Careers Advice Top Tips November 10, 2017 3 min read

Madagascar – Life On The Edge

A fascinating, freely available new film follows a dedicated team of local and international researchers as they study dwindling rainforest fragments in remote northern Madagascar. It showcases the team’s struggles against the elements in their efforts to gather data on habitat fragmentation and its impacts on reptiles and amphibians in one of the world’s hottest

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips July 20, 2017 5 min read

Top ten CV mistakes to avoid at all costs – part two

We spend nearly half our waking lives at work and most of us aren’t that happy about it. We all know CVs or résumés are a crucial weapon in our bid to land the jobs we crave – that’s why it surprises us how bad some can be. So for want of anything better to

Dr Nick Askew
Top Tips Careers Advice July 13, 2017 7 min read

Top 10 CV Mistakes to Avoid

Already doing your dream job? If so, don’t bother reading on – there’s nothing to see here. However, if you’re still on the lookout, you’re in the right place. A stunning CV is a damn good start – but we’ve seen some criminal résumé and CV mistakes in our time. I’m not talking about CV’s

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips May 18, 2017 3 min read

There’s wise and then there’s Bushwise

Conservation Careers has teamed up with Bushwise to provide professional Field Guide Training in South Africa. With over 10 years’ experience in training field guides for the lodge, safari and conservation industry in South Africa, Bushwise is a leading Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) field guide training provider. “95% of Bushwise students are being

Dr Nick Askew
Scientist Careers Advice May 15, 2017 8 min read

13 Short Online Course Ideas to Boost Your GIS Career

Geographic Information Systems is a discipline which goes right to the heart of conservation and helps us to answer fundamental questions right across the spectrum of topics in conservation. ‘Why does this species occur here but not there?’, ‘Where should we prioritise our conservation actions?’, ‘How connected are these two wildlife populations?’, ‘What is the

Thom Starnes
Careers Advice Top Tips May 8, 2017 4 min read

Penguin encounters in the city

In a world where more and more humans live in cities, and far from truly natural areas, is it any wonder that wildlife conservation nears the bottom of most people’s priorities? Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort home to a group of Gentoo and King penguins, is trying to solve this problem by enabling inhabitants of the ‘city built on sand’ to meet animals

Caitlin Frankish
Careers Advice Top Tips March 21, 2017 4 min read

Do you have an active interest in conservation? The Endangered Species Recovery (ESR) Course may help you | 24 July – 4 August 2017

Do you have an active interest in conservation? The Endangered Species Recovery (ESR) Course may help you | 24 July – 4 August 2017 https://www.durrell.org/training/courses/endangered-species-recovery/ The Endangered Species Recovery (ESR) course is a two week introduction to the issues and practical skills involved in saving threatened species from extinction. You will develop a critical understanding of

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips February 2, 2017 2 min read

Top UK Conservation Employers to watch in 2020

At Conservation Careers we know the conservation job market inside and out. Who are big employers? Who’s growing rapidly? Based on over 25,000 conservation jobs listed from 1,000 conservation employers across the globe … here is our list of top UK conservation employers to watch in in 2020! RSPB WWF-UK Fauna & Flora International Wildlife Trust

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips December 1, 2016 4 min read

Best cult-conservation documentaries outta’ 2015-2016

As we approach the end of 2016, let us have some time to reflect on some of the most brilliant, awe-inspiring and dam right visually eclectic cult-conservation films, that have made it to our screens over the past two years. I won’t go into too much detail, and anyway the premise is often the same

Emma Ackerley
Careers Advice Top Tips November 25, 2016 4 min read

Ecological Survey Techniques Programme at the University of Oxford

What different short courses do you offer for ecologists and conservationists at the University of Oxford Continuing Professional Development Centre? We offer a range of short courses (or modules) which come under the umbrella of the Ecological Survey Techniques Programme. This part-time postgraduate-level programme is modular and highly flexible because it is mostly delivered online

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips November 7, 2016 6 min read

Volunteering in Conservation Part 2: International Volunteering

In part 1 of this series (here) a local perspective on volunteering was explored, but journeying overseas for volunteer experiences is increasing in popularity and comes with a new set of challenges and opportunities. I met Magali Marion through my own international experience on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica with International Student Volunteers (ISV). The

Shana Ahmed
Volunteer & Internships Top Tips November 1, 2016 4 min read

Volunteering in Conservation Part 1: Local Volunteering

It would be difficult to find a person interested in working in conservation that hasn’t done some form of volunteering. In a field where we are told that volunteering is one of the best ways to help land a job, a common concern people have is how you can successfully turn your volunteer experience into

Shana Ahmed
Ecologist Careers Advice August 23, 2016 2 min read

Introducing Ecology Jobs – a job-site dedicated to ecologists

With an increasing number of jobs in the ecology sector opening up all the time, we’re excited to speak with Andrew Black – Director of Ecology Jobs, the only UK job-site dedicated to helping ecologists. What is ‘Ecology Jobs’? Our demographic is UK ecologists, and we understand the specific needs, skills and requirements of both

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips July 4, 2016 2 min read

Book review: The Effective Ecologist

The Effective Ecologist covers the stuff that no-one told you about at university – how to develop your office-related and business skills to succeed in your career as a professional ecologist. This book shows you how to be more effective in your role, providing you with the skills and effective behaviours within the workplace that

