I’ve been seeing a ton of great PAID wildlife internships being posted so I thought it would be a great time to go over how to get an internship for wildlife biology, ecology, zoology, and conservation careers. So for this episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, I am talking about everything to do with internships in wildlife careers. This includes ecology, conservation biology, zoology, and environmental sciences.
Listen to Wildlife Internships: What They Are and How to Get Them Here:
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In the first part of this podcast, I talk about what is an internship in wildlife biology and how it differs from other experiences such as temporary field assistant positions and volunteering because internships are supposed to be a more unique experience. Also, I get the impression from talking to literally hundreds, probably even thousands of struggling and aspiring wildlife biologists that internships are really coveted or desired. A lot of people actually think that you need internships to succeed. Why is this? Although they are unique and different from other experiences, is this true for wildlife careers?
Next I talk about how to find internships. I go over the important wildlife job boards, but also discuss having to look elsewhere and why, including individual organization websites and maximizing your search by following organizations on LinkedIn and connecting with wildlife professionals there. In this ultra competitive field to make sure you’re not missing opportunities, I go over the importance of cold networking and using social media to cast your net even wider.
"You don't have to have an internship for success. What is really important is the experience that you get."
Lastly, I cover all the different types of wildlife internships: paid, unpaid, and those that you pay for (yes! This is a real thing in our field). Besides payment, what are the differences in those experiences in terms of the outcomes you get? Do they prepare you and give you the experience you need to get you on track for your wildlife dream job? Of course you want to get paid, and although those are becoming more common, they are more competitive, so this may not be possible for you at the moment. Is it worth it to take an unpaid internship? What about those that you pay for?
Once you find internships to apply to, it’s essential that your application stands out. As I mentioned above, this field is super competitive and wildlife internships, like almost all wildlife jobs, are not easy to get! You are going to be amongst dozens, and it’s not uncommon to be amongst even hundreds of other applications. I talk about the key principles needed to ensure that your application gets put into the “yes” pile. For instance, you want to make sure that you qualify for the internship, have a wildlife resume – not a regular resume, and write a compelling cover letter. To increase your chances, you want to be networking – and you don’t have to do this in person. Online is an extremely effective way to network!
You might be surprised by what you learn. In fact, you might not even need an internship at all!
" You cannot follow general resume advice out there. You cannot follow career counselor advice out there. It just does not work for our field. "
Even if you are not looking for internships, but are interested in working in the wildlife field, what you’re going to learn in this episode is definitely going to apply. Make sure you stay tuned and listen to this whole episode. And the most important part is I want to help you get those internships or whatever experiences you are applying for. So the tips you are going to learn today are going to raise your game.My goal is to equip you with the knowledge and tools to successfully navigate the internship landscape and ultimately secure your dream wildlife job wildlife.
" It's those students who make the connection, who are really out there...It is these people that are making things happen for them. "
Specifically I go over:
- What is an internship and what makes it unique
- Do you really need an internship?
- How to find wildlife internships
- How to make your job application stand out so that you get wildlife internships
- How to get internships when your job applications aren’t getting you interviews and resources to help
- The importance of networking to enhance your internship search
- The difference between paid, unpaid, and internships that you pay for
- If unpaid and internships that you pay for are worth it to build experience in your wildlife career
- And MORE!
Resources and Sources in Wildlife Internships: What They Are and How to Get Them:
And make sure you sign up for my next free training!
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