by Emma
I was an Ecologist from 2003-2006 and returned to environmental work from 2009-2011. This is my story of how I first got my first job as an Ecologist and my progression since.
How it all started
I’ve always been interested in nature and wildlife so when I was making my choices at A level I chose Biology and Geography (as well as Psychology). Apart from really enjoying these subjects I knew they would give me a good grounding in the natural sciences, which I hoped I would be able to use later on in a career. I also chose to do a degree in Geography, where I completed a mix of human and physical geography with a few environmental science classes mixed in. It was a course on ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ through the Environmental Science department that first truly opened my eyes to ecological work.
After uni, I struggled to get a job and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. The corporate world didn’t appeal to me and trying to get a job with a charity or small company seemed impossible. I had no work experience to stand me out from the crowd of other graduates.
Volunteering
I came across an article in the Somerset Wildlife Trust magazine about the Somerset Environmental Records Centre (SERC) ecological trainee scheme. This really caught my interest as I knew I’d like to work in the environment sector and was particularly interested in wildlife. By this point I had come to realize that I would need to do a significant amount of voluntary work experience to stand any chance of getting a job in this field. I decided to apply and was accepted.
I would highly recommend SERC to any budding Ecologist as the scheme gave me a good grounding in many aspects of ecological survey work and botanical i.d. skills as well as the experience of working for an environmental organization. I certainly would not have scored my first job without it and it was a really enjoyable year working with a great bunch of people.
There are a few essential reference books that every budding Ecologist needs to help with their studies. The book I used most throughout my training and all my Ecology jobs was The Wild Flower Key by Frances Rose
Job Hunting
From about six months into the scheme I started applying for jobs. I used the Countryside Job Service as the main source of job ads, as well as the Guardian (Wednesday edition) and the Environment Post. I don’t know how many jobs I applied for, but it must have been 30 or more, with no offer of interview. Finally nine months after starting the scheme, three of us were invited for interview for the same job at a small consultancy. The interview involved a practical survey exercise of an old quarry, and an interview with the two directors. I didn’t get the job, but it was very good interview practice. Six weeks later I was invited for another interview, this time for a consultancy in London, and I was offered the job. The interview involved a desk based plant and animal id test (using photos and specimens) and then a one-to-one interview with the director.
(These i.d. tests seem to be common place when interviewing for junior ecological positions, but becomes less common as you go for more experienced positions).
The job
I was recruited as a Junior Ecologist and was sent off all over the south-east of England undertaking field surveys of plants and animals on sites earmarked for development. I also undertook a lot of Great Crested Newt (GCN) survey and relocation work (for which you need a Natural England GCN handling license) and undertook specific surveys to record badger sets. I enjoyed being outside and doing the surveys, although working for a consultancy you are always under a huge time pressure. It always seemed that no matter how big the area was you had to cover, you were only ever given one day to do it in!
I applied for Associate Membership of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM) as I had seen that nearly all job ads beyond graduate level asked for this as an essential requirement. It took them six months to get back to me, (the board only meet twice a year) but I was accepted as I now had enough experience and two referees who were full IEEM members.
I also learnt to use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) whilst I was here. These systems are used for a lot of ecological and planning work as they produce data spatially (i.e. you can plot data on a map). My geography degree came in useful here as I had some experience in using these systems before.
The work I undertook at the consultancy centred around doing field work ( both of flora and fauna), writing reports, desk based research, and managing sub-contractor schedules. This work is typical of many junior Ecologist positions within consultancies.
Moving on
After 14 months at the consultancy I moved on to work as a Conservation Project Officer for a local Wildlife Trust, where my role was to undertake botanical surveys of wildlife sites within the county (County Wildlife Sites) and to run a project encouraging land owners to plant woodlands. Unlike the work at the consultancy it wasn’t development led, so I didn’t have developers as clients desperate to get planning permission and as a consequence the pace of work was more relaxed; however it was also a less dynamic environment to work in. I was given free reign to manage my own schedule for the season and actually had time to enjoy being out doing field work as the deadlines weren’t too tight. I loved having the time to explore different sites such as woodlands and wildflower meadows, finding new flowers I’d only ever seen in a book before. When the sun is shining there is no better job than being an Ecologist, who wants to be stuck in an office when you can be out walking in fabulous countryside!
Fifteen months later, my partner was offered a job in Dorset, an area I love, so we decided to upsticks and I was once again hunting for a job. I sent my CV speculatively to a consultancy in Bournemouth and was immediately invited for interview. I was then offered a six month contract over the summer. It turned out that they had a number of ecologists off on maternity leave and another had just handed in their notice, so I had applied at a perfect time. It really is worth sending out your CV speculatively to places you are interested in working for; companies will often consider hiring staff even if they’re not actively recruiting, provided the right CV lands on their desk.
