Hi, I'm Stephanie Manka, Ph.D.,
a wildlife biologist and career mentor who's helped hundreds of students all over the world become competitive for and get PAID wildlife jobs!
But you don’t have to take my word for it…
Listen to my students:
“I GOT THE JOB. I can’t even process this; it’s a dream come true.”
“I got the first job I applied for after taking the Successful Wildlife Professional, and it’s my first full-time, permanent position! Not to mention it’s my dream job! ”
– Jaimie Simmons
“I had a great interview and got offered and accepted the position today!!”
“Additionally, I had about 5 to 6 other offers as well for other positions as well. Thank you so much for this course as it’s helping me get out of my imposter syndrome mindset. ”
– Austyn Becker
“I have to thank you because I’ve used all the advice I got from you on writing cover letters and resumes…My interviewer was able to see from my resume (that improved immensely after you looked it over) that I had a strong fieldwork background… In my first interview they began the call by stating how they really liked the way I wrote my cover letter…I was selected out of nearly 200 applicants, some of whom had years of communications experience! I’m feeling very grateful and excited about this opportunity.”
– Nicole B. (name has been changed)
“I am now starting my first job as a Biological Science Tech position with the USFWS.”
“I graduated in 2020 and struggled to get any simple seasonal field jobs – even volunteer positions. I didn’t work in the wildlife field for a year. After I joined the Successful Wildlife Professional program, Stephanie gave me specific advice on my cover letters and resumes. After a few months of joining, I am now starting my first job as a Biological Science Tech position with the USFWS.”
– Rachel Smith
“I created the very first wildlife biologist position not only in my city but in my county”
“Stephanie’s guidance focused my abilities and strengths and helped me to overcome so much of my imposter syndrome that made this possible.”
– Jenny White
“I seriously cannot believe that I got my dream job!”
“Stephanie helped me gain clarity on what I want and her resume/cover letter module helped me get the interview…I was getting close to giving up on the field for a bit, but it only took one person to give me a chance after an interview and everything changed.”
– Lisa S. (Name has been changed)
Teodora Tanase
“It’s really comforting to know if I ever feel stuck or discouraged that it is not the end and there are real solutions and people that have my back.”
It is never a mistake to invest in yourself!…I was a little on the fence as well just because I was so early in my career. I wasn’t even out of college yet while other students were applying for a Ph.D.!
But, as Stephanie told me, this program is helpful for people at any point in their career. I wasn’t able to apply all of the advice at the time, but once you join the SWP, you have these resources for life!
I have constantly referenced modules, videos, and examples as I have gotten further in my career and started applying for internships.
– Sian Erb
“There were 120 other applicants and…it was clear that I knew what I was doing”
“First I wanted to say thank you again. I was talking to my boss and…she was saying that there were 120 other applicants and…it was clear that I knew what I was doing, had a mentor, or had somebody helping me because I did a lot of things right in the application process. Whereas a lot of other people made a lot of mistakes, or just didn’t have great resumes, cover letters, interviews, stuff like that. What you’re doing is definitely helping. Definitely helped me. ”
– Jaimie Simmons
“You can achieve what ever you put your mind to…this program helped me reaffirm this belief and gave me more skills and tools to work towards what I want in life”
Before the Successful Wildlife Professional I was just looking for jobs or PhDs that I could do based on my previous experience and skills. After completing the program I have more of a target oriented mindset, I can identify what skills and experience I want to have and what certain jobs or opportunties can give me those skills and experiences to reach my dream job. I feel more confident in what I want to do and how to obtain it.” Once you have a clear picture of what you really want, it is a lot easier to work towards that goal and reach it.”
– Gersey Vargas
“Stephanie’s mentoring was worth it in itself”
– Melina Shak
“Joining the program was definitely worth it.”
I learned that even if you’ve done something once, you can list that as an experience. I was able to add more experiences that I didn’t realize I had.”
– Nicole Blankertz
“I felt prepared to do it…My application was good…”
“I was finding myself…frustrated with the market…I didn’t really have a lot of direction, and more importantly, I didn’t really have any person to really talk about it, that had experience about it…I was missing a couple of the tips and tricks to the wildlife industry…how to approach an application maybe, or like what to expect or how to portray your experience…
But with the Successful Wildlife Professional program, I felt prepared to do it, not just from a mindset perspective, but also from a more practical perspective. My application was good…I knew a lot more of what to expect from the industry, even if it’s not the specific zoo, but just zoos in general, life in general…”
– Francisco Llauger
“Invest in yourself and take the program so you can have a more clear picture of the future you want for yourself”
“Why go through all the headache of trying to dig deep inside yourself to know what you want all alone when you could have a wonderful person like Dr. Stephanie Manka, who has already done the work and is willing to help, guide you in the right direction. This program will help you set yourself up for the future. By the end you will have a lot more clarity on what you probably what to do and how to reach it yourself and become a successful wildlife professional. You learn so much about yourself, the different wildlife careers possibilities and how to obtain these careers through the mentoring sessions, video recordings and self-reflecting worksheets and work material.”
