This is an incredibly insightful video. I graduated with a geoscience BSc from Keele and a masters in micropaleontology from Birmingham. As someone who is reasonably experienced in the field, someone wanting to become a ‘palaeontologist’ as a career is an abstract question to me. My masters degree actually prepares me for a job in the oil industry using fossils and can be an incredibly lucrative career, but from my experience, aside from that you’re limited to research in universities and museum work if you want a career in palaeontology. However running your own business finding and preparing fossils is also an option too! I am currently searching for volunteer work in a museum and searching for a job as a biostratigrapher, which is basically someone who works out the ages of rocks using fossils for use in the oil industry. My advice for a young aspiring palaeontologist who has yet gone through university is to stay curious, keep reminding yourself of why you love palaeontology, work hard and prepare for the breaks, which I am currently experiencing right now!
sign me up! i'm currently studying biology, chemistry and physics in sixth form and I'm hoping to get a Msci in palaeontology at Bristol Uni but i'm being optimistic. I'd love to do any and all volunteer work! and I have been to a few geoscience open evenings at Bristol already and i'm working on doing volunteering at Bristol Museum
We are really pleased you find this helpful :) We are always trying to inspire young people, If you haven't already you may find our Facebook or Instagram pages helpful (with parental permission of course) as we regularly post updates from our museum as well as fossil facts etc
We are really glad to hear it! It isn't always easy but even if you can't follow palaeontology as a career you can still be one just like our very own Dr Steve.
Im currently in 12 grade and its my final year in high school ı realy want to be a paleontologist since ı was 6.My country don’t have a paleontology section in university so ım preparing my self to go Germany ı hope ı can make it
Kimmeridge is a great beach! (if it wasn't for all the flies!) your collection was amazing! I found a Trigona bivalve and brought it to the collection and it was almost identical to the ones on display. Amazing place
Hello, I'm 14 and I've been interested in Palaeontology for a really long time however I'm just not sure how to begin my studies, where should I start? What subjects should I be focussing on? Are there any tips or maybe books that can help me learn? I'd love to pursue palaeontology as a career some day, I've been passionate about it since I was little. I understand if some of these questions cannot be answered, but I'll be very thankful for any response I get. ☺
Hello, this is a subject we're are looking forward to exploring more of on our channel going forward but for now I shall do my best to answer your questions. The first thing you should do is keep exploring the interest outside of your studies, TH-cam has some wonderful resources, equally the following website is also quite useful www.palass.org/careers . As school subjects go, Palaeontology is an earth science so similar subjects are beneficial such as geography, geology. The Core science groups also come into play in palaeontology in some form, particularly biology. One thing Dr Steve is always keen on though is hands on practical experience. There is nothing quite like exploring these subjects in the real world. The Geology of the UK is incredibly diverse and there is a lot to explore. It may be worth looking into what area of Palaeontology fascinates you the most, this will help you choose what books can help. If you have any other questions, please let us know :)
I’m currently graduated from geology (B.Eng.) focusing in micropaleontology and wanted to continue my career as a biostratigrapher in oil and gas industry. But i wonder which kind of career path should i choose?
isnt the palontolgists salary in the uk 20,000 pounds per year and 60,000 pounds per year at experienced? because thats what comes up when i search the salary
I personally am not sure what the average salaries are for palaeontology, they seem to differ so dramatically depending on the role and the context, professional collectors and preparators can make very different amounts to academics and researchers.
huge amount of variation, if you do documentaries or are a curator the upper limit is £200,000 but expect just above minimum wage if you don't go to uni and a bit higher if you do (if you set your expectations low you will want to study harder and if you do fail you wont be disappointed)
I’m 23 am I’m interested in pursuing paleontology. Tell me. Are the requirements in education different nowadays, or are they the same as always (like for example, takes 7 plus years of school). Also, is it ever too late to become a paleontologist considering my age (23-24)?
Qualifications are a useful resource into the field of palaeontology, whether it is the right route for you is up to you but there are many people who haven't followed the 'traditional' route into palaeontology, Steve was never formally qualified. The amount of education you could undertake would be dependent on the level you wish to take it to. To get a doctorate, you would be looking at a relevant undergraduate degree, masters degree and then the PHD which would total about 7 years. We don't ever think it's to late to persue this area of interest. Steve didn't become a 'professional' palaeontologist until the museum was opened. It would be worth planning where you would like to go with the subject, what the end goal is. It's a wonderful but fairly limited field, where other related areas may provide more work.
