it! I get recruiters looking at my profile all the time and I have gotten a job out of it. 4. Good idea for a video! Govt vs private companies - private work is more focused around clients if you're in consulting, or looking out for your companies interest if you work directly with a resource company. Govt jobs are generally better hours and sometimes a bit lower paid depending on the part of the world you're in. 5. I'm not sure about student loan forgiveness - I would recommend asking the TH-camr I linked above (Science Finance) about that one! I wasn't eligible for any that I know of. 6. That's not a bad idea! I would recommend reaching out through email instead of the phone though so it's less pressure on them and not catching them off guard. I would be flattered if someone reached out to me on LinkedIn and wanted to buy me a coffee and chat about the job. Just say you're a prospective student and that their job looks like your dream job, and ask if they'd have time for a quick phone chat or coffee meeting so you could ask some questions. It's a great networking opportunity.
Yes I totaly agreed because I had same experience after I graduated from UG I did my master on environmental engineering and when I start looking for job everyone looking for experience first before your degree. Then I started to do PhD but I stoped. Someone told me without experience even with your PhD is not easy to find a job so that is why I stoped. If you want to do master or PhD it is better to do it while you are working. Another thing most companies they don't hire master or PhD holders because they don't want to pay too much. Yeah they will prefare someone with bachalor degree and give him some training
Hello, I have a question. I always thought I wanted to be in biomedical research. I graduated with my general Biology degree and realized I was interested in Evolution as it was the last capstone class final year. I did not take an ecology course and now I think I want a Masters to be able to work in Ecology or Environmental Science. I focused on molecular and cellular science to be ready for the biomedical science career. It was in my Junior year that I became less interested and found it being mostly intense memorization and cramming information. At this point I honestly only thought of biology as valuable in terms of helping people and did not care too much or show much interest in courses offered like herpetology, ornithology or Forestry. I did take Zoology and botany as they were required for the Biology degree at my school. I liked being able to study so many different topics and see how huge the field of biology really was outside of my narrow view of medicine or research. My view of Biology had changed but by the time I graduated I did not take the courses I mentioned like Ecology because I didn't think I could get a job outside of Medicine or research. Now I am working at a biomedical research laboratory with stem cells and doing mouse surgeries. I only have a bachelors degree but I realize that biomedical research may not be for me as I have slowly lost interest over the years. The work is hard but interesting. I am just not putting my heart into it and the experiments that I have seen on the mice can be somewhat disheartening and gruesome. I do not like that I have become unmoved by euthanizing mice. My interests are in the natural world and evolution and how people fit into this picture. I realized after I graduated that I should have studied ecology and other less molecular courses. I do not want to be a lab assistant forever which is what I will be if I don't get a Master degree or a PhD route of being a post doc and living in academia. I think it is amazing to devote work to the environment. My main interest is in minimizing human impact on the environment whatever that means or may be. Because of this I would like to work in Environmental science. I have looked at many job postings and I find it difficult to make the qualifications as they are asking for 3 years of experience or other things such as field experience in addition to degree in Environmental science. Please let me know if I should try out the field first trying my luck for a job in environmental science instead of jumping into graduate school. I have considered graduate school as a way to build my understanding, foundation, have networking connections for a career in it. Now I find a steep hurdle and not sure how to make the transition. I don't want to be in the lab forever and I don't want to keep telling people I am going to be a scientist in this biomedical path. Thank you for listening. Please answer or other people with experience please let me know your opinion on my situation.
As a BS bio grad and Ms bio student, i finished envi sci, biodiversity and ecology subjects quite very interesting because its broad and help to focus efforts to preserve the biologically and technologically important elements. Today, our technology smooths out the harshness of existence and allows many of us live longer, more comfortable lives but human species cannot exist without ecosystem. Our ecosystem provides everything like food, medicine, clean air and water and spiritual and aesthetical isnpiration.
Peace be to you! I'm a new subscriber! I wanted to be a Biologist since I was a little kid back in the 70s. My parents used to take me to places like the National Zoo, Rock Creek Park, National Geographic Museum and the Museum of Natural History (good times)! I eanred a B.S. in Biology and started grad school in Biotechnology (after getting rejected from Medical school 😅)! I eventually became a Physician Assistant and earned a Doctorate of Health Education. I always wonder what my life would be like if I had pursued a career as a wildlife biologist.🤔 I have NO idea how I would support my family (wife and 4 kids) on a Biologist salary. It was the PhDers I met who encouraged me to do medicine instead of a PhD in Bio!😅💸 Your video really makes me want to "get back into" the field (no pun intended)! I would like to work part time and not just treat it as a hobby! That Biology degree was hard to get!🔬🦎🌳💚🔍📚👨🏾💻😥I look forward to watching more of your videos! Take care!🤓
Your videos are so helpful! I graduated 5 years ago with a BA in geography, but didn't really pay attention to the gravity of going to college and never pursued internships while studying. Now I'm really ready to start pursuing a career. Although I love the subject of geography, I feel like wildlife biology is what I wish I would have studied. So now I'm torn between going back to school for an MS in wildlife biology, or if I should pursue internships. Just seems like internships at this point would be hard to achieve if I've been out of school for 5 years with no track record of work experience. Any advice?
