Live Masterclass for wildlife careers:
DISCOVER HOW TO NETWORK ONLINE
TO GROW YOUR PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS
and GET JOBS
If you’re not networking, you’re not building your career. Period.
You’ve heard over and over how critical networking is and that it gets people jobs. But how do you network?
I used to hope I would bump into the right people at conferences. It took me years to learn that this was a waste of time.
In this new masterclass I have to offer, Networking for Introverts, I teach you how to network online, an efficient and effective means to grow your professional contacts while preserving your energy.
In this masterclass, you’ll learn:
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Why for introverts? Because I know that most of us are introverts (including yours truly) and networking is especially hard for us.
People are often shocked when I say I am introverted because I am good at being social and talking to others – however, I was not always this way. I was shy growing up in school and in graduate school I was so intimidated I didn’t ask any questions in class or seminar until I graduated.
In this masterclass, I teach you online networking, which is easier and dare I say, more effective than in person networking. And often necessary for in person networking! I’ve found online networking much easier as an introvert.
Please note that this is a live masterclass that will run on Saturday, May 27⋅11:00am – 1:00pm Central time. When you purchase, you will receive access to the course, but there will not be any content, only a zoom link. If you cannot attend live, no problem! I’ll post the recorded video afterward and you keep access to it indefinitely. This will be uploaded to the course. Zoom limits the spots so be sure to sign up here to reserve yours now for the Networking for Introverts Masterclass now! |
THE POWER OF NETWORKING!
Meet your instructor…
My name is Stephanie, a lifelong animal lover and fashion-loving wildlife biologist (hence my nickname the Fancy Scientist).
Having been a first generation college and Ph.D. graduate, I am no stranger to hard work. In fact, my dad always told me to “work with my brain and not my back.” But I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career. I had no idea “wildlife biologist” was even a career option.
During college, I started pursuing a career in acting and studied biology as a backup so I could become a medical doctor if acting didn’t work out. I was scared of the intense competition, financial risk, and job insecurity that came with the acting world.
My brother randomly suggested that I study abroad and I took him up on it. When searching for programs, I was drawn to one on wildlife management in Kenya amongst the pile of theater program brochures – it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I took a leap of faith and went.
I was so relieved when I discovered my DREAM career there: wildlife biologist. Upon returning, I dove into this new career path head first.
I worked extremely hard to gain research experience at three internships. I applied to and got into graduate school, worked my butt off for my Ph.D., and worked for seven years as a postdoc on prestigious research projects around the world. By the end of my postdoc, I had nearly 20 publications.
On and off after graduating with my Ph.D., I applied for permanent jobs, focusing on getting one where I now lived in Raleigh, NC. I became good at getting interviews – about ⅓ of my applications – but every time I was close to being offered the position, there was someone just a little bit more qualified than me. When talking to my colleagues who were also applying to jobs, I knew I wasn’t alone as they had the same story as me.
The worst part was, I did everything right! I had multiple publications. I wrote and received grants. I had a good network. After multiple rejections (and many tears), I started to learn it wasn’t my fault.
The field changed fast – in fact, I saw it change with my own eyes over the course of my graduate experience. With more B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. graduates, it was more competitive than ever, and I realized the advice I was given was out of date. In fact, the wildlife biology job market looked remarkably similar to the acting one I was so relieved to leave.
From each rejection though, I learned exactly where I needed more experience and became obsessed with helping the students I was mentoring avoid the same mistakes. Now I know exactly where I went wrong for the jobs I wanted. I was both under-qualified for some jobs I wanted while my Ph.D. overqualified for others.
I wrote blog posts on my experience because everyone I knew was feeling the same way, but no one was talking about it. My blog posts reached tens of thousands of people and I realized SO MANY of them needed this help. I even wrote the book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know.”
Today…
I used what I learned from being on the job market to teach students what I wish my mentors told me. I help aspiring wildlife biologists identify, become competitive for, and ultimately get their dream job.
Besides having been where you are, I have:
- A B.A. (2003), 3 internships, a Ph.D. (2012), and 7 years of postdocs in the government, zoos, museums, academia, and alongside nonprofits
- 20+ peer-reviewed scientific publications across topics in in animal behavior, mammal communities, predator-prey relationships, non-invasive genetics, satellite telemetry, social science, and citizen science – full CV here
- Study species and systems across four continents (I’m an expert in forest elephants!)
- Multiple appearances as a science expert on national television shows on the Science and History Channels.
- A large professional network (500+ connections on LinkedIn) and social following (15K across platforms)
Experience on large, collaborative open access projects with prestigious organizations like the Smithsonian
I am also…
- VERY down to earth and relatable even though I have worked with some of the best scientists in my field and have a Ph.D.
- An advocate for mental health, work-life balance, and not defining yourself by your career
- Open about my own career and personal struggles including battling depression and overcoming a severe case of impostor syndrome
- A lover of coaching, self improvement books and courses, and am constantly working to improve myself or make things more efficient
- Optimistic – not naturally – but through years of working on myself using practices from neuroscience
FUN! I love to laugh, and do not take life too seriously
What this means is…
I genuinely care about you and understand the struggles you are going through. I was never the smartest student, but I worked hard and at my core, believed in myself. I believe anyone can become competitive for wildlife jobs once they really understand the job and themselves.
I have helped people get real jobs in this competitive job market.
Together, we can make your dream job become a reality, transforming you from defeated job applicant to thriving wildlife professional making a genuine impact in the world.