I'm currently 13 and interested in paleontology. How and when should I start planning my future studies and what subjects should I take for GCSE and A level
it's great to hear you are interested in the subject, If you wish to start planning toward a career in the subject there are subjects that will help your understanding moving forward such as biology, geography and geology (if you school offers it). It's worth looking into what you would like to do within the field of palaeonotolgy their aren't a huge amount of career opportunities but the geology industry has many career choices. That's not to say it can't be done but it's not the easiest to find a job in. It may be worth factoring this into your career planning and maybe like our very own Steve Etches keep palaeontology as a passion not a career. However, there are more options for palaeo careers worldwide.
I am 21 i always loved dinosaurs never did anything in this field but im at that age that i want yo build my future whit something that i love is it still a good option?
We firmly believe it's never to late to start, Steve didn't start 'The Etches Collection' until he was about 35. Although he had always had an interest and got involved with fossil hunting. If you are passionate about it, it's always worth trying. But naturally there always going to be other obligations that get in the way. Not all routes into palaeontology have to follow the academic route so it can still be worth chasing your dream!
If you are serious about it as a career, the best thing you can do at this stage is get your GCSE's or equivalent in the sciences and then aim to move on to more relevant topics as they become available to you through A-levels and Degrees etc. While doing this you can be expanding your knowledge through online courses, TH-cam resources and books. It might be a little early to choose an area of focus within Palaeontology but if you have a specific interest don't be afraid to research further into it. A good understanding of biology will help when moving forward. We are planning on producing a few more videos moving forward around this topic, so keep an eye out for those and hopefully they will be able to help you as well. Best wishes, The Etches Collection Team
We are glad it was helpful, you may be interested to know we now have a series of these videos from different perspectives th-cam.com/play/PLmIkdDpiWN9b3AcI6z-Vwp6OfgQrNrZax.html.
All we can say is keep engaging with the subject and following the path that suits the area you wish to go into. Sadly Steve's route into palaeontology isn't open to everyone, it's easier to follow the academic route through schools and university. What we will say though is get hands on with the subject, go explore, find your particular interest and don't be afraid question things and/or make mistakes.
This is an incredibly insightful video. I graduated with a geoscience BSc from Keele and a masters in micropaleontology from Birmingham. As someone who is reasonably experienced in the field, someone wanting to become a ‘palaeontologist’ as a career is an abstract question to me. My masters degree actually prepares me for a job in the oil industry using fossils and can be an incredibly lucrative career, but from my experience, aside from that you’re limited to research in universities and museum work if you want a career in palaeontology. However running your own business finding and preparing fossils is also an option too!
I am currently searching for volunteer work in a museum and searching for a job as a biostratigrapher, which is basically someone who works out the ages of rocks using fossils for use in the oil industry. My advice for a young aspiring palaeontologist who has yet gone through university is to stay curious, keep reminding yourself of why you love palaeontology, work hard and prepare for the breaks, which I am currently experiencing right now!
sign me up! i'm currently studying biology, chemistry and physics in sixth form and I'm hoping to get a Msci in palaeontology at Bristol Uni but i'm being optimistic. I'd love to do any and all volunteer work! and I have been to a few geoscience open evenings at Bristol already and i'm working on doing volunteering at Bristol Museum
im almost 13, in fact 13 this friday but have a lot of fossils and a dino nerd and loved this please keep doing this as its very helpfull!
We are really pleased you find this helpful :) We are always trying to inspire young people, If you haven't already you may find our Facebook or Instagram pages helpful (with parental permission of course) as we regularly post updates from our museum as well as fossil facts etc
Thank you so much! I've wanted to become a palaeontologist since i was around 2-3 years old, and this really helped!
We are really glad to hear it! It isn't always easy but even if you can't follow palaeontology as a career you can still be one just like our very own Dr Steve.
Thank you! I’m an avocational paleontologist and this was really encouraging!
This is amazing advice thankyou very much.😁
We are glad you think so, Steve and the team hope we can continue to inspire you on your journey into palaeontology :)
Im currently in 12 grade and its my final year in high school ı realy want to be a paleontologist since ı was 6.My country don’t have a paleontology section in university so ım preparing my self to go Germany ı hope ı can make it
Kimmeridge is a great beach! (if it wasn't for all the flies!) your collection was amazing! I found a Trigona bivalve and brought it to the collection and it was almost identical to the ones on display. Amazing place
Hello, I'm 14 and I've been interested in Palaeontology for a really long time however I'm just not sure how to begin my studies, where should I start? What subjects should I be focussing on? Are there any tips or maybe books that can help me learn? I'd love to pursue palaeontology as a career some day, I've been passionate about it since I was little. I understand if some of these questions cannot be answered, but I'll be very thankful for any response I get. ☺
Hello, this is a subject we're are looking forward to exploring more of on our channel going forward but for now I shall do my best to answer your questions. The first thing you should do is keep exploring the interest outside of your studies, TH-cam has some wonderful resources, equally the following website is also quite useful www.palass.org/careers . As school subjects go, Palaeontology is an earth science so similar subjects are beneficial such as geography, geology. The Core science groups also come into play in palaeontology in some form, particularly biology. One thing Dr Steve is always keen on though is hands on practical experience. There is nothing quite like exploring these subjects in the real world. The Geology of the UK is incredibly diverse and there is a lot to explore. It may be worth looking into what area of Palaeontology fascinates you the most, this will help you choose what books can help. If you have any other questions, please let us know :)
I’m currently graduated from geology (B.Eng.) focusing in micropaleontology and wanted to continue my career as a biostratigrapher in oil and gas industry. But i wonder which kind of career path should i choose?