Yeah, most internships are geared for current students and have a requirement you're in a degree program or a very recent grad. I think going for a wildlife master's degree is your best bet. An alternate path is to try to use your geography degree to get a job at an environmental consulting company that hires wildlife biologists, then try to get some exposure to wildlife teams there. If you know GIS this would be easier.
Right now I’m in tenth grade but when I wanna get in university I wanna be something that deal with animals especially wild ones because all my life I was raising animals and I had a lot , and you are the best 💖💖💖 but I wanna ask what job I’m gonna get in zoologists? Biologists I’m confused 🤷♂️
Awesome! I always grew up with animals too and I love it :) I recommend you watch my career series linked here: th-cam.com/video/HRwyF8ST_9c/w-d-xo.html The second video I talk about the type of jobs you can get with a biology degree! Zoology too...the career paths are very similar :)
I am sad I never did biology 😂. I got a bachelor of arts (International Studies) with a minor in Sustainable Development. Hope to do the Msc Environmental Resource Management, seems close to something I can use for conservation (without needing biology) 😣
means one should not sit at home and do ph.d because phd vancacy also require high experience usually in my country they ask more than 10 years of relevant experience.
Hello, I’m 4th year student currently pursuing my Bsc in forestry. I’m Willing to get my masters degree in wildlife. It will be your kindness if you recommend me best university or country to study this program (also giving scholarship).
I want to become a wildlife biologist, but I'm stuck with a Biology undergrad :( Would you recommend grad school for a more specific wildlife biology major in that case?
I am graduating with a bachelors degree in environmental& natural resources and want to work in forestry. I am conflicted on if I should try to go straight into forestry and try to gain experience then see if getting a masters would be worth it or going to graduate school to get a degree in forestry right after my bachelors. What would you recommend? Or do you feel a masters in forestry would be worth it? I see that forestry technician jobs I could start with just a bachelors but am curious if would I need a masters anyway if I want to move up in forestry?
Are there integrated masters courses in the US like in England? Where you do 4 years instead of 3 and pay the same for each year so you only pay one year extra of tuition fees.. but end up with an MSc rather than BSc. Also here there’s no such thing as grad school you just stay in the same uni
I've heard of ones with your bachelors that are 5 years instead of 4 (its 4 for a standard masters here in north america). My coworker did it and had a great experience!
Hi, I am an undergraduate student in Taiwan. My major is life science and biotechnology, but I am interested in environmental issues, and I desire to apply the master degree in the U.S this year. Besides, I also love to do the experiments in the lab. I am considering to apply environmental science and management or biotechnology for my master degree. Are you familiar with these two degrees? Which is more proper for me?
Hmm environmental science will probably be much less lab time than biotechnology. If you love the lab work, I would do biotechnology and then you can specialize in environmental biotechnology? Like a technological study of something relating to the environment. Environmental science can involve lab work depending on what you study but traditionally not as much as biotech as far as I know. I think the key will be picking a thesis that interests you and combines environmental science and biotechnology. I would also look up some jobs you’re interested in and see if they ask for an environmental degree or a biotech degree to help you decide.
@@kristina_lynn Thanks for your advice. But, I think it is hard to find an environmental biotechnology program since most of the biotechnology programs do not focus on environmental issues. However, I will still try my best to look for it.
Annika Lundstrom you can be competitive with a business degree as an environmental manager I think! It would probably be more on the business side of the environmental industry, but you’d definitely still be involved with helping the environment. I would look at consulting companies, the government, and project manager positions. Or you could always go back to school and get a grad degree in Wildlife or environment to get a more technical job. I should have mentioned in this video that another pro of getting a graduate degree is if you don’t have a super relevant undergrad major.
Are expeditions through Earthwatch helpful when looking for a job? I’m looking to major in Biology with concentrations in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
I would recommend watching my internships video as I talk a bit about “pay to intern” places: th-cam.com/video/w22LUsjvmS0/w-d-xo.html Basically it would be the least helpful option for your resume out of longer term volunteer work, unpaid and paid internships. It sounds like lots of fun though and it’s worth putting on a resume but I would go into it more like an opportunity to see if that’s the work you like rather than a resume builder.
Hi Kristina, love your channel. Super thankful for it! I have a general question or video request - kind of related to some other videos you have made. How likely is it that a B.S. or even M.S. level in wildlife biology or environmental science can get a decent job? How long will it take? I am currently in grad school for wildlife conservation and keep hearing things that SCARE the S**T outta me...like getting a job in a wildlife career is as rare as becoming famous. What does your experience have to say about this?
