Unusual Animal Careers
A Series about Careers with Animals
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Unusual Animal Careers Part One
Introduction to Animal Careers: An Overview
Animal careers, animal schools, & animal courses are just a few topics you will find here. You can read about careers with animals, discover animal programs, and enroll in unique animal career seminars. This is part one in an unusual animal career series.
The first three parts of this series discuss types of careers and which ones might be appropriate for you, how to begin researching those career options, and how to find specific information in the area of your interest to help you further clarify your goals and contacts.
Ever wonder how you might become more involved with animals? How about spending your workday caring and working with them? Do you wonder what types of educational background is needed to work with critters? If you need a natural affinity for them? Or where you might start looking for background in order to do that sort of work? If you have wondered about some or all of the above questions then this article is for you.
Types of Animal Work
The first question to ask yourself is what type of animal work would you be interested in? Do you like domestic animals like dogs, or cats? Perhaps you are more livestock oriented with horses, cows, pigs, goats? Or small livestock animals like guinea pigs, rabbits, or poultry? Then there is work involving wildlife, or perhaps captive wildlife or exotics? Maybe you've dreamed of working with marine mammals? Or raptors? Other birds? Or reptiles? How about fish? Insects? There are a multitude of species to think about.
Once you decide what types of animals you'd like to work with, then you have to decide in what sort of capacity you would like to work in. Do you like medical things? Psychology? Behavior? Ecology? Education? Showmanship? Behind the scenes work? Construction? Maintenance? Administration? Public Relations? Conservation? Or did you just think animals would be "fun" to work with?
There are numerous careers available with animals. The work involved often covers a variety of skills and roles. Fifteen years ago it did not matter much what kind of training or background you had, there were lots of opportunities. Now the competition is very stiff with hundreds of experienced workers applying for the same jobs, many of whom have degrees related to the field they are already in to enhance their experience.
Many people think that work with wild animals will be fun and exciting. It is, but not in the way you think. It is all not glamour and glory, and many times the animals are not always cooperative or friendly. All roles that work with living beings are extremely demanding, and do not always end when the shift is over. You can also usually forget about not getting your hands dirty! Many times, when training marine mammals, the trainers will smell like fish or find scales still clinging to them later in the day! The stench that is sometimes encountered is less than appealing too! If you have allergies in other roles with animals, then being exposed to hair, dander, hay dust, molds, and other allergy triggers can be a challenge in this field, and probably will make animal work not a realistic choice.
Movie and television training is thought to be a bit mysterious and exotic, but it is hard work with hours and weeks of pre-training of animals, long boring hours on the set and other complications. The pay scale for these jobs can be pretty low, unless you are on a union job, since it is highly competitive and many people will work for free, or for low wages just to get their foot in the door.
The entertainment business day is long, since it does not begin and end at the location. The day starts at the animal facility with the animals being loaded and transported with all the related equipment ( including food and water). Once you arrive on the filming location, you wait and then wait some more; after the shot is done, you usually wait to see if any pickup shots need to be done, and then perhaps you can leave. You drive back to the facility, unload, clean, water and feed the animals, clean the transport equipment and then go home.
Most people think working with movie stars and Hollywood would be fun, but there is no real glamour for the trainer, and there is lots of work to do. A typical day doing a shoot would start before dawn loading animals and supplies, driving to the location, waiting, waiting, waiting, maybe shooting the scene, retakes, waiting, waiting, battling traffic to arrive and unload the animals, take care of their needs, then, perhaps, sleeping after you go home. Some shoots will last fourteen hours or more. It is not a nine-to-five job, and many times the animals will make more money than you do!
Zoological work is also very competitive and requires education, political correctness, as well as hard work. Most keepers do not have direct contact with the animals they are working with. The career trends now surfacing require keepers to do more than cleaning and feeding the animals. They must also be able to do public speaking, education, and even behavior modification strategies. Other job functions require that they also do exhibit maintenance, construction, heavy equipment operations, record keeping and dietary preparations.
