Job Ideas?

[hubba20]

So maybe this is a little bit of a different question, but I am 20 years old and I am just thinking about what I want to do in this life for a career ha. I´m really into the outdoors and I have thought a little bit about getting some type of job for Fish and Wildlife Services or BLM or something like that... I´m not too familiar about the jobs that are out there, but maybe you guys can help me out...
What are some of the jobs that I could look into?
What kind of schooling would I need to get for that career (I am still planning on being in college for at least 3 more years)?
What are some things that a wildlife biologist does?

I just really enjoy being in the outdoors a lot so it would only make sense to get a job where I can spend time outside, right? If I have to have a "desk job" for 30 years I might go crazy ha.

Any ideas??
Thanks!

PS: I not looking for a "tree hugger" job where I have to go out and count how many blades of grass there are in an area ha... just keep that in mind haha

 

[beav906]

Forrester, rangeland management. Get on USAjobs.gov and see what you can find. BLM, forest service, USDA. All sorts and they tell you what you need

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Many years ago I wanted to do exactly what you are talking about. I picked a college that had an excellent Wildlife /Fisheries Management Program (Humboldt State in Eureka, Ca). I was a pretty good football player and had a number of scholorship offers, H.S.C not among them, as they didn't offer football scholorships at all. I chose another school in southern California (now that rings a bell!) and got a degree in Business. Went on to get an MBA and another degree in Production Engineering. Worked 40 years in aerospace...great career and got paid lots of $$$.

But did not allow me to work out of doors and in what I really wanted to do. I guess I traded that for another career and money! Go to the best school you can afford and follow your heart. Talk to the people in the field you are interested and find out what it really is like. The main thing is get your degree!!!

 

[Old Hunter]

If I had a chance to do my life over again i'd be a warden. Not a bad choice for you if you love the outdoors. You'll need a college degree for the job, so you're headed in the right direction. I'd pick a state, and talk to the DOW about what you need to do.

 

[Kevin Root]

Like Colorado Cowboy, Old Hunter and beav906 have mentioned get a degree or the schooling you require towards something you want to be. Hopefully it will be something you are passionate about, and then stick with it until you get there.

If I had it to do over again, I'd have stuck to my first plan and have gone to Humboldt State here in CA to be a wildlife biologist or game warden. Instead I changed my mind, went to Fresno State and worked towards a business degree. I have a good career and things worked out well enough but sometimes wish I could or would have stuck to plan number one longer.

“Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve, there is a series of obstacles, and the bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles. Your decision to be, have and do something out of the ordinary entails facing difficulties and challenges that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else.” ~ Brian Tracy

 

[hoshour]

I would call a biologist, a warden and someone who works for the Forest Service and tell them you would like for them to fill you in candidly about their job. I think many of them would take time to talk to you and maybe let you tag along for a half day in the field. The wardens and biologists I have talked to about areas I was going to hunt DIY as a nonresident were very likeable and very helpful. I will say that the biologists I have talked to spend a lot more time at a desk than you would think.

BTW, our wedding announcement from almost 38 years ago listed that I was going into forestry. Like CO Cowboy, I ended up in business, got an MBA and a seminary degree but never worked in forestry or for the Game and Fish. Like most people, I have wondered sometimes what life would have been like had I taken one of the other forks. Who knows?

As a Christian, I always pray for the Lord to direct me in his will and trust that He does. As a married man, I have learned to really value my wife's input. Many times she has seen what I miss. Maybe a close friend can do that for you.

My advice - get lots of information from people who work in those fields and follow your gut.

 

[GameSlayer]

I have been working as a fish biologist for the last 6 years. It has been both fun and adventurous as well as boring and monotonous. I have worked for the Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife, and a tribal government. It definitely gets you outside a lot, but I think most people don't realize how much work that has to be done in the office. Yes your first couple years you will be out in the field, but the further you move up the ladder the more you get stuck in the office.
I think the game warden route is the best for staying in the field most of the time, but for this job you have to be willing to work alone most of the time.
If you do want to work in natural resources, be it fish, wildlife, forestry or whatever I think you ultimately have to care alot about the resource.
If you are looking for schools the University of Idaho is top notch for natural resources.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to discourage you. But I am trying a career change myself..