To build on what I talk about in this video, the key to getting a job with a bachelors or masters is relevant experience and connections. If you have a good resume with lots of internships and volunteer work you gain during your education, and reach out to wildlife professionals in your city to build your network, the chances of you not finding a job somewhere in your country within a few years max is pretty low. I think someone saying it’s as rare as being famous is a little silly, I’m sitting in an office right now surrounded by wildlife biologists and none of us are famous 😂 On a less optimistic side, you can get a wildlife job when you graduate but the chances of it being the EXACT job you want is incredibly slim. If you want to work in wildlife right out of school you should be willing to relocate if needed and take temporary positions in potentially not ideal companies. If you want to hold out for the more perfect wildlife job, you might be waiting for awhile and you’ll get passed over for the other candidate who took the 6 month wildlife technician position in Texas or whatever. The wildlife position I’m in took 8 years to work my way to after many many not ideal positions. As my boyfriend tells me, you can have it all but not all at once! But if you’re ok with a bit of chaos at first, maybe taking a second job or unrelated to get by, maybe moving around a bit, and stick to it I can pretty much guarantee you’ll find something in the environmental field eventually
The biggest pro to a master's is probably the ability to work actually work in the field lmao. I've tried for two years and half of the denials I get are because they had enough people with master's degree apply to these basic, entry level jobs. If I knew how hard it would be just to get into the field I'd probably suffer through coding or business lol. At least my debt is only 20k
Can you talk about having diversified degrees? Is it beneficial? What I mean is, is that I’m about to finish my associates in Wildlife Management, and going to work on my associates in biology next, and then transfer everything to my local university to finish with a bachelors in environmental science/environmental ecology/.
You can, but fair warning that many PhDs struggle with being overqualified for lower level jobs. A lot of times employers don't hire PhDs for low level jobs. Not the rule, but something I've heard some people struggle with
How often do you travel for this job? Do you have any female coworkers with kids who can talk about working this type of job where there might be travel?
For this job I was travelling pretty consistently (more than 50% of the time) from March - September. I just took a new job though where I won’t be travelling except for a few days a year, so it depends on your role. Honestly there’s not a single woman I know who works in the field who has kids. There are lots of women I work with who transition into more of an office role after having children. Lots of men with kids out in the field though. Doesn’t mean it’s not doable if you have a supportive partner but it’s definitely not the cultural “norm”. I want to have children in the next few years which is one of the reasons I am transitioning into an office based role, I couldn’t deal with being away that much.
Did you take some courses in wildlife biology, environmental sciences, etc, as you got your undergraduate degree in biology? I would like to know the answer as well since I might be getting a degree in general biology.
Hi, I'm planning on starting a Zoology undergraduate degree this September but I have never gotten work experience with animals before. I'm planning on volunteering over the summer but what places would I volunteer at? At the moment I'm thinking of doing at either Petting Zoos or Pet Shops. Would that be the right type of experience or would it have to be somewhere else?
Where do you want to work once you have a degree? try to find opportunities as close to that organization as you can for volunteering. if you want to work as a government biologist, check out parks and rec volunteering. if you want to work at a zoo, try zoo volunteering
@@kristina_lynn I'm not 100% certain what the exact thing it is I want to work as after the degree. When I search online a couple of the career pathways do interest me though, such as working in Zoos and Wildlife Parks, Conservation or even a wildlife scientist/biologist. I'm hoping that whilst I'm on the degree I'll be able to narrow it down to what exactly it is I want to do, but I know it's 100% something wildlife/animal related. I'm from the UK and in my city there's not many wildlife type opportunities that are local. But there is a petting zoo very close by, so would you say that would be a good place to volunteer at as a start?
I have a Master degree in Biology, and I want to continue PhD program in wildlife or biology conservation, but is been so hard to get in a program, what advice can you recommend me of how to get accepted in a PhD program? Ill really appreciate it
I am not the best one to ask on this since I got rejected from all the grad programs I applied to 😒 I would recommend networking as much as you can and building relationships with profs as they have a limited amount of PhD students they can accept. Check postings for PhD students all over your country and see what’s available with which profs before even applying as they likely won’t let you in if they don’t have a place, professor or funding for you already. Any PhD students reading this feel free to add on!
Hi, I'm an undergraduate zoology student from India. I use to attend herpetology workshops also. I would like to do Master's in wildlife biology. Will you please give me some guidelines and best institutions.
Hey I’m sorry but I’m not super familiar with any Indian universities! Check my career series on my playlists tab for lots of applicable advice and guidance and let me know if you have any specific questions!
@@kristina_lynn I would like to do Master's from any foreign university, how about National University of Costa Rica. Will you please suggest me some best institutions for doing masters.
Hello, I find myself in a bit of a dilemma. I started my university education progressing towards a bachelor's in psychology with a minor in criminal justice (my original career goal was in law enforcement). I completed essentially all of my general education requirements, a couple of psychology courses, and a few criminal justice courses. I took a break from school for a few years, joined the military, and am going to get back into school this fall semester.. Do you think it is feasible to continue towards a psychology bachelors with a criminal justice minor and then afterwards, go for a master's in Environmental Science or Studies? Or do you feel that I should switch majors from psychology to biology with a concentration in ecological studies? This would require me to change course academically and will slow down progress towards a bachelor's (but it would be in a subject I am more interested in). I am trying to be as efficient with my military financial aid benefits (36 months worth of benefits to cover tuition and housing costs). I look forward to your input. Of course, I will also consult my school's advisors also to see what the fastest routes for those degrees would be. Careerwise, I would like to be something along the lines of a park ranger.
Did you ever figure it out? I’m in the same spot with the 36 months worth of benefits and trying to work out what masters programs to go for? Would love to know more about what worked for you!
