Why are wildlife jobs so COMPETITIVE & how to beat the system

Are wildlife biologist jobs competitive? Is it even possible to get a wildlife job, or is it an unrealistic dream? I go through the realistic world of finding a wildlife biology job and some of the things you can do to increase your odds in a competitive market.

This video is part of my CAREER SERIES, where I talk about how to get a wildlife and environmental job, step by step:

INSTAGRAM: @wildbiologist

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How to get your DREAM biology internship:

DAY IN MY LIFE as a wildlife conservation biologist:
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Music used:
Wild at Heart by Jonny Easton

[georgiacarias]

I get excited about the volunteer work and the journey to get the job but I don't know how I would survive financially in the process

[iambarnowl]

My 2 cents as a fellow wildlife biologist... these 2 cents are in no particular order.

Competitive, yes, very. Undergrad programs are producing environmental science graduates at a staggering rate for what is really a pretty niche field. Few jobs, boatloads of graduates. Too many graduates. Colleges are being a bit irresponsible about this to be honest. Definitely agree with video creator on this.

Furthermore, people have unrealistic expectations of what they're getting in to. Being a wildlife biologist is not holding baby bears, watching wolves, tracking elephants, etc. Entry-level field jobs are probably counting piles of poop in the woods, monkeying with trail cameras all day, etc. And once you've "made it" into a higher level stable wildlife biologist job, you're likely in a desk or in meetings most of the time. Your job is to be good communicating with and working with other PEOPLE, doing mundane tasks most of the time, and occasionally... you have a unique experience that resets your perspective and makes you love your job more than anything else.

A note on working with charismatic species... as she noted, very hard to do. If you do manage to get a position working with a particularly high-profile and charismatic species, you are probably not getting paid, getting paid very little, or in some occasions, you will even have to pay for the opportunity to work with a project. For example, if you want to work with tigers, yeah, you're probably going to have to pay for yourself to travel to the field site and then you're doing volunteer hours. Early on in my career progression, I had a field job with wolves in Minnesota and was paid a stipend of $450/month. You can't live on that, but I got to do something few people do and it was absolutely worth my time and effort. But if you ever want to accumulate any savings, you maybe get 1 or 2 jobs like this and the rest of the time, you need to be more flexible and be mindful of your needs and what you can realistically live on.

Another thing I will mention, many agencies are going to hire someone within the system already, but they are required to advertise and interview outsiders. The state government agency that I work for, for example, is required to interview any internal applicants for jobs within the agency. Meaning if a position opens up in my agency that interests me, I am going to get an interview, I am going to know the people interviewing me, and I am going to already know a lot of what they're looking for. This would give me a big edge over outsider applicants unless they are uniquely and over qualified.

It's not all doom and gloom if this is your career path, but just know that it *probably* won't be easy. Some people make great connections and fall butt-backwards into cushy positions. It happens. More commonly, I think, people scrap by and by and by until they make it, or they drop out and pursue something more practical, such as accounting. The world will always need millions of cash counters; the world only needs a handful of wildlife biologists in comparison. That said, I made it and am in the exact position I wanted to be in since I was a kid. Our video creator made it. Many others made it. You can too. Just make sure you understand what the job is really going to be like when you "make it" and be sure that's what you want and that it's worth struggling towards.

[shelleywa]

OMG. "if you are passionate about animals and wildlife, you're going to enjoy that much more than if you stuck yourself in a lab 'cause you were too afraid to go towards a wildlife career". You literally read my mind! I had "settled" on my Major being Microbiology for that reason. But my passion is animals, plants & nature. Now I'm all fired up and ready to pursue this instead. Thank you :D

[emilybryant]

Thanks for this! Realistically I don't think I'll be able to start working towards my degree or another year or two, but I think I'll go ahead and jump on volunteering to start gaining experience!