– Gersey Vargas
“Getting a job with USGS and being able to work in my field (not retail) is well worth the fact I did this course”
– Abbie Heimowitz
“I was in desperate need, honestly. I was confused and helpless…”
“I felt like I was slowly but surely sinking into quicksand. Stephanie answered my call, grabbed my hand, and did not let go until I got back on solid ground.”
– Teodora Tanase
“I was also on the fence but ultimately decided to take the plunge…I think the course is highly advantageous for anyone looking for a career in this field – what do you have to lose?”
“After the course, I have a much clearer idea of what I want and how to go about it. I know how to find experience and have fewer doubts about my own ability. I also know how to think and plan more strategically about my career and jobs.”
– Alanna Street
“The program not only guides us until its completion but also provides lifetime access”
“I highly recommend the Successful Wildlife Professional Program to individuals in the early or mid-career stages of the wildlife field. It assists us in thinking outside the box and making the best career decisions for ourselves.”
– Chitra Rekha Basyal
“Prior to joining Stephanie’s programs, I was incredibly frustrated and upset about the lack of response from employers – I didn’t understand why I wasn’t getting any traction…”
“Joining Stephanie’s programs gave me more perspective and solid guidance on how to craft my resume and cover letters effectively. I relearned the importance of networking – especially being new to this career. These skills have been empowering and have given me the courage to reach out to other professionals and build relationships when I may not have done so prior to the program. I wanted to better understand the field of wildlife and how to market myself and highlight my strengths effectively. Having no experience in the field, I needed to turn to an expert that could guide me. “
– Karen Owens
“Stephanie’s mentoring taught me the big picture of what it’s important to be competitive in this career”
“Less than a year ago, I knew I wanted to work in wildlife or environmental conservation, but didn’t know what the next step was. I am in community college and didn’t know what university to go to and if it was affordable. I heard this career is really competitive and I wanted to prepare myself, but I was overwhelmed. I would go online to search for information and read different things. It was difficult to know if it was from a credible source. Stephanie’s mentoring taught me the big picture of what it’s important to be competitive in this career. I am now applying to schools for my Bachelor’s degree with confidence.”
– Sarai Zarate
“The section on finances was very valuable”
Even fewer people are transparent about planning a budget than talk about how to become a wildlife biologist!
– Hannah S.
“I feel like I have the guidance that I very desperately needed”
“Since taking Stephanie’s course, I’ve definitely experienced a change in perspective – I feel a lot more hopeful…with my last job, I was feeling very discouraged; I didn’t know where to go from there. Going through the different career workplaces gave me the context I was lacking. Even by reading the questions in the exercises, I started internalizing it. What is it that I really want? It changed my mood for the better. I have more of a positive outlook.”
– Aaron Aguila
“I know what certain career paths I want to do now and am not as confused as I was before I took the course”
“This course helped me in getting information on career paths and advice on how to get there. I was worried there weren’t that many jobs in the field but I just have to know where to look and broaden my search. I know what certain career paths I want to do now and am not as confused as I was before I took the course.”
– Saren P.
“I have a path going forward, and I am not panicked”
“I am really glad I took this course because I had no idea what I was doing before! I had no idea to even start thinking about the future. Now that I have the job tracker, I have a path going forward, and I am not panicked.
The course is definitely worth more than what we are paying – it’s not like you are just listening to the webinar. You have to think about things; you have homework assignments. This course saves you so much time down the line once you know where you want to go.”
– Kelly Rocheford
“My life is very different since taking Stephanie’s course. Before, I was very unmotivated…but now I am excited.”
“All of the inside exercises were very helpful. I realized that I didn’t like my program at my university and decided to switch! If it wasn’t for this course, I would be continuing on a path of a major that I didn’t really love. This course helped me a lot and I feel a lot more confident in my decisions.”
– Lucia Sanchez
“…Really wish I had found your class sooner so I could’ve saved myself the time.”
– Anissa Magallán
“They would like to hire me for a full-time position…I am beyond excited for this opportunity!”
“About two weeks ago I was notified by a friend that her place of employment was hiring, so I put in my application. The director got back to me that same day and set up the interview for the next day, as I was off of work. This morning she contacted me to let me know they would like to hire me for a full-time position starting in January. I am beyond excited for this opportunity! Thank you Stephanie for helping me fix up my resume and cover letter. It helped me gain confidence in myself to apply for this job.”
– Allison P. (name has been changed)
Francisco Llauger's experience:
Nicole Blakertz's experience:
Melina Shak's experience
Hannah Som's experience:
Who am I?
My name is Stephanie, and I’ve worked in the wildlife field since 2003.
Over nearly two decades, I worked extremely hard to gain research experience at three internships, in my Ph.D., and 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 exclusively on getting one where I then 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 with just a little bit more experience than me – or sometimes a lot! In one case, the person who got the job over me had ten years more of experience 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 an amazing 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
- 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 (20K 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.
If you’re ready to get results like these and go after your dream career in wildlife, then I’d love to meet you! Check out my programs page to see how can work together.
And make sure you sign up for my next free training!
