Let’s talk about talking to humans. If you’re trying to build a career in conservation – especially if you’re transitioning in – and you’re not reaching out to people… …you might think you have a networking problem. I’m guessing you don’t. If this sounds familiar: You re-draft a message five times… and don’t send it.
There’s a pattern I see in many conservation career paths: Once I have enough experience, then I’ll go for the job, then I’ll feel fulfilled. Once I feel more confident, I’ll apply for that role, so I can start being impactful. Once I have more time or money, I’ll change careers, so I can start
Quick question: What colour sunglasses are you wearing when you look at your career? Because we all wear them. You might be looking through grey lenses: “There aren’t many jobs.” “It’s too competitive.” “I need a master’s degree to stand a chance.” Or maybe yours are amber: “I need more volunteering experience before applying.” “It’s too late
There’s a quiet battle most of us fight every day, often without realising it. It’s the tug-of-war between what you really want, and what’s standing in the way: fear, discomfort, resistance. Sound familiar? Changing careers is terrifying. Leaving behind who you’ve been, stepping into the unknown, with no guarantee of how it will turn out. Putting yourself out
I once read a book called Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office. It promised to teach women how to act to reach that coveted office with a view – society’s symbol of professional success. The only problem? Who wants to spend their working years acting like someone else… just to end up in a
Before you read further, you should know this: we can’t tell you where you fit in conservation. And that’s a good thing. If you’re stepping into the messy unknown of starting – or switching into – a career in conservation, it’s natural to crave clarity and assurance. You want to know you’re on the right
What if the biggest barrier to your conservation career isn’t the sector – but the stories you believe about it? If you’re starting out – or trying to switch into the sector – chances are you’ve heard at least a few of these: “You need a master’s degree to stand a chance.” “You’ll have to
While you’re busy taking care of our beautiful planet, are you taking care of yourself? Have you ever struggled with issues like barriers to entry, competition, finances, pressure, isolation or eco-anxiety? Join guests Kirsty Crawford and Laura Cuppage from & Another Thing for a special interactive event to explore wellbeing in conservation, how it affects conservationists
Our careers often seem like the centre-point of our lives. For many of us, they are our source of purpose, identity, income and fulfilment. But our careers don’t exist in isolation… they’re just one piece of a much bigger puzzle called LIFE. If one or more areas are out of balance, even most fulfilling career
What will 2023 have in store for you? Now is the perfect time to start thinking about how you want to make the most of the year to come. To support you, today I’m launching a five-day New Year / New Career challenge to unlock your ideas and help guide you in 2023. It could
Welcome to our final podcast episode of 2022! As we look ahead to a new year, we’re reflecting on what we loved about 2022, and what we’re excited about in 2023. Joining our host Dr Nick Askew is Head of Community, Dr Fernando Mateos-González – or Nando he’s often known – and Head of Engagement
Like many conservationists, we spend most time focused on supporting people and the planet, and we rarely take time to celebrate our successes along the way. That’s why we’re dedicating this post to celebrating success stories from 2022! We are incredibly proud of what we as a team, our partners and our community have achieved.
