Help! Wildlife Management Major?

[Papa Chicken]

NewHope33-- didn't see your question until today (thread response feature in CC seems to have been hung-up....I'm getting a rasher of aged post email notifications this morning from weeks & weeks ago!)

Any case.....a person with a Bio & Wildlife BS could work on virtually any project in our "natural resourses" portfolio...ranging from NEPA driven environmental impact studies, wetlands assessments, endangered species projects, stream restorations...you name it. The majors get you in the door (here), and project assignments start with a role where ones academic background will help the project, but usually individuals grow with their projects into other environmental expertise areas beyond their academic courses. What I am trying to say is that there is plenty a biologist with wildlife major could & would do in a firm like mine strickly sticking to their majors, and there is plenty of room to grow into other areas once within a consulting environment. We look for people who (1) have a good grasp of the scientific method in general (we like research, honors, and thesis work), (2) can add some expertise from their past experiences (including academics), (3) show some leadership potential, and (4) can communicate. Thats a pretty basic list (and virtually any natural sciences background could have merit), but its harder to find the combination that one might imagine, especially the leadership & communications parts, which portend for us the potential ability for someone to grow to becoming a consultant.

On the grad school thing....the bio field is definitely one where I'd recommend individuals eventually pursue grad work. We hire more masters level than PhDs, but we are happy with both. And we hire folks who do graduate specialization in science or engineering fields, and some of our employees go the generalist route and pick up a an environmental engineering or environmental science/policy/planning masters degree....or an MBA. Just depends on the interests of the individual, but virtually any combo works with us....assuming excellence in those 4 things mentioned above.

[Consolation]

On the dream job front, I met a park ranger several years ago who was assigned to the Everglades during the winter, and an island off the coast of Maine during the summer!

[paying3tuitions]

I have a niece majoring in Wildlife Management at the SUNY-Env.Sci/Forestry program located in Syracuse, NY. I believe she intends to work overseas, in Africa or Asia perhaps. She sees it as her ticket to see the world. I have no idea if she is realistic or not; have too many nieces to keep up with them all, but I wish her the best. Last time I saw her, she was talking a lot about gorillas; very interesting, actually.

[LakeWashington]

Various states and municipalities hire high-priced environmental/ecology/conservation consultants. Typically a job applicant in this field will need a M.S. at minimum.

[PackMom]

S called last week to say he was going a on a class field trip... to the zoo.....with his Wildlife Management class. His Natural Resource Mgmt. classes only have about twelve people in them even though his university is the largest in our state.