@@NiceIceNutritionAndFitness Yeah so I actually decided to stick with my Psychology major, but drop the Criminal Justice minor because honestly, it wouldn't help really as far as finding a job goes. If I did wanna get back into law enforcement, my military experience would outweigh a Criminal Justice minor... What I did was add a second major because... I like Psychology, but my main career interests are associated with Biology/Ecology/Conservation. I'm wrapping up my Psychology major requirements and probably have about two more semesters before I finish my Biology (Ecology & Evolution Concentration) classes. I worked for about a year as a park ranger for my city, but dropped it. More important to focus on crunching through classes and maintaining a good GPA so I can get good grades AND qualify for scholarships to supplement my income. Right now, trying to get more involved on campus and programs for research experience. Aiming for National Park Service or US Fish & Wildlife Service.
There are some fields that usually require graduate degrees, like most jobs in academia, some advanced wildlife biologist positions (senior/manager), government subject matter experts, etc. But lots don’t require grad degrees!
Can I become an environmental scientist with a wildlife biology degree ?, I’m trying to decide whether I should be a wildlife biologist or an environmental scientist, please answer 🥺🥺
If you’re unsure you’re better off going with an ecology degree! It’s more general and you can be an environmental scientist or wildlife biologist with it. You can specialize in wildlife during your degree if you choose to or through internships in wildlife.
Its useless degree. I have 2 masters degree one in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology other in Environmental Science. Applied to more than 1000 jobs but no success. Its the worst decision I made in life. Finally I had to settle for warehouse labor work. There are very few jobs in this field as compared to degree holders. Dont waste your money and time in this field better go to other field.
I have done my Master's in Zoology specialization in Wildlife Fishers and for more than one year I have worked with wwf Pakistan as Research assistant and conducted many surveys and camera trapping Survey for snow leopard and Himalayan ibex in mountainous regions of Karakuram and Hindu Kush nowadays I'm running a campaign against plastic pollution in our area although it's volunteer but proud to do some work for mother nature .my future plane is to do my PhD in wildlife and conservation .
Hey how did you get into WWF???
Honestly THANK YOU SO MUCH, I've been watching your videos and really appreciate all the advice you give. I was hesitant about going into this field regardless of my passion for it, but now I know how I can work on standing out in a crowd and achieve what I truly want. I am currently studying biomedical science and can't wait to switch out
your videos are helping me learn so much more inside info about wildlife biology, I rlly want to do it and maybe study more into wolf conservation and i feel like ur videos are helping me get more of a perspective on what to expect as well as some helpful tips :)
3:10 exactly one of the reasons I am currently pursuing a PhD. I had a Master's already and worked in biotech for 5 years. I wanted to have a full research experience, but I realize an academic career is a fairy tale nowadays. I'm focusing to go back to industry, but in a higher position...I'm in my 2nd year now and I'm kinda tracking it with some vlogs on my own channel, to have something to look back to once I graduate :)
Subbed to your channel by the way ;)
Will check out the rest, right after this comment :D
Greetings from Belgium!
I always look forward to your videos!
Aw, thank you!
hi kristina, i just wanted to thank you so so much for your content. I'm studying environmental sciences in germany and felt so lost all the time, as I didn't find a field to expertise in. I didn't know that my dream job really exists and how to get there. You helped me out so much, i feel so much better and now i'm able to focus on what i really want to do. Thank you so much, i wish you a beautiful day and the best wishes only!
Thank you for the kind comment!
Thank you for this video! I definitely think it's a good idea to take a few years between undergrad and grad school to gain some practical work experience, and to get a better idea of what specifically you would like to study.
Excelent vídeo and tips! Even for a m.Sc. Like me and from a diferent country (Brazil). Some pros and cons are diferent but in overall are the same. In my case After my masters degree i spend some time gaining experience and maturity and now im thinking in pursuing the DR./phd.
I have been on the fence for awhile about going back to school, even after working in the field and in research setting for the past 4 years after getting my bachelors. With all that has happened with the pandemic it has been heavy on my mind so I am happy to have come across your channel and see someone (yay woman in STEM!) who has made a successful career with your ecology BS (same here but working on the money part still lol). Its made me feel a little more confident that I haven't been making the wrong decision trying to get more experience vs heading to school and potentially more student debt.
How did you get into research with a bachelors?
Thanks for the video, really opened my eyes to all the sides of a graduate degree.
I had the impression that master degrees were only 2 years, is the PhD the closer to 7 year mark?
Emily Bryant it depends on your program, PhDs can be anywhere from 4-7 depending on if you get your thesis work done. A girl on my lab was on year 7 which is why I clarified the upper end, so it depends on the depth of your research. I’m not the PhD expert since I’ve never done one but that’s just the experience of my friends!
@@kristina_lynn makes sense! I'm thinking about going for masters if necessary but I can NOT stand the idea of being in school for another 7 years 😂 love your videos please keep up the career series!
So im currently looking into going for a bachelors in wildlife biology after I finish both my firemedic and my nursing degree. I am currently seeing a bunch of jobs across the country in the $75k-$120k for wildlife biologists and ecologists and fishery biologists with just a bachelors degree. 90% of these jobs are from the US geological survey, US forest service and US fish and wildlife service.
Omg I love your videos so much
alexis diaz thank you, you’re the best! 🥰
I am not planning on going into wildlife bio, but I am planning on going into an environmental career. I am a rising college fourth year and having a quarter life crisis, and this video was super helpful! Thank you!
Awesome, thank you and good luck :)
Thank you for this! And also the cat!!!