Conflicts between humans and wildlife are very common in Africa. These conflicts will most likely increase due to the growth of the human population. By 2050, the human population of Africa is expected to double in size, resulting in an ever-increasing need for space to grow food and built houses. The expansion of human civilization
Rewilding and restoration is an increasingly exciting and popular area of conservation. Whereby land is returned to a more natural state in a bid to let natural processes thrive once more. There are numerous examples of it working quickly and really well – species returning in a matter of years – but have you heard
Christine Lin is a filmmaker and environmentalist with a focus on Indigenous storytelling, bird habitats, and water conservation. As a Senior Producer at the National Audubon Society, she currently leads video and various media projects surrounding the conservation of birds and the ecosystems they rely on. She is also a 2021 National Geographic Explorer, having
Do YOU have BIG plans for pursuing or growing your conservation career? But are YOU faced with a BIG barrier…money? At Conservation Careers we’re on a mission to help conservationists achieve career success, and create a world where wildlife thrives. We believe all conservationists should be able to pursue training, gain experience, conduct meaningful research
Much like her favourite plant Grevillea mucronulata, Laurel Fowler would not consider herself particularly special or popular. Yet, just as the striking flowers are camouflaged amongst the foliage, the self-confessed plant nerd is a hidden gem within the bush regeneration industry, and an inspiration to many. Laurel studied Environmental Science at the University of Newcastle,
Imagine if you could create lasting impact for conservation. What would your conservation legacy look like? How would it feel to know you were making a real difference for a cause you care about… whether that be community conservation, rewilding, marine plastic pollution, climate change – or your own personal conservation passion!? A key to
Have you ever had an idea that you think is great and wish you’d done something about it? Well, today’s guest is making her great idea for helping individuals to take action on a global scale a reality. Megan Cromp is Director of Key Conservation, which is seeking to help conservationists gain critical funding and
In early 2022, Conservation Careers Director Dr Nick Askew, Head of Community Dr Fernando Mateos-González, and I recorded a podcast titled ‘Career-changing moments’ – about the moments that completely changed our careers. Ever since that conversation, this question keeps popping into my mind… In our careers (and life), is it better to swim or float?
If you’re like me, you’ve been missing exploring new landscapes and cultures during the pandemic, and you’re itching to travel again. But have you ever struggled with how to travel ethically? Travel has come under the global spotlight recently – and for good reason. There is growing awareness about the negative impacts travel can have
Upside-down. Frozen. Stalled. Lost. The COVID-19 pandemic has put everything from university fieldwork and planned internships to job offers on hold, and left many conservationists feeling uncertain about their futures. It’s hard to accept when big plans are pulled from our grasp, when our hard-earned savings take a hit, or when a door slams shut
It is no coincidence that conservation and conversation are anagrams. In our age of insta-information and digital decisions, it’s easy to mistake boardrooms and computer screens for the birthplaces of conservation projects. But spend 30 minutes speaking with Dr Alasdair Harris, Chief Executive of multi-award winning NGO Blue Ventures, and he’ll quickly remind you that
“After I’d left university I was sure of one thing,” says Christopher Beirne, “That I never wanted to do a PhD.” But career trajectories are an awful lot like jungles – wild and unpredictable – and nearly 10 years after first falling in love with the neotropics, Dr Chris Beirne landed back in Peru as
When was the last time something turned your world view upside-down? Maybe it happened during a meal with a homestay family or while talking to a stranger amidst luggage and chickens on a packed local bus. Maybe it happened in the middle of a moving documentary, when you glimpsed an animal in its last remaining
In a world run by politicised decision-making, how can conservation compete? Decision science runs the world – from manufacturing to the military, from transport to economics. And according to multi-award-winning ecologist Professor Hugh Possingham, conservation decision-making is also the best way to solve environmental problems. Natural decisions “Conservation is an applied science; it’s all about
Scottish zoologist Holly O’Donnell doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. When a university professor told O’Donnell that her bachelor’s degree was worth “toilet paper” and that she was going nowhere, she could have abandoned her career dreams. Instead, she fundraised and interned her way from Scotland to Antarctica, Paraguay and the Peruvian Amazon, where she
With arid lands, rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef within roughly 1000 kilometres, plus a worldwide reputation for cutting-edge research in environment and ecology, the University of Queensland is an exciting place to train future conservationists. In 2013, the Australian university launched a one-year Master of Conservation Biology and an 18-month Master of Conservation
Dr. Marcus Barber spent a year living in a tent, tore his knee in a footy match, chopped up a pelican for dinner and directed an impromptu documentary, all in support of Indigenous water rights. Here the environmental anthropologist with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, shares the challenges, lessons and life-changing experiences of more than
When you hear the word ‘primatology,’ there’s a good chance you’re picturing either Jane Goodall nose-to-nose with a chimp, or Sir David Attenborough huddled amongst mountain gorillas in Rwanda. But beneath its romantic portrayal is a field so challenging, so diverse and so close to our own hearts (and DNA) that it couldn’t possibly be