Oceanaria and related facilities have people attracted to them because of the lure of marine mammals. Training jobs are competitive, and not as well compensated as some of the other animal work, since the hoards of people wanting to do that work keep the wages down. Also, there is very little room for advancement in that particular role. You also need to be fit, able to swim well, have showmanship ability, and a variety of other skills listed under keeper.
Besides that, cleaning large tanks, decks, and boats is hard work! There are many other related skills necessary to do the job, such as being able to swim well, operate a boat, have scuba certification, be able to prepare and distribute the fishy diets, and deal with the cleaning chemicals and filtration systems.
Biological field work is interesting, but very detail oriented. Hiking and searching for endangered species of plants or animals is done in good or bad weather. One experience had me paddling in a canoe looking for an endangered fish with a prominent researcher from a university. We paddled around the area just hours before the first snow fall. So, you have to be willing to deal with many variables in terrain, weather, and sometimes have to find the funding yourself. If you do not like snakes, biting insects, being alone in the wilderness without public facilities and unexpected encounters with animals, or dealing with legislation and regulations, then field work may not be the ideal career to consider.
Most colleges do not have clear programs for these special types of jobs. The best thing to do is to check out the types of jobs you are looking for. Talk to people working in those roles, ask about the job and what they like best or least. Ask about trends and training opportunities or upward mobility. Don't forget to make a list of things you like and don't like doing! If you can get a volunteer internship, that is one of the best ways to see how things really are, and if you will like the job.
Some jobs are very methodical, with the same things done everyday. Others require that you be unpredictable and adaptable to change. If you do not like blood, dealing with sick or hurt animals, chemistry, or highly technical reading, then the role of veterinarian in these more nontraditional fields will not be a good choice.
If you do not like psychology, dealing with people, misbehaved animals, or teaching, then the role of an animal behavior consultant or animal psychologist will not be the ticket. If the thought of public speaking or performing in front of live audiences with hundreds or thousands of people, does not appeal to you, then an animal training role, such as a marine mammal trainer is an unrealistic choice.
Animal care positions are more suited for people who like predictable schedules or routines. These roles can be animal keepers, kennel handlers, grooming assistants and other similar positions. Animal training positions need people who are more unpredictable and creative, and can react well in a crisis, or take proactive steps to prevent one. Both animal behavior and veterinary positions require people who can be detail oriented, diagnostic and who can communicate well with both animals and humans.
Some career roles will require close hands-on work with the animals, and, perhaps, a close relationship with them, such as training. Other roles will require minimum interaction, and more emotional distance from them such as in wildlife rehabilitation or breeding. Some career roles will have a broader base of skills that are needed.
Ecotourism roles require experience and knowledge about particular species of animals, plants, and the relationship between them. They are heavily oriented to personal service to those people attending too. Knowledge of the biological, horticultural, and geological fields of study is a great asset here. Adaptability and sensitivity to other cultures is also critical. Wilderness survival, astronomy, sailing, and other skills, such as first aid, could be useful.
Generally, the roles of people who want to work with animals will include the following: dedication and commitment to the job or animals beyond a 9-to-5 role; good communication and public speaking skills; healthy and fit physical condition; understanding and compassion for work with the public and animals; good teaching skills for animals and people; willingness to do work not related to the animals; realistic views of animals and their care and upkeep.
Contrary to popular belief, you should be a good "people person" since many of the animal-related jobs require public interaction, education, and good skills for dealing with people. In the past, many people who wanted to work with animals did not want to, or did not have to work with the public or closely with other people. This has changed considerably, and is an important job function now. There are other things that are difficult for some people to deal with when they work for other people who own animals.
One of the other factors to remember about working with animals is that they do not belong to you. Often there will be things that surface regarding disagreements with coworkers or management about different things. It could be anything, but they do not belong to you and that is the bottom line. Sometimes this is very disturbing or frustrating.
