Falconry is an ancient practice that began with the noble classes presumably in the first century or second century. The traditional lore is that the art began in central Asia, moved to the Middle East and then into Europe–but read this comprehensive summary from the International Association for Falconry & Conservation of Birds of Prey to get the scoop.

There are a handful of professional falconers who are paid to train and fly birds but there are also some opportunities at falconry centers, zoos, and the movie or television industry. A fairly recent income source is from the management of birds for airfields, businesses, or dump sites. Educational programs for various corporate groups or other demonstrations might also be an additional income source.

I may have said this before but I want to make a point here. One of the sad realities of the animal industry is that the popularity of a career with animals keeps the income levels down. There are more people who dream of working with animals than there are jobs. So, the abundance of people willing to work for free, or next to nothing, makes it easy to keep the wages low.

Animal care is costly and anyone who wants to work with birds of prey must apprentice and then provide adequate facilities for their birds when they get them. This sport is labor intensive, the laws are strict, and the birds need to be flown often.

Birds of prey need to be kept in top physical condition, the weight of any bird must be monitored closely, and they require specially built facilities. In addition, training and caring for a raptor requires a large investment of time and resources.

If that is not enough to dissuade most people, the licensing process weeds out those who are not serious about the profession/hobby. Most aspiring falconers must serve under an experienced