This time my role centered around writing the ecology chapters of Environmental Impact Assessments (reports written for certain types of development) and liaising with in house landscape architects, planners and designers to agree a suitable layout for a housing development and a new golf course. I spent a considerable amount of time out of the office doing field work throughout the south-west and east of England and attending meetings to advise developers on ecological issues. Whilst I enjoyed the variety, the workload was heavy and the hours long; I spent a good deal of time driving to sites and staying away from home. These are common complaints amongst many ecologists working for consultancies. However, with experience (and good negotiation skills) you can earn a reasonable living from this work.
Life in another country
I decided after six months of working at the consultancy that I wanted to visit Australia on the one year working holiday visa. So I left my job at the consultancy and set off on my travels ( Have a read of my post Living in Brisbane, Australia ). Once in Australia I tried applying for ecology jobs without success. Without experience of Australian ecology I couldn’t get a job, so I had to re-think my CV and draw on other (non ecology) skills I had gained from working.
Back in the UK; Utilising my skills in a different way
Three years later I was back in the UK, this time with a baby in tow. I needed work that I could do to fit in around childcare. Fortunately, I had contacts in the farming business who knew landowners who wanted to get into the Environmental Stewardship Schemes. With my ecological and environmental background I knew I would be able to do the work, even though I knew little about farming. I read everything I could on the subject and then went in and sold my skills to farmers. I was commissioned for several jobs and I went out and did all the farm environmental surveys and associated paperwork. I really enjoyed working for myself because I could manage my own time and work load, but not having a regular income could be quite stressful and work was irregular. When the spending review was announced in October 2010, my work totally dried up and I was back job hunting again.
In Retrospect
My career history has been quite varied. I could have had a career staying with a consultancy rising from Junior Ecologist up the ranks to Ecologist, Senior Ecologist and possibly principal Ecologist (Director level), which is what many ecologists I know have done. However, this was not for me. I found I did not particularly enjoy working for a consultancy as the work was development led rather than conservation led and it could be highly pressured with out much support. I enjoyed working for the Wildlife Trust but the pay I received was very low and did not offer many opportunities to advance and widen my skill set. But, please remember this is just my own opinion of my personal experience. Many people I know working as Ecologists really love their jobs and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I may well go back to it myself one day as my passion for wildlife and nature conservation is still alive and well!
What I am trying to say is that, just because you start off on one path, there is no reason that you have to stay on it. I enjoyed much of my time as an Ecologist, however, the decisions I have made in life have provided me with new opportunities. I chose to live in another country, but this meant I had to put my ecology career on hold. It was completely worth it for the chance to live abroad and not getting a job in the Environment sector made me open my eyes up to the possibility of other jobs. I ended up working in Project Management and undertook several professional courses which have improved my skill set no end. When I returned to the UK I was able to utilise my ecology skills and new project management skills to become self employed and I’m continuing to diversify my job skill set every year.
Have a look at How to Get Your First Job As An Ecologist for specific information on entering this career path.
The Pro’s and Con’s of working for Consultancies and Charities as an Ecologist
Below is a generalised list of pro’s and con’s in working for either a charity or a consultancy. Not all statements are true for all organisations, but are listed to give you a general idea of the differences.
Consultancy Pro’s
- Pay can be significantly higher than in other sectors once you have over 2 years experience
- Potential opportunities to work all over the country and with ‘big name’ clients (developers and other large companies)
- Potential opportunities to specialize in a protected species (bats, badger, dormouse, great crested newts) or area of botany
- Corporate environment – professional tone to company, they pay professional membership fees, bonus schemes)
Consultancy Con’s
- Corporate environment may not suit your way of working as can be fairly formal and business (money) driven.
- Clients are mainly developers, so conserving nature is not their no 1 priority.
- Time is money, it can be quite stressful in meeting ‘chargeable time’ targets
- Long hours, working away from home. Often required to stay overnight and work evenings (particularly if you specialize in Bat survey work)
Charity Pro’s
- Informal environment
- All working towards same good cause
- More relaxed pace of work compared to consultancy
- Totally independent; not paid by developers
- Generally more flexible with working hours
- Environment often less dynamic compared to a consultancy
- Can be frustrating to work in a fairly beaurocratic environment
- Pay is generally lower
- Less opportunity for career progression within an organisation
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