[roroparty]

My dreams keep getting crushed everyday 😭
Yet I really want to be a wildlife biologist

[richardllanos]

Hey Kristina, I'm graduating from my MSc this upcoming September and I have done a bunch of Volunteering, Internships, paid animal related work, consultancy work, research ecology work and more. I was wondering if you could potentially make a video on how to adequately build a resume. My school has resources for that, but I think it would be helpful to have the perspective of someone in the field that has interviewed and or hired individuals to entry-level jobs. (Just an idea, great video!!! thanks)

[leahg]

I know you’ve done a resume builder video but I would love to see how you put your resume and cover letter together and how you job hunt. I have experience getting jobs and doing interviews but I feel like getting a job that requires a degree and those that don’t are very different. Thanks for giving us so many awesome videos Kristina!

[markel]

I’m getting my bachelors in environmental science atm. This video got me pumped up

[racheld]

I genuinely appreciate your insights, knowledge, and advice. Thank you so much for these videos!

[Bony.]

Every time I wait for your videos, your work is mind-blowing.

[Olivia-nudr]

Hi Kristina! I see a lot of animal rights activists that are against zoos/aquariums and the people who work there, but have a lot of the same goals as people who do support zoos/aquariums. Would it be possible for you to make a video discussing that dynamic?

[postcodeox]

It seems to me, that all Degree 's make people COMPETE for jobs, not only biology. COMPETITION is everywhere.

[frzstat]

Happy Memorial Day (USA) Kristina Lynn!
I suspect wildlife biology careers will increase in the coming years. I know in my area (SE USA) it is not uncommon to encounter coyote, bobcat, fox, deer and even black bear in suburban areas. Raccoons, opossums and snakes are commonly found in the city, while hawks, falcons, owls and even bald eagles nest in or near urban areas. We need experts to help wildlife and people co-exist in close proximity.


Since you mentioned cougars. My brother hit a large cat last year that ran in front of his pickup, on a country road roughly an hour from Atlanta, GA. The cat ran off but two homeowners nearby saw it and swore it was a cougar. My brother collected a fur sample from the bumper of his truck and sent it to a university wildlife biologist. The fur collected turned out to be from a bobcat. My brother and the witnesses think it was almost three feet tall (1 meter) Hunters and farmers report cougar sightings every year in Georgia, but I don't think a cougar has ever been verified. Cheers!

[miliba]

I have little to no experience in wildlife after having graduated in geography. Then I kinda found my way into this field through my internship where I could use many geography skills. Now I've gotten a seasonal job as fisheries technician and super excited

[SrirachiKat]

I’m going to be taking next spring semester off before I transfer to a university to try and get a volunteer position during then:)

[ihavea]

I've considered volunteering with some local wildlife/parks/general outdoor agencies near me, but it's tough to find time while working a full time job. I guess I just need to make time if I'm really going to make this career change!

[amywolf]

Accurate. Thank you for laying it out there. I all of us that have a wildlife degree come to these realizations eventually.

[jorrvaskrr]

I stumbled upon your channel when I went back to school for environmental science and your tips REALLY INSPIRE ME! Thank you for creating quality content for us with questions in the field <3

[Nwright]

I like that you talked about us working class and lower income students. Its already hard to balance multiple jobs, going to school full time, and volunteering(not enough wildlife volunteer opportunities outside of the University in my area). You just have to go outside the area which is time and money and those University positions are highly coveted by graduate students. Its hard when you don't have the money or the resources but you have all the passion. I will still keep searching and connecting with my Biology professors because usually they have the connections you need if you live in a University town in the middle of nowhere. Which i think you should mention in your video or suggest people consider larger institutions vs smaller and big cities vs college towns(towns built around and dependant on University economics) and how this also plays a role in internship and volunteer opportunities when in and after college. Like my town has soooi many medical field, public health, and business opportunities but few none University(graduates only) environmental science and wild life biology opportunities. Which i didn't realize until i switched to environmental science from public health, but is definitely a consideration prior to applying to a University. I will definitely checkout your paid internship video tho

[asiffaisal]

Very helpful video. Great, very much real.