Globally this can get complicated if you are dealing with other countries and cultures. They often have different views towards animals and the environment than you might. There are other areas in this work that are frustrating too.
In behavior consulting, for instance, there are many times when clients do not work with their animals in the way that will make them successful. They have been given directives, taught skills, and enabled to accomplish the job; but if they do not choose to do so, it is their decision and their animal. Despite the best guidance and attention you might give in that role, it may not make a difference if they are not motivated enough to follow through!
At private facilities, I have seen situations where it was felt there needed to be better dietary regulation or mental stimulation; the owners had their own reasons for operating the way they did. Despite what anyone else thought, the bottom line was that the animals were theirs, and they did what they felt was most suitable for the animals, or the financial limitations and constraints.
Another important consideration is the risk factors to your physical health, or the limits of your emotional tolerance. Many people have contacted me regarding training big cats, for example, and most have unrealistic views of what would be involved. They usually have an unrealistic view of the animals, and no real experience around wild ones. Wild animals are strong and dangerous, which means they can seriously maim or kill an individual, and all it takes is one mistake. Several of my friends in the industry have been injured severely, or have died this way, and I personally have seen numerous attacks on others due to mistakes or errors.
In other careers, the euthanasia for sick or surplus animals is not a comfortable topic or experience for most people. Fighting animal abuse and neglect is another hard career for some people. If you are looking at career choices with animals, you will have to think about many of these type of things. Exposure to zoonotic diseases, animal bites, parasites and unpleasant things such as medicating uncooperative animals, cleaning up fecal and urine matter are a few more considerations.
Next, there are some other questions to ask about the actual training process or schooling. This requires that you define what areas you are interested in. Once you narrow that down you can ask a few more questions: Is there a college program that will help me towards my career goal? Is there a related business (veterinarian, zoo, oceanarium, wildlife rehabilitation center, pet store, etc.,) close by the school or my home where I can volunteer or work and gain practical experience? Will I be required to move to benefit from the career training and education for this field? How will it affect my family or spouse?
While looking for a program, you will need to ask some more detailed questions such as:what is the outlook for positions in the field closer to my graduation date; how is the placement record into the field from this program or school; is it an accredited program; are there internship or externship possibilities while in school; what experience do the professors have, if any, with animals? Then, after choosing a program, ask yourself, "What are some other career possibilities if I cannot find a job, get hurt, or lose interest in animal work?"
More questions to ask are about what your expectations are for your future with animals. Talk to people in those roles, and find out what they have and are experiencing. Also, really closely look at what you like to do or enjoy, and are also good at. Many people think they want to work at something, but without the right aptitude it may not be a realistic goal!
All the options cannot be listed in this series. The goal is to introduce you to some ideas, and to get you thinking and searching in the right direction. You must really take the time to explore and think things out. My personal experience has dealt me a variety of experiences and opportunities. What I am the best at is the psychology part; what I had to learn to be good at was the teaching and interfacing with people part. The whole process has been one of learning, adventure....and frustration! So, if there is one thing I would recommend, it would be to take some time, relax and explore. The effort will be worth it!
As you can see, there are lots of different things to think about. So, now that you have read this overview, if you are still interested in learning about programs and training continue reading the series.
Unusual Animal Careers Part Two: How to Research Your Dream Job
About this animal career specialist: Since 1978 Diana L. Guerrero has worked professionally with both wild and domestic animals. Guerrero has been affiliated with, and certified by, a variety of animal programs in the USA and Europe. Based in California, she writes, consults, and speaks. Information on her animal career programs, training courses, and her books {What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality (SkyLight Paths, 2003), Blessing of the Animals (Sterling, 2007), Help! My Pet is Driving Me Crazy (Guerrero Ink, 2007), Animal Disaster Preparedness for Pet Owners & Pet Professionals (Guerrero Ink, 2007)} can be found in this web site and in the shop. Questions for Guerrero should be submitted via the blog comments or membership forum.
