Case studies: Qualifications and skills officer: Amy

Amy had always been interested in Ecology but knew that working from an office suited her better than being out in the field. Read on to find out how she managed to get the best of both worlds…

During my Zoology undergraduate degree I volunteered at the Bristol Zoological Gardens which gave me a rounded view of wildlife and experience of communicating science to the public. I also took part in lots of survey work which I found through websites such as environmentjobs.co.uk . It’s very easy to find voluntary work whilst doing your studies, which can be useful, if not essential, if you’re considering a future career in ecology.

In addition, I took a water vole and a bat course to upgrade my ecology skills. Organisations such as the The Wildlife Trusts , Kingcombe Field Study Centre and the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM)  run such courses (see career development section), some of which are discounted for student members.

Another way to gain broader ecology experience during your studies is to sign up for working holidays – these are relatively costly but I managed to fund mine with my student loan and spent my three vacations first in South Africa at an endangered species centre, then doing mammal surveys in Costa Rica with Global Vision International (GVI)  and finally in Hawaii helping out on a project on invasive plant species.

In order to gain expertise in ecological management, I decided it would be useful to complete a Master’s degree so I undertook an MSc in Ecology and Management of the Natural Environment at Bristol University. To manage this financially, I studied part time over a two and a half year period, while working full time in a finance office. It was hard work and meant I had to work on my Master’s degree during my holidays. Also tiring because activities such as hedgehog surveys have to be done at night; but I enjoyed the contrast of field work versus office work.

My first job following graduation was working for the People’s Trust for Endangered Species which was an administrative post that combined my ecology knowledge and experience with my desire to work in an office environment.  Because there were only 12 staff members, I was able to get involved in a variety of jobs such as fundraising, membership and financial administration, attending events and even running the shop - which was fun.

After a year, I decided to move on and took up my current role as the qualifications and skills officer for a national biological learned society. The work is very varied with lots of UK travel and the opportunity to meet and communicate with lots of people.  I work on the Degree Accreditation Programme, which highlights degrees that educate the research and development leaders and innovators of the future. I am also responsible for higher education careers and run the undergraduate bursary scheme. Although more removed from ecology, I still keep in touch with my passion by continuing with some of my previous activities on a voluntary basis.

I would advise any student considering an ecology career of any kind to do lots of volunteering. There are many opportunities to do this at local, national and international levels. Gain greater insight into your particular ecological interests by considering an internship or join one of the many societies, such as the British Ecological Society , People’s Trust for Endangered Species, Zoological Society of London, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)  and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) .