 

[wapiti66]

I got a buddy that graduated from a ranger school in Co. Wants to be a warden but is struggling to find a job he wants. He says they do a lot of seasonal hirings so he hopes for some jobs to come up in the fall or next spring. He also says he may have to go the Police route for a while to use the degree, but isn't exactly his preference. I've always been interested in the forest fire fighters, but haven't pursued it yet. I too got a business degree but wonder about the "mountain" jobs.

 

[Fink]

I'd echo most of the statements above.. I'd always considered going into the field you are considering, but I was afraid it wouldn't let me pursue other dreams I had.. In the end, I graduated with degrees in business and Insurance & risk management, and I'd like to think that I'm still an expert at the outdoors as well.. I think it's important to have balance in life, and to keep your hobbies your hobbies.. Don't mix business with pleasure, if you will..

The most important thing is to get your degree, and go from there.. You can't go to work hating what you do every day, but at the same time, your job has got to be able to make ends meet.

Also, regarding going crazy at your desk job... I always felt the same way when I was trying to figure out what I was going to do when I grow up... Looking at it now though, It's a comfy 72 degrees in here, and about 102 outside. I also appreciate the outdoors much much more now than I did 5-10 years ago.

 

[dihardhunter]

I'm at the tail end of doctorate research project at Auburn University in Wildlife Sciences (got my B.S. and M.S. in same field at NC State), so I'm currently dealing with a very saturated job market even at that end of the spectrum. I've got more friends than I count on my fingers and toes with a 4 year degree and struggling to find a job that even pays $30,000 full-time. I'd think long and hard before counting on making a career in natural resources and if you do proceed with that career path know that an advanced degree is almost a MUST to be competitive for even entry-level biologist jobs. 4-year guys are grunts on burn crews, bush hog tractors, and picking invasive weeds off mountain sides right now. Bottom line is that the 4-year degree job applicant is growing at a rate exponentially greater than the job market can support and has been for some time now. Sorry to be a downer, but that is the harsh reality of the budget cuts that have hit the field often and hard over the last decade.

 

[Old Hunter]

I'm at the tail end of doctorate research project at Auburn University in Wildlife Sciences (got my B.S. and M.S. in same field at NC State), so I'm currently dealing with a very saturated job market even at that end of the spectrum. I've got more friends than I count on my fingers and toes with a 4 year degree and struggling to find a job that even pays $30,000 full-time. I'd think long and hard before counting on making a career in natural resources and if you do proceed with that career path know that an advanced degree is almost a MUST to be competitive for even entry-level biologist jobs. 4-year guys are grunts on burn crews, bush hog tractors, and picking invasive weeds off mountain sides right now. Bottom line is that the 4-year degree job applicant is growing at a rate exponentially greater than the job market can support and has been for some time now. Sorry to be a downer, but that is the harsh reality of the budget cuts that have hit the field often and hard over the last decade.

Is that for your area, or everywhere?

 

[ivorytip]

become a guide man!!

 

[velvetfvr]

I am only 15 but I want to be a game warden or work for a department of wildlife or something like that.


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[Jerry]

There are alternate type jobs out there. Something like a field agent for Boone & Crockett, working for a guide/outfitter, etc. You probably won't get rich but it's one way to stay in the outdoors!

 

[trkytrack2]

Get your degree in wildlife biology, etc. One thing you will need to understand.....entry level pay is very poor in any government positions. If you decide to pursue a career as a game warden, remember this....a game warden is on call just about 24/7 during the hunting seasons. If you love to hunt, you can just about kiss that goodby. Whatever you decide, get your degree first. Good luck in your endeavors.

 

[Murdy]

It's a dream a lot of us have (or have had), so, like dihardhunter says, things are competitive and you have to make yourself stand out. It's been 20+ years since I thought about it, but I and some friends all looked into it at different times (when I was interested, I was in northern Wisconsin, can't say for sure if things are/were the same everywhere, but I suspect that jobs like this generally attract a lot of interest). If you are looking at government work, serving in the military might give you a bit of an advantage during the hiring process (certainly with the feds, and probably with most states).

