Pursuing a Career as an Ecologist

1. Congratulations.

A career in ecology or conservation is worthwhile because of the opportunity to focus your energies on nature, and on service to the planet and humanity. Your service is greatly needed and will be greatly appreciated because the challenges are many and complex, numerous crises loom, and strong political trends are working against progress.

2. Explore the possibilities.

Be aware of the great diversity of professional directions, activities, and strategies that you might take to be effective as an ecologist.

Consider the following kinds of professions:

General Category	Focus/Specialty/Kind of Institution
1. Academia	Research professor at a major research university Teacher at a liberal arts or community college or specialty school Teacher at a K-12 school Part-time instructor in a specialty subject
2. Non-government Research	Scientist at a non-governmental organization “think tank,” e.g. World Resources Institute Scientist at a non-governmental organization “conservation group,” e.g. The Nature Conservancy Scientist at a non-governmental organization “professional organization,” e.g. Ecological Society of America
3. Government	Scientist at a government research organization, e.g. UNESCO Food and Agriculture Organization, USDA Agricultural Research Service Scientist at a government “think tank,” e.g. National Academy of Sciences Applied scientist or manager at an agency responsible for resource uses and lands management, e.g. US Forest Service, US National Park Service Applied scientist or manager at an agency responsible for development assistance, e.g. USAID, US Forest Service International Programs Applied scientist or specialist at an agency that implements environmental regulation, e.g. Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service Applied scientist advisor at the policy-making and upper management levels of an environmental agency Investigator of environmental compliance and crimes for a regulatory agency
4. Lobbying	Applied scientist investigator and advisor at an organization lobbying legislators and agencies about policy, e.g. Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council
5. Industry	Scientist at a company conducting research about resource uses, e.g. a logging or petroleum company Scientist at an industry trade or professional organization, e.g. forestry or petroleum industry organizations Applied scientist or manager at a company conducting resource uses or lands management, e.g. a logging or petroleum company Investigator of claims or assessor of risks associated with insurance for environmental disasters
6. Consulting	Scientist conducting research or applied scientist conducting studies and writing reports for multiple clients
7. Engineering	Design and manufacture of environmental products, facilities, and services Research and development of environmental technologies and their impacts Inventing new technologies
8. Support for Scientists and Engineers	Editing and writing Illustration and graphics Logistics, transportation, e.g. pilot of specialty aircraft or research ship Computing, e.g. Geographic Information Systems or simulation modeling Statistics Team management and administration
9. Avocational Ecologist	Business leader who serves as a trustee or board member of conservation organizations Free-time volunteer for conservation organizations

3. While exploring your options, distinguish the kinds of professions and personal roles most appropriate for you.

Take time to explore and consider the different tracks, and the kinds of roles you might play. It is not easy to find the right “fit;” and many students and young professionals find themselves in inappropriate tracks, which lead to frustration and ineffectiveness. The right “fit” includes opportunity as well as appropriate characteristics of your personality and interests.

You are likely to start out at a lower-level position, serving the basic needs of more senior colleagues; so look for the best opportunities to gain exposure first. Then you will grow and improve with time, life changes, and experience; your opportunities and standards of appropriateness will evolve. You will have the opportunity to improve your abilities and status by continuing your education and maintaining your professional affiliations with colleagues and organizations. You may find mentors to guide and assist you.

Make your choices for early career goals and activities based on appropriate roles, just like you would choose a partner for a business venture or to share a home. You may need time for “trial and error” lessons. Distinguish between and incorporate in your strategy both “inherent” and “opportunity” qualities of yourself (see below). Improve the “opportunity” qualities as available. Select appropriate activities for the most success at your current and next career stages.

Inherent Qualities	Opportunity Qualities
Interests and personal motivations “Predispositions” toward different work roles and circumstances Personality traits and preferences for different roles and circumstances Personal preferences for living circumstances dependent upon career type	Skills Education Family or societal limitations Inspiration Assistance

4. Some Additional Early-Career Strategies.

Develop your career-building strategy with a general vision of goals with many potential tracks to get there; acknowledge your current stage, and focus on the next few steps only.

Seek opportunities to gain exposure to potentially appropriate professional tracks and experience in needed skills; when starting out, look for internships and apprenticeships, and ask to interview people in professions and roles that appear appropriate for you; failures and experience in inappropriate professions and roles will help you to focus.

Plan to continually re-assess your position and goals, then improve your “opportunity” qualities.

Seek mentors to guide and assist you; the best ones have highly intelligent and successful people in their “orbit” already; chose career activities that have a valuable mentor over those with a more interesting topic and a less valuable mentor.

To develop a career in consulting, get experience working for a large consulting firm that offers lateral-move options and teaches you about business; either be a generalist and serve as a synthesizer, team leader, project director, or an administrator; or develop and offer a specialty, e.g. a specific topic or role; as specialties become narrower, such services are often out-sourced, which leads to freelance opportunities.

Cultivate and take opportunities for especially creative activities, such as those that take you out of your accustomed topics, places, and societies.