Beginning at the Bottom

Most early-career professionals are familiar with the much-ado made about the impending retirement of the "Baby-Boomer" generation. This mass socio-economic shift has yet however to make significant changes in the natural resources job market. Rather than a flood of retirees from state, federal, or private companies, older professionals are instead choosing to length their career or pursue other opportunities within their field as consultants or otherwise changing employment sectors. In any case, those eligible to retire are usually highly placed in organizations and these positions are filled with mid-career or advanced professionals.

The job opportunities that do become available for beginning professionals are at the bottom of the organizational chart. New hires can expect long hours and remote locations as previous occupants of the position move up or transfer to more desirable ones. A typical new hire should plan for three to five years to become settled in a position and gain institutional knowledge, job experience, and increase skill levels before seeking promotions, transfers, or other opportunities.

Five Top Marketable Skills

Marketable job skills are a key component of a young professional's education. Job skills may be gained through hands-on professional experiences such as internships and summer jobs; others are developed through classroom and field-instruction exercises. The following may or may not be the exact top five job skills preferred by potential employers, however proficiency in these areas will greatly help you secure that next job:


1. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - training and experience using GPS and GIS products such as ESRI ArcGIS products


2. Wildland Fire - on-the-line wildland firefighting experience and related qualifications


3. Supervision - actual experience training and leading field crews, troubleshooting, conflict resolution, assigning and scheduling tasks


4. Wetland Delineation - experience and/or ability to delineate wetlands using plant, soil, and hydrologic indicators


5. Public Contact - customer service experience, anticipating needs of the public, answering basic questions and responding to requests for assistance or expertise in an efficient and professional manner

Professional Societies and Conferences

The Wildlife Society, Society of American Foresters, American Fisheries Society, and many other professional societies actively seek early-career professionals as members. These organizations attract younger members by active recruitment through university student chapters and offering relatively inexpensive student memberships and conference fees. These groups hope to maintain and expand membership by promoting engagement of early-career professionals; an early-career professional may themselves benefit through opportunities to expand networks, participate in training opportunities, and attain professional accreditation.

Be sure to take advantage of membership in a professional society by attending functions, trainings, tours, and conferences. All are opportunities to expand professional knowledge, skills, and network of fellow professionals. Prepare for events by printing business cards, composing questions for presenters, and planning how to approach and meet individuals. Standing out by offering a good representation of your professional ability may be key to building a professional reputation, soliciting new job opportunities, or invitations to future professional events or activities.

Working Season to Season

As state and federal funding opportunities diminish, many government agencies increasingly turn to temporary seasonal workers as a means to accomplish work during busy field seasons. Through perhaps an impediment to the new graduate or young professional seeking an immediate permanent position, temporary seasonal positions may be easier to attain and usually provide valuable career experience, connections, and job skill training that may lead to that permanent "dream job."

Below are some tips on how to optimize your early career through seasonal positions:

1. Look nationally! Though your state or local natural resources agency may have temporary seasonal positions available, there are a range of other state and national agencies that hire seasonally at interesting and diverse locations throughout the country. Having experience working in another state may help you stand out as a well-rounded candidate for positions back home.


2. Look for jobs in the off-season! Leverage the advantage of seasonal positions to gain experience in related or unrelated fields either locally or in other areas of the country. Gain business experience working through a temp agency; find employment in areas of the country where assistance is needed in what is otherwise the "off-season". For example, ski-resorts are always in need of employees in the winter period. Similarly, many southern natural resource agencies seek temporary assistance with prescribed fires in the winter months. When properly leverage, jobs in the off-season can provided needed income and experience to tide you through the humdrums of the off-season and prepare you for the next job opportunity.


3. Look to the next season! Many natural resources agencies re-hire seasonal employees, so be sure to maintain connections and your reputation as a valuable worker. Though not always a guaranteed opportunity, be sure to pursue the option of returning for another season. An agency may be more likely to hire someone they know and trust rather than an unknown entity. And when permanent positions became available you may be in line as the first to be considered.

Continuing Education, Formally or Informally

Professionals, regardless of age or experience, benefit from seeking additional opportunities to expand and build expertise within their particular field.

Not only is this benefit apparent to individuals, continuing education is almost universally recognized by federal and state agencies, professional groups and other such organizations as valuable to maintain a high degree of expertise and awareness of leading issues and concerns.

As such, many agencies and groups have set education requirements in order for natural resource professionals to achieve or maintain professional certification standards in their particular field. Organizations also often stipulate as a condition of employment that employees seek and retain certification standards that require continuing education.

In the forestry sector for instance, graduation from a Society of American Foresters (SAF) approved academic program is nearly the standard qualification for employment. Many employers also have an additional employment condition that staff maintain certification as a Consulting Forester (CF), an SAF standard that requires continuing education.

Besides as a qualification for outright employment, professional certification standards are used by many federal and state agencies in contractor specifications. These specifications often require that oversight of work to be conducted by certified individuals.

The reader may now be well convinced that continuing education is a valuable and necessary component of their professional life. Listed below are some suggestions that may help you to consider the options available in continuing education:

• Many state agencies offer trainings to certify individuals as eligible state contractors or for state-administered professional standards. States often have a yearly schedule of such trainings or contact information for persons who organize trainings posted on their website.

• Know the important professional groups and certifications in your field. Requirements for certifications vary widely between groups and differente fields in the natural resources profession. Again, the web is your best source of information for information on certifications and certification requirements.

• In order to meet the continuing education required by many professional certifications, seek out professional conferences, field days, and other opportunities available through the professional societies who administer the relevant certification. Not only do these opportunities help you to meet certification requirements, but they may assist in the growth of your professional network, expertise, and breadth of knowledge.