Entry Level Wildlife/Animal jobs? Is this possible?

Submitted by DickTooRadical t3_11hmo27 in Washington

Hey! I’m 23 and I work a boring warehouse packaging job. I completed nearly 2 years of college before the pandemic then I dropped out.

I am planning to go back to college for Zoology or Animal Biology but that won’t be for another year when things are a little more settled in my life. I am wondering if anyone knows of where to look for animal related jobs that don’t require experience? I haven’t found much luck on the internet but I know there has to be stuff out there for people who don’t have a degree yet.

TIA for any help!

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sarahjustme t1_jau7g0v wrote

WSDOT and WA DNR post fairly often on Twitter and FB, regarding seasonal jobs, if you'd look at that as a way to get your foot in the door.

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DickTooRadical OP t1_jau7wm2 wrote

Replying to sarahjustme (#2,156,146)

hey thanks! Just pulled up the DNR website to check out their job listings. I’ll do whatever I can to get my foot in the door with the right people/departments. Even thinking about a Wildland Firefighter position since it’s pretty entry level and would get me in with the right crowd!

Happy Cake Day !!!!

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distracted_redhead t1_jau9bnw wrote

Check this out. As luck would have it I was made aware of this event just today. Hope it helps event invite

**King County is hosting a zoom event for people 16-24 to learn how to get jobs/internships with the county in various departments including Animal Services and Parks and Rec.

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Responsible_Manner t1_jaunkxh wrote

Veterinary clinics seem understaffed; a support job could be a great way to get related experience and address the spay/neuter crisis.

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felicitations t1_jaunzop wrote

It might not be what you have in mind, but what about working at a dog daycare? I've been a dog daycare employee for several years and was hired without any experience or degree, and many of our new hires have no relevant experience. You learn so much about dog behavior and body language. It can be a stressful and difficult job, but if you love dogs it's rewarding. Definitely not boring. There are a lot of shitty daycares out there though, so you have to find a good one!

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Th3seViolentDelights t1_jautiup wrote

Pasados Safe Haven always needs animal caregivers and their grounds are fantastic.

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SpecialistHippo4551 t1_jauwu3k wrote

King County has summer field positions sampling stream invertebrates. They should be posting those soon. A full time wildlife position, even for someone with a degree, is a unicorn job. Most people in full time wildlife positions start with a series of temp and seasonal jobs and get a master's degree before scoring that full time job.

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DickTooRadical OP t1_jav2dzo wrote

Replying to felicitations (#2,156,870)

I’ve thought about it! There’s actually some that look really nice in my area ive been checking them out. I actually used to work at an ER Vet so i’m very familiar with the stress of working with animals lolololol.

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DickTooRadical OP t1_jav2juo wrote

Replying to Responsible_Manner (#2,156,858)

They are so very understaffed it’s heartbreaking.

I used to work at an Emergency Vet. It’s great to have on my resume but I left because that job wrecked my mental health more than any other i’ve ever had. I’ve been thinking about something more low key like a spay/neuter only clinic or anything where I’m not working alone for 9hrs with no breaks.

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GiantASian01 t1_javylja wrote

I did a great internship in Alaska (enumerating spawning sockeye) with the Student conservation Association, I recommend checking their website out. I didn’t get paid but they paid for room and food and a plane ticket.

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mudbutt4eva t1_jaw2f1e wrote

Washington Conservation Corps is a good way to get experience.

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pk_sea t1_jaw3emq wrote

I’m not sure of their requirements, but Cougar Mountain Zoo always has several young people working.

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hyrailer t1_jaw3fje wrote

Most cities with animal control officers can hire people who have no experience. An interest in biology would certainly help. And as a previous commenter said, state agencies are looking for people with those leanings as well (WSDOT as numerous positions statewide for people dedicated to protecting fish and wildlife habitat)

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Rocketgirl8097 t1_jawmxyt wrote

National and state parks always seem to have a need for forest rangers. People for rehabilitation of trails etc. Mt Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Mt St Helens National Monument. Also various forest service areas such as Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Wenatchee National Forest. Dozens of state parks too.

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DickTooRadical OP t1_jawnp1u wrote

Replying to Rocketgirl8097 (#2,159,668)

I don’t think I live close enough right now so Hopefully they have some seasonal positions, maybe I could find a way to do it for just summers or something like that. Working with the NPS is in my future for sure, When I’m in college i’m hoping to get some hands on experience at National Parks.

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GiantASian01 t1_jawqor3 wrote

Replying to DickTooRadical (#2,159,685)

Fair enough! It’s been like 15 years since I did that but I faintly recall there were some paid internships as well, so I would still recommend checking their website out to see if there’s anything local that pays!

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Bird_Herder t1_jax7gy4 wrote

My experience went like this. I graduated with a degree in Wildlife and Restoration Ecology. I wanted to get a job at a fish hatchery but I applied to a lot of different areas. I would either get a rejection email saying I didn't have enough experience or would get no response at all. I even DID have experience through volunteering with Fish and Wildlife and at a raptor rehab center, but they would specify PAID experience. I only applied to full time, permanent positions though since I had bills and couldn't afford the uncertainty of part time or seasonal positions. After 5 years I just gave up and figured I'd be working retail forever. I finally lucked out and found a position at a public aviary, but it was really pure dumb luck that I got it. So, as far as I know, if you want a career with Fish and Wildlife you probably need to start as a seasonal and work your way up.

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TVDinner360 t1_jaxk31x wrote

DNR and DFW are definite starting points. You might not even need a degree for some of their seasonal gigs. But don’t forget about Dept of Ecology, too.

If you move down to Olympia, you could also go to school at Evergreen. They have a lot of course offerings that intersect with your interests, and they’re fantastic for working, non-traditional college students. And cheap.

Evergreen isn’t for everybody, but it’s definitely worth looking into.

Good luck! I have faith that you’ll find work that you enjoy, because you’re clearly being strategic about getting there.

TLDR: don’t wait until you have a degree to start angling toward the field you want to work in. You can take steps now.

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DickTooRadical OP t1_jayj3p9 wrote

Replying to TVDinner360 (#2,161,187)

I live in Olympia actually haha! I mentioned in the post that I am going back to school but it’ll have to wait about a year. I started looking into DNR and the Department of Ecology yesterday, definitely some good stuff. Thank you for the info!!

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OlyTrees t1_jayk00j wrote

So, I don’t know exactly how it works now but when I was a student in Oly, the US Forest Service could hire students non-competitively. I went to the Olympic National Forest HQ and asked about student employment. They set me up on contracts doing fish surveys and literature research. It was enough to pay for school, it gave me some college credit for the job experience, and I built a network to grow from over the years. Best luck and thank you for your interest in ecology.

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