Dr Nick Askew
Volunteer & Internships Top Tips May 5, 2016 2 min read

Spotlight on: Volunteer Latin America

This week we’re speaking to Stephen Knight from Volunteer Latin America to understand more about the organisation, and how it can benefit your career in conservation. What is Volunteer Latin America? Volunteer Latin America connects people from all over the world to affordable and reputable volunteer programs throughout Central and South America. We are strong proponents of ethical

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 6 min read

Five Important Conservation Field Skills

Have you considered getting into field-based conservation? Choosing the best type of job that suits you can be challenging, but once you have it is useful to get your hands on some skills that will help you when out of the office and in the field. In this blog, Conservation-Careers Blogger, Zehra Zawawi, reveals some

Zehra Zawawi
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 1 min read

Making a career in conservation against all the odds

Peter Smith Chief Executive Officer and founder of the charity called the Wildwood Trust. He graduated the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) in 1994. At that time, his job hunting stats looked pretty gloomy with over 500 applications and no job offers… In this insightful lecture, Peter shares his career journey and some secrets of

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 6 min read

10 Things you can do for your conservation career right now!

So you want a career in conservation? Great! Whether you are an accountant who has just decided that maybe conservation is your thing, or you have just finished a degree in Conservation Management, you have come to the right place. You have to start somewhere, and here are some things you will be able to

Keturah Smithson
Volunteer & Internships Careers Advice December 31, 2015 10 min read

The conservation job application process – 299 applicants to 1…

Save the Rhino have a rare paid, year long internship programme (Michael Hearn Intern) which proves to be very popular with conservation job seekers. Last year they had 299 applications, and published the results of their shortlisting process, and provide some practical advice which all conservation job seekers can learn from. We thank Save the Rhino for

Save The Rhino
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 6 min read

Tips for School-Children who want to be Conservationists

Naima Montacer is an environmentalist adventurer. She strives to be as “green” as she can and encourages others to do their little bit. Her journey is full of thoughts, wildlife, food, conservation and adventures. Here she shares her advice for young conservationists of the future! I love skyping with students from all over the country.

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 5 min read

6 Great Websites for Wildlife Conservation News and Stories

If you are looking for a job in conservation, it is imperative that you know of the latest stories, debates and happenings in the conservation world. Conservation Careers Blogger Karen Sim Clerc shares her favourite websites for conservation news and stories. Mongabay.com and Mongabay.org Mongabay’s founder Rhett Butler started the site in 1999 (named after

Karen Sim Clerc
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 4 min read

Conservation as your Ticket Around the World

It can often feel difficult, and frankly overwhelming, that working in conservation rarely provides a set career path to embark on. Graduates, in particular, often feel pressure to hastily decide their career goals and secure a job in the relevant sector but quickly find that, as far as wildlife and conservation careers go, it’s very

Jennah Green
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 6 min read

How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter [10 Top Tips]

Twenty seconds. That’s all the time you’ve got to impress a potential employer. You can’t even boil an egg in that time – not even close. And even if you could, it almost certainly wouldn’t help. Research shows that if employers don’t like your application in that kind of timeframe then you’ve had it. With

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 2 min read

Going pro with GoPro

In order for conservation to be effective, we need to engage audiences by using as many tools as we can.  This includes writing, photography, and videography.  While the written word and still images are extremely powerful, as we continue to move into this new technological age, creative videography will become more important in capturing the

Matt Nicholson
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 3 min read

Money Matters: 6 tips on how to fund Volunteer work

The most common advice given for seeking a career in wildlife conservation is to gain as much experience and as many new skills as you can, often through volunteering and internships. For many people the main concern with this advice is money; paid placements are few and far between in the conservation sector and volunteering

Jennah Green
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 4 min read

Top 10 Tips for Getting a Career in Ecology

Professor Bill Sutherland, British Ecological Society President, kicked off their recent Ecological Careers Conference by getting attendees to think about what skills they’d need for a career in ecology and how they could go about obtaining those skills and experiences. Using the advice from this session, and other FAQs and speakers’ tips from throughout the day,

Dr Nick Askew
Volunteer & Internships Careers Advice December 31, 2015 7 min read

How can conservation volunteering help you?

Following the advice from Sarashka King’s ‘How to become a Conservation Volunteer?‘ Conservation Careers Blogger Hannah De Frond explores the many positives that you can gain from a volunteering experience, and why she would recommend it to anyone, especially those aiming to pursue a career in conservation. Field Skills You can gain many field skills

Hannah De Frond
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 9 min read

Five ways to get a conservation job, by Matt Williams

Matt Williams is a conservationist and wildlife photographer who works as a climate change policy officer for the RSPB and helps to run A Focus on Nature. Here he shares his five key pieces of advice for pursuing a career in conservation. 1. Go beyond 9-5 If you want to really succeed in any sector, you’re going to

Dr Nick Askew
Careers Advice Top Tips December 31, 2015 10 min read

Ten Tips to Help you Create the Perfect LinkedIn Profile

Looking for a job? Everyone knows how important your LinkedIn profile is. There’re no prizes for realising that I’m afraid. Not everyone knows how to write one though. That’s the hard bit. There’s no such thing as the perfect LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is constantly evolving and so is the way people use it – but

Dr Nick Askew