 

[dihardhunter]

There are 10 jobs out West to every 1 job in the East. Problem is they are all still drawing 50-100 applicants and pay usually breaks down to $9-13/hour. Not hardly enough to support a family. Check out the following website managed by Texas A&M Wildlife. It lists pretty much every natural resources job that comes available across the nation. There is a little bit of everything.

http://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/job-board/

For me personally, it was a blessing in disguise that I got sucked into a PhD program because I honestly think I would be making diddly squat doing technician work with a Master's degree in today's economy. Instead, I'm making just about the same off a research stipend/grant and hopefully position myself to 'stand out' as Murdy says above. At this point, I'm looking to be a professor/researcher at a land grant university, but I'm still looking at another couple years of Post Doctorate work after my dissertation is finished in the spring. Eeshh!!!

 

[Big Sky]

I ended up going the oppsite direction. I was in your situation not to long ago. I love the outdoors and said that there is no way that I would have a desk job. After my first year in college I realized that this working 12 hour days and every weekend not only cut into my free time but was going to make a old man out of me real fast. I decided a little bit of a more of a desk job wasnt all that bad. I now have every weekend off, get three weeks time off and have enough money to be able to do the things that I enjoy on my time off.

I am not trying to change you mind but just saying the direction that I went.

 

[Old Hunter]

I ended up going the oppsite direction. I was in your situation not to long ago. I love the outdoors and said that there is no way that I would have a desk job. After my first year in college I realized that this working 12 hour days and every weekend not only cut into my free time but was going to make a old man out of me real fast. I decided a little bit of a more of a desk job wasnt all that bad. I now have every weekend off, get three weeks time off and have enough money to be able to do the things that I enjoy on my time off.

I am not trying to change you mind but just saying the direction that I went.

I don't follow you? Are you saying wardens work 12 hours a day 7 days a week? The one I know has pretty normal hours.

Even with all the negative comments about being a warden. I would have loved to do it, but I would have been going into it in the 60's. I wouldn't want to be young the way things are now.

 

[Brady]

I too used to want a career in the outdoors. I thought it made sense to work in the outdoors since that was my passion. I then started thinking about who I would be working for, hours, temperature of job environment, compensation etc and I started thinking that it wouldn't be for me. I'll admit, the largest factor was the $$$, it's harder to raise a family on $40K/year when you can work elsewhere and make double or triple that. The other biggest factor was that I love the outdoors and I didn't want to get burned out on it which is a very real possibility.

I even took a semester off of college when I was 20 and filmed for a hunting show called Fair Game TV, it was on Versus '08 and '09, and that really opened my eyes to the outfitter/guide end of the business. We traveled all over, from British Columbia, New Mexico, Old Mexico, Kansas, tip to tip of Texas, and New Zealand. It was fun, learned a ton, but didn't make any money. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world but I'm not sure I would want to do it as a career. I was not home for 4 months and temporarily lost touch with friends and family, that part wasn't too cool.

All that to say, try working in the outdoors and see if it works for you, if not, change careers and you'll never have the "what if" thought in the back of your mind.

Here's a thought though, you could guide big game hunts in the Rockies Sept- end of Oct, then do deer hunts somewhere Nov-mid Jan, then move to the southern hemisphere (New Zealand or Argentina) and guide hunts down there from March to July. Maybe pick up some fishing guiding in there somewhere too. While working for Fair Game, I spent 6 weeks with an outfitter in south Tx doing deer hunts, some of his guides were trout/redfish guides on the Tx coast for 9 months a year and guided deer hunts Oct-Jan. Most outfitters are always looking to hire good guides.

The good thing is you have options, options, options! For sure get your degree first though, you'll never regret it. I went back to school after Fair Game and got my Petroleum Engineering degree from Texas Tech Univ, great career for me personally.

Sorry for such a long post, good luck bud!