Case studies : Technical sales adviser: Sarah Levett

Sarah has a BSc Conservation Biology and Ecology from Exeter University and works as a technical sales adviser for Biotrack Ltd.

From my job title, the ecology part of my job is not obvious but Biotrack specialises in radio-tracking and GPS equipment for wildlife research. The main part of my job is liasing with customers and giving advice and suggestions on equipment to help with their studies.

Whilst at university I wasn’t even aware that these kinds of jobs, combining conservation and ecology with a sales role, existed. I had always had a strong interest in nature and a passion for environmental issues and this led me to choose my conservation biology degree at Exeter University. I had considered veterinary training and marine biology at A-level but when I found this course, I knew it was what I wanted to do.

After graduation I returned to waitressing where I had worked during the holidays. I also started volunteering one day a week at my local wildlife trust. I actually found my current job through the jobcentre. For the position I was required to have a biology degree, good computer skills and excellent communication skills. It was also desirable to have experience of biological research and voluntary conservation work. My degree and the other opportunities that were available to me at university helped me meet these criteria.

A typical day starts with checking my emails, responding to customer enquiries and following up on current orders. In the afternoon I can be working on marketing materials or preparing for wildlife conferences. As my job has developed, I have taken on more customers, am attending more conferences and, most excitingly, am working on my own radio-tracking research project tracking emperor dragonflies.

The best thing about working in this sector is getting to hear about all of the up-and-coming research and meet the ecologists who are doing it. I love helping researchers get just what they need for their studies and travelling to conferences all over the world is a great experience. The job can be challenging at times though, especially when dealing with large numbers of customers in the spring or when preparing a scientific paper.

In the future, I would like to continue to use sales and marketing in an ecology and conservation situation, as I really like the combination. If I could continue my research project to give a more a practical ecology and conservation side to my work as well, that would be great.

The advice that I would give other students and graduates is to take every opportunity offered to you and get as much as experience as you can. Keep working even if the job is not ecology based, as the skills that you can gain in the workplace are still really valuable. In the field of ecology, having an enthusiastic and keen attitude will really help you stand out.