I wished if I saw this video 7 years age.
Students who want to study ecology very lucky to see this video and know this information
I would love to see you do a video clarifying as much as you know about any of the following (or even respond here) about some of the questions I have:
1.) What are certifications exactly and their advantages, such as the wildlife society etc?
2.) More info on the private wildlife biology industry (freelancing?)
3.) Is linkedin a good resource for networking within this field / is it used in this field to find competitive applicants?
4.) The differences between working federal/state versus in industry?
5.) Is there opportunities for student loan forgiveness through working for federal or state agencies?
6.) Is calling local biologist via publicly available directories to ask for tips for the work field/internship opportunities weird? I know back in the day walking into places and asking questions was not weird but now in the digital age I am not sure if it is too invasive or strange. On some days I am tempted to phone local park biologist to ask about things they wished they knew when they were a student. But I don’t want to feel like I’m probing or intruding on someone’s busy schedule. I’d love to know your thoughts on that!
Sorry for the bombardment of questions! Lol
Good questions!
1. Certifications can be earned on the job and are required for a wildlife job in some areas. For example, where I work, they're starting to make a "Professional Biologist" designation required for a job as a wildlife biologist, where you need a specific amount of courses and requirements. Professional societies like the wildlife society are different - those aren't required to join but can be a good resource for going to conferences and networking, and keeping on top of the latest research trends. I'm a member of TWS and going to their conference next month. Work paid for my membership though!
2. This can be a whole video so I'm not going to get into it in a comment - but in the meantime I recommend you watch Science Finance's video on freelancing:
th-cam.com/video/psSHeMbPWW0/w-d-xo.html
3. Yes set up a LinkedIn profile and add people on it! I get recruiters looking at my profile all the time and I have gotten a job out of it.
4. Good idea for a video! Govt vs private companies - private work is more focused around clients if you're in consulting, or looking out for your companies interest if you work directly with a resource company. Govt jobs are generally better hours and sometimes a bit lower paid depending on the part of the world you're in.
5. I'm not sure about student loan forgiveness - I would recommend asking the TH-camr I linked above (Science Finance) about that one! I wasn't eligible for any that I know of.
6. That's not a bad idea! I would recommend reaching out through email instead of the phone though so it's less pressure on them and not catching them off guard. I would be flattered if someone reached out to me on LinkedIn and wanted to buy me a coffee and chat about the job. Just say you're a prospective student and that their job looks like your dream job, and ask if they'd have time for a quick phone chat or coffee meeting so you could ask some questions. It's a great networking opportunity.
Yes I totaly agreed because I had same experience after I graduated from UG I did my master on environmental engineering and when I start looking for job everyone looking for experience first before your degree.
Then I started to do PhD but I stoped. Someone told me without experience even with your PhD is not easy to find a job so that is why I stoped.
If you want to do master or PhD it is better to do it while you are working.
Another thing most companies they don't hire master or PhD holders because they don't want to pay too much. Yeah they will prefare someone with bachalor degree and give him some training
Hello,
I have a question. I always thought I wanted to be in biomedical research. I graduated with my general Biology degree and realized I was interested in Evolution as it was the last capstone class final year. I did not take an ecology course and now I think I want a Masters to be able to work in Ecology or Environmental Science.
I focused on molecular and cellular science to be ready for the biomedical science career. It was in my Junior year that I became less interested and found it being mostly intense memorization and cramming information. At this point I honestly only thought of biology as valuable in terms of helping people and did not care too much or show much interest in courses offered like herpetology, ornithology or Forestry. I did take Zoology and botany as they were required for the Biology degree at my school. I liked being able to study so many different topics and see how huge the field of biology really was outside of my narrow view of medicine or research.
My view of Biology had changed but by the time I graduated I did not take the courses I mentioned like Ecology because I didn't think I could get a job outside of Medicine or research.
Now I am working at a biomedical research laboratory with stem cells and doing mouse surgeries. I only have a bachelors degree but I realize that biomedical research may not be for me as I have slowly lost interest over the years. The work is hard but interesting. I am just not putting my heart into it and the experiments that I have seen on the mice can be somewhat disheartening and gruesome. I do not like that I have become unmoved by euthanizing mice.
My interests are in the natural world and evolution and how people fit into this picture.
I realized after I graduated that I should have studied ecology and other less molecular courses. I do not want to be a lab assistant forever which is what I will be if I don't get a Master degree or a PhD route of being a post doc and living in academia.
I think it is amazing to devote work to the environment. My main interest is in minimizing human impact on the environment whatever that means or may be. Because of this I would like to work in Environmental science. I have looked at many job postings and I find it difficult to make the qualifications as they are asking for 3 years of experience or other things such as field experience in addition to degree in Environmental science.
Please let me know if I should try out the field first trying my luck for a job in environmental science instead of jumping into graduate school. I have considered graduate school as a way to build my understanding, foundation, have networking connections for a career in it. Now I find a steep hurdle and not sure how to make the transition. I don't want to be in the lab forever and I don't want to keep telling people I am going to be a scientist in this biomedical path.
Thank you for listening. Please answer or other people with experience please let me know your opinion on my situation.
