What if I told you that most jobs in wildlife, conservation, and environmental science aren’t directly in research? Would you be shocked? Well, it’s true! And that’s exactly what I talk about in this episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast.
Listen to What are Wildlife Research-Adjacent Jobs and Should You Take One?
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When most people think of wildlife work, they think of jobs in wildlife research. Those are jobs where you pose questions or objectives, and then collect, process, and analyze data to address them. But when you compare these jobs to all of the others in the realm of wildlife, conservation, and environmental sciences work, they are actually in the minority.
I am calling these non- ”traditional” jobs wildlife research-adjacent work or even just wildlife-adjacent jobs, even though they relate to conservation and the environmental sciences, and some are definitely in the wildlife field.
This was a topic suggested by members of my Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology Facebook group a couple of years ago because there is strong interest in them, so I thought it would be the perfect topic to take a deep dive into for the podcast because it is a big one.
In fact, it’s WAY too much to cover in just an episode. This is by no means a full list, and there’s not enough time to go into them in-depth. For example, in my group mentoring program, the Successful Wildlife Professional, we spend at least 30 minutes for each job and organization type.
"Make sure you don't lose sight of the prize, your ultimate career goal…A lot of people start going into wildlife-adjacent fields because it's what they can get, and then they are several months to a year or years into it and realize they're unhappy and they can't get out of it."
I’ll walk you through the major categories: data analytical and processing roles like GIS, statistics, lab work, and computer science; communications, outreach, fundraising, and education jobs; wildlife health careers, rehab, and vet work; zookeeping; more environmental science roles in water quality, forestry, and agriculture; corporate sustainability positions; and outdoor recreation jobs.
"You always wanna be thinking about your ultimate career goal as your North Star, and don't let yourself get stuck in a position that you aren't 100% happy about."
But first, before you even consider a wildlife-adjacent job, I ask you to question WHY you’re pursuing one of these jobs in the first place. Is it because it is truly a job you want? Or is it because you feel like you can’t get the job you really do want?
"If you work for a big corporation and have an impact, you can make a big change…that's going to impact all wildlife."
In my experience working with individuals seeking these kinds of jobs, it’s usually the latter, and if that’s the case, I encourage you to go after what it is you really want because this is a fixable problem. I identify the two big reasons that people can’t get wildlife jobs in the first place and what you can do about them.
"My students come to me with these resumes, and they're like, "I can't get anything." We change their resumes and cover letters, and then they start getting offers."
Finally, I’ll leave you with this: wildlife jobs have a reputation for being competitive and low-paying, but that’s not universal, especially when you consider adjacent jobs. In a recent podcast interview with Patrick Rainey of Ducks Unlimited, we talked about some wetlands restoration jobs that are in demand and also well-paying. So if getting a high salary is important to you, you might want to explore wildlife-adjacent work.
"Just because it is within the environmental realm it doesn't mean that it is a job that doesn't pay well or not in demand. In fact, some of these can be paying really well and in demand."
Specifically, we cover:
- What “wildlife-adjacent” work means and how it differs from traditional research careers
- The two biggest reasons people fail to land wildlife jobs, and why that matters before you consider an adjacent path
- When pursuing a wildlife-adjacent job is a smart move even if it’s not what you really want, and how to prevent it from becoming a trap
- Analytics jobs, including GIS, statistics, lab work, and computer science roles
- Communications, outreach, fundraising, and education jobs, including science writing and ecotourism
- Wildlife health careers like rehabilitation and vet work
- Zoo and aquarium roles outside of research
Environmental science jobs in water quality, forestry, agriculture, and more - Museum work
- Corporate sustainability roles, even within companies you wouldn’t expect to have a conservation focus, and how this can indeed make a big difference for wildlife
- Outdoor recreation jobs
- Why some wildlife-adjacent fields are actually in high demand
- And more!
"I always tell my students that at any job they have, we can leverage something to a wildlife job…Even if you're working at Target…There are skills in there that we can apply to wildlife work."
Resources and Sources What are Wildlife Research-Adjacent Jobs and Should You Take One?
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