isnt the palontolgists salary in the uk 20,000 pounds per year and 60,000 pounds per year at experienced? because thats what comes up when i search the salary
I personally am not sure what the average salaries are for palaeontology, they seem to differ so dramatically depending on the role and the context, professional collectors and preparators can make very different amounts to academics and researchers.
huge amount of variation, if you do documentaries or are a curator the upper limit is £200,000 but expect just above minimum wage if you don't go to uni and a bit higher if you do (if you set your expectations low you will want to study harder and if you do fail you wont be disappointed)
I’m 23 am I’m interested in pursuing paleontology. Tell me. Are the requirements in education different nowadays, or are they the same as always (like for example, takes 7 plus years of school). Also, is it ever too late to become a paleontologist considering my age (23-24)?
Qualifications are a useful resource into the field of palaeontology, whether it is the right route for you is up to you but there are many people who haven't followed the 'traditional' route into palaeontology, Steve was never formally qualified. The amount of education you could undertake would be dependent on the level you wish to take it to. To get a doctorate, you would be looking at a relevant undergraduate degree, masters degree and then the PHD which would total about 7 years. We don't ever think it's to late to persue this area of interest. Steve didn't become a 'professional' palaeontologist until the museum was opened. It would be worth planning where you would like to go with the subject, what the end goal is. It's a wonderful but fairly limited field, where other related areas may provide more work.
I'm currently 13 and interested in paleontology. How and when should I start planning my future studies and what subjects should I take for GCSE and A level
it's great to hear you are interested in the subject, If you wish to start planning toward a career in the subject there are subjects that will help your understanding moving forward such as biology, geography and geology (if you school offers it). It's worth looking into what you would like to do within the field of palaeonotolgy their aren't a huge amount of career opportunities but the geology industry has many career choices. That's not to say it can't be done but it's not the easiest to find a job in. It may be worth factoring this into your career planning and maybe like our very own Steve Etches keep palaeontology as a passion not a career. However, there are more options for palaeo careers worldwide.
I am 21 i always loved dinosaurs never did anything in this field but im at that age that i want yo build my future whit something that i love is it still a good option?
We firmly believe it's never to late to start, Steve didn't start 'The Etches Collection' until he was about 35. Although he had always had an interest and got involved with fossil hunting. If you are passionate about it, it's always worth trying. But naturally there always going to be other obligations that get in the way. Not all routes into palaeontology have to follow the academic route so it can still be worth chasing your dream!
@@TheEtchesCollection thank you😁
I am 14 years old and want to become a paleontologist , what do I have to do ?
🇻🇳
If you are serious about it as a career, the best thing you can do at this stage is get your GCSE's or equivalent in the sciences and then aim to move on to more relevant topics as they become available to you through A-levels and Degrees etc. While doing this you can be expanding your knowledge through online courses, TH-cam resources and books. It might be a little early to choose an area of focus within Palaeontology but if you have a specific interest don't be afraid to research further into it. A good understanding of biology will help when moving forward. We are planning on producing a few more videos moving forward around this topic, so keep an eye out for those and hopefully they will be able to help you as well. Best wishes, The Etches Collection Team
Im 14 and in highschool and i want to know how to start to prepare in highschool and what to do in university
This was very useful, thanks
We are glad it was helpful, you may be interested to know we now have a series of these videos from different perspectives th-cam.com/play/PLmIkdDpiWN9b3AcI6z-Vwp6OfgQrNrZax.html.
So I am twelve years old, I live in the UK 🇬🇧. Could I please have some tips on how I start?
All we can say is keep engaging with the subject and following the path that suits the area you wish to go into. Sadly Steve's route into palaeontology isn't open to everyone, it's easier to follow the academic route through schools and university. What we will say though is get hands on with the subject, go explore, find your particular interest and don't be afraid question things and/or make mistakes.
Step 1: Develop a taste for instant ramen 🍜 and develop it fast mate…
I love that a Steve was asked. Brings to mind Project Steve, a parody of the creationist tradition of listing scientists who doubt evolution.