As a BS bio grad and Ms bio student, i finished envi sci, biodiversity and ecology subjects quite very interesting because its broad and help to focus efforts to preserve the biologically and technologically important elements. Today, our technology smooths out the harshness of existence and allows many of us live longer, more comfortable lives but human species cannot exist without ecosystem. Our ecosystem provides everything like food, medicine, clean air and water and spiritual and aesthetical isnpiration.
Peace be to you! I'm a new subscriber! I wanted to be a Biologist since I was a little kid back in the 70s. My parents used to take me to places like the National Zoo, Rock Creek Park, National Geographic Museum and the Museum of Natural History (good times)! I eanred a B.S. in Biology and started grad school in Biotechnology (after getting rejected from Medical school 😅)! I eventually became a Physician Assistant and earned a Doctorate of Health Education. I always wonder what my life would be like if I had pursued a career as a wildlife biologist.🤔 I have NO idea how I would support my family (wife and 4 kids) on a Biologist salary. It was the PhDers I met who encouraged me to do medicine instead of a PhD in Bio!😅💸 Your video really makes me want to "get back into" the field (no pun intended)! I would like to work part time and not just treat it as a hobby! That Biology degree was hard to get!🔬🦎🌳💚🔍📚👨🏾💻😥I look forward to watching more of your videos! Take care!🤓
Amazing video!!
Thank you! 🥰
Great content!
I am currently in M.Sc Environmental sciences and microbiology :)
Your videos are so helpful! I graduated 5 years ago with a BA in geography, but didn't really pay attention to the gravity of going to college and never pursued internships while studying. Now I'm really ready to start pursuing a career. Although I love the subject of geography, I feel like wildlife biology is what I wish I would have studied. So now I'm torn between going back to school for an MS in wildlife biology, or if I should pursue internships. Just seems like internships at this point would be hard to achieve if I've been out of school for 5 years with no track record of work experience. Any advice?
Yeah, most internships are geared for current students and have a requirement you're in a degree program or a very recent grad. I think going for a wildlife master's degree is your best bet. An alternate path is to try to use your geography degree to get a job at an environmental consulting company that hires wildlife biologists, then try to get some exposure to wildlife teams there. If you know GIS this would be easier.
Love the advice, but also I love your cat lol
Is it possible to persue masters in enviromental biology if i come from diffrent background like having a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
Right now I’m in tenth grade but when I wanna get in university I wanna be something that deal with animals especially wild ones because all my life I was raising animals and I had a lot , and you are the best 💖💖💖 but I wanna ask what job I’m gonna get in zoologists? Biologists I’m confused 🤷♂️
Awesome! I always grew up with animals too and I love it :) I recommend you watch my career series linked here: th-cam.com/video/HRwyF8ST_9c/w-d-xo.html
The second video I talk about the type of jobs you can get with a biology degree! Zoology too...the career paths are very similar :)
Might as well be a vet. Zoologists barely make shit LMAOOO
I am sad I never did biology 😂. I got a bachelor of arts (International Studies) with a minor in Sustainable Development. Hope to do the Msc Environmental Resource Management, seems close to something I can use for conservation (without needing biology) 😣
means one should not sit at home and do ph.d because phd vancacy also require high experience usually in my country they ask more than 10 years of relevant experience.
Yep!! I never see jobs for PhDs only that don’t require 10 years of experience to be honest
Hello,
I’m 4th year student currently pursuing my Bsc in forestry. I’m Willing to get my masters degree in wildlife. It will be your kindness if you recommend me best university or country to study this program (also giving scholarship).
@Kristina Lynn will be curiously waiting for your answer.
Btw what did you end up choosing. Like in which country and uni did you study
I want to become a wildlife biologist, but I'm stuck with a Biology undergrad :(
Would you recommend grad school for a more specific wildlife biology major in that case?
I think that sounds like a good idea. Getting some graduate level wildlife research under your belt will definitely prepare you for wildlife work.
I am graduating with a bachelors degree in environmental& natural resources and want to work in forestry. I am conflicted on if I should try to go straight into forestry and try to gain experience then see if getting a masters would be worth it or going to graduate school to get a degree in forestry right after my bachelors. What would you recommend? Or do you feel a masters in forestry would be worth it? I see that forestry technician jobs I could start with just a bachelors but am curious if would I need a masters anyway if I want to move up in forestry?
Are there integrated masters courses in the US like in England? Where you do 4 years instead of 3 and pay the same for each year so you only pay one year extra of tuition fees.. but end up with an MSc rather than BSc. Also here there’s no such thing as grad school you just stay in the same uni
I've heard of ones with your bachelors that are 5 years instead of 4 (its 4 for a standard masters here in north america). My coworker did it and had a great experience!
Hi, I am an undergraduate student in Taiwan. My major is life science and biotechnology, but I am interested in environmental issues, and I desire to apply the master degree in the U.S this year. Besides, I also love to do the experiments in the lab. I am considering to apply environmental science and management or biotechnology for my master degree. Are you familiar with these two degrees? Which is more proper for me?
Hmm environmental science will probably be much less lab time than biotechnology. If you love the lab work, I would do biotechnology and then you can specialize in environmental biotechnology? Like a technological study of something relating to the environment. Environmental science can involve lab work depending on what you study but traditionally not as much as biotech as far as I know. I think the key will be picking a thesis that interests you and combines environmental science and biotechnology. I would also look up some jobs you’re interested in and see if they ask for an environmental degree or a biotech degree to help you decide.
@@kristina_lynn Thanks for your advice. But, I think it is hard to find an environmental biotechnology program since most of the biotechnology programs do not focus on environmental issues. However, I will still try my best to look for it.
What is the degree requirements for a environmental, wild life manager? Can you do it with a business degree?
Annika Lundstrom you can be competitive with a business degree as an environmental manager I think! It would probably be more on the business side of the environmental industry, but you’d definitely still be involved with helping the environment. I would look at consulting companies, the government, and project manager positions. Or you could always go back to school and get a grad degree in Wildlife or environment to get a more technical job. I should have mentioned in this video that another pro of getting a graduate degree is if you don’t have a super relevant undergrad major.
Are expeditions through Earthwatch helpful when looking for a job? I’m looking to major in Biology with concentrations in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
I would recommend watching my internships video as I talk a bit about “pay to intern” places: th-cam.com/video/w22LUsjvmS0/w-d-xo.html
Basically it would be the least helpful option for your resume out of longer term volunteer work, unpaid and paid internships. It sounds like lots of fun though and it’s worth putting on a resume but I would go into it more like an opportunity to see if that’s the work you like rather than a resume builder.
Can someone tell me the name of college or university from where i can get the masters degree in wildlife.
Hi Kristina, love your channel. Super thankful for it! I have a general question or video request - kind of related to some other videos you have made. How likely is it that a B.S. or even M.S. level in wildlife biology or environmental science can get a decent job? How long will it take?
I am currently in grad school for wildlife conservation and keep hearing things that SCARE the S**T outta me...like getting a job in a wildlife career is as rare as becoming famous. What does your experience have to say about this?
To build on what I talk about in this video, the key to getting a job with a bachelors or masters is relevant experience and connections. If you have a good resume with lots of internships and volunteer work you gain during your education, and reach out to wildlife professionals in your city to build your network, the chances of you not finding a job somewhere in your country within a few years max is pretty low. I think someone saying it’s as rare as being famous is a little silly, I’m sitting in an office right now surrounded by wildlife biologists and none of us are famous 😂 On a less optimistic side, you can get a wildlife job when you graduate but the chances of it being the EXACT job you want is incredibly slim. If you want to work in wildlife right out of school you should be willing to relocate if needed and take temporary positions in potentially not ideal companies. If you want to hold out for the more perfect wildlife job, you might be waiting for awhile and you’ll get passed over for the other candidate who took the 6 month wildlife technician position in Texas or whatever. The wildlife position I’m in took 8 years to work my way to after many many not ideal positions. As my boyfriend tells me, you can have it all but not all at once! But if you’re ok with a bit of chaos at first, maybe taking a second job or unrelated to get by, maybe moving around a bit, and stick to it I can pretty much guarantee you’ll find something in the environmental field eventually
The biggest pro to a master's is probably the ability to work actually work in the field lmao. I've tried for two years and half of the denials I get are because they had enough people with master's degree apply to these basic, entry level jobs. If I knew how hard it would be just to get into the field I'd probably suffer through coding or business lol. At least my debt is only 20k
DO jobs pay for a PHd and masters?
Can you talk about having diversified degrees? Is it beneficial? What I mean is, is that I’m about to finish my associates in Wildlife Management, and going to work on my associates in biology next, and then transfer everything to my local university to finish with a bachelors in environmental science/environmental ecology/.
Definitely useful to have diversified skill set but it depends what your career goals. Feel free to PM or email me about it and we can chat
So if I have a PHD, but no experience, then do I just take the lesser job until I can get the experience and then apply for the higher up jobs?
You can, but fair warning that many PhDs struggle with being overqualified for lower level jobs. A lot of times employers don't hire PhDs for low level jobs. Not the rule, but something I've heard some people struggle with
How often do you travel for this job? Do you have any female coworkers with kids who can talk about working this type of job where there might be travel?
For this job I was travelling pretty consistently (more than 50% of the time) from March - September. I just took a new job though where I won’t be travelling except for a few days a year, so it depends on your role. Honestly there’s not a single woman I know who works in the field who has kids. There are lots of women I work with who transition into more of an office role after having children. Lots of men with kids out in the field though. Doesn’t mean it’s not doable if you have a supportive partner but it’s definitely not the cultural “norm”. I want to have children in the next few years which is one of the reasons I am transitioning into an office based role, I couldn’t deal with being away that much.
@@kristina_lynn ok thank you for letting me know
Do you need a Master if you want to be an Environmental Educator? I studied Ecology
Not necessarily! Not all non profits or government agencies require it but some school districts might.
I pursued an undergraduate degree in general biology. Would they like it if I had lots of experience in field work and wildlife throughout college?
Did you take some courses in wildlife biology, environmental sciences, etc, as you got your undergraduate degree in biology?
I would like to know the answer as well since I might be getting a degree in general biology.
Petalleaf I didn’t take much wildlife related courses as I thought I was going to another career.
You need to do lots of volunteer and internships if you want a job in wildlife. Most biology jobs are shit hahahaha
Hi, I'm planning on starting a Zoology undergraduate degree this September but I have never gotten work experience with animals before. I'm planning on volunteering over the summer but what places would I volunteer at? At the moment I'm thinking of doing at either Petting Zoos or Pet Shops. Would that be the right type of experience or would it have to be somewhere else?
Where do you want to work once you have a degree? try to find opportunities as close to that organization as you can for volunteering. if you want to work as a government biologist, check out parks and rec volunteering. if you want to work at a zoo, try zoo volunteering
@@kristina_lynn I'm not 100% certain what the exact thing it is I want to work as after the degree. When I search online a couple of the career pathways do interest me though, such as working in Zoos and Wildlife Parks, Conservation or even a wildlife scientist/biologist. I'm hoping that whilst I'm on the degree I'll be able to narrow it down to what exactly it is I want to do, but I know it's 100% something wildlife/animal related. I'm from the UK and in my city there's not many wildlife type opportunities that are local. But there is a petting zoo very close by, so would you say that would be a good place to volunteer at as a start?
Did you do wildlife biology for an associates first?
Nope I went straight to bachelors. In community college I just did the classes I needed to transfer ASAP.
I gotta rewatch some of the video the cat was too cute haha
I have a Master degree in Biology, and I want to continue PhD program in wildlife or biology conservation, but is been so hard to get in a program, what advice can you recommend me of how to get accepted in a PhD program? Ill really appreciate it
I am not the best one to ask on this since I got rejected from all the grad programs I applied to 😒 I would recommend networking as much as you can and building relationships with profs as they have a limited amount of PhD students they can accept. Check postings for PhD students all over your country and see what’s available with which profs before even applying as they likely won’t let you in if they don’t have a place, professor or funding for you already. Any PhD students reading this feel free to add on!
Hi, I'm an undergraduate zoology student from India. I use to attend herpetology workshops also. I would like to do Master's in wildlife biology. Will you please give me some guidelines and best institutions.
Hey I’m sorry but I’m not super familiar with any Indian universities! Check my career series on my playlists tab for lots of applicable advice and guidance and let me know if you have any specific questions!
@@kristina_lynn I would like to do Master's from any foreign university, how about National University of Costa Rica. Will you please suggest me some best institutions for doing masters.
Hello, I find myself in a bit of a dilemma. I started my university education progressing towards a bachelor's in psychology with a minor in criminal justice (my original career goal was in law enforcement). I completed essentially all of my general education requirements, a couple of psychology courses, and a few criminal justice courses. I took a break from school for a few years, joined the military, and am going to get back into school this fall semester..
Do you think it is feasible to continue towards a psychology bachelors with a criminal justice minor and then afterwards, go for a master's in Environmental Science or Studies? Or do you feel that I should switch majors from psychology to biology with a concentration in ecological studies? This would require me to change course academically and will slow down progress towards a bachelor's (but it would be in a subject I am more interested in). I am trying to be as efficient with my military financial aid benefits (36 months worth of benefits to cover tuition and housing costs). I look forward to your input. Of course, I will also consult my school's advisors also to see what the fastest routes for those degrees would be. Careerwise, I would like to be something along the lines of a park ranger.
Did you ever figure it out? I’m in the same spot with the 36 months worth of benefits and trying to work out what masters programs to go for? Would love to know more about what worked for you!
@@NiceIceNutritionAndFitness Yeah so I actually decided to stick with my Psychology major, but drop the Criminal Justice minor because honestly, it wouldn't help really as far as finding a job goes. If I did wanna get back into law enforcement, my military experience would outweigh a Criminal Justice minor... What I did was add a second major because... I like Psychology, but my main career interests are associated with Biology/Ecology/Conservation. I'm wrapping up my Psychology major requirements and probably have about two more semesters before I finish my Biology (Ecology & Evolution Concentration) classes. I worked for about a year as a park ranger for my city, but dropped it. More important to focus on crunching through classes and maintaining a good GPA so I can get good grades AND qualify for scholarships to supplement my income. Right now, trying to get more involved on campus and programs for research experience. Aiming for National Park Service or US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Thank you for your input.
Is both graduate and undergraduate get similar kind of work ?
,
There are some fields that usually require graduate degrees, like most jobs in academia, some advanced wildlife biologist positions (senior/manager), government subject matter experts, etc. But lots don’t require grad degrees!
I am doing msc zoology now.
Can I become evolutionary biologist after PhD or postdoctoral research in zoology?
It's sad when you can't understand everything... yeah my English isn't perfect 🙄
The most beutiful woman I have seen in my life. 😍😍
Can I become an environmental scientist with a wildlife biology degree ?, I’m trying to decide whether I should be a wildlife biologist or an environmental scientist, please answer 🥺🥺
If you’re unsure you’re better off going with an ecology degree! It’s more general and you can be an environmental scientist or wildlife biologist with it. You can specialize in wildlife during your degree if you choose to or through internships in wildlife.
You better get that MS minimum if you want to be a fish and wildlife Bio.
sometimes money makes you more happier than having a social life... :) keep grinding
Depend what school your going
Its useless degree. I have 2 masters degree one in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology other in Environmental Science. Applied to more than 1000 jobs but no success. Its the worst decision I made in life. Finally I had to settle for warehouse labor work. There are very few jobs in this field as compared to degree holders. Dont waste your money and time in this field better go to other field.
Well this is highly disappointing to read for a inspiring zoologist
Jasmine loves christ might as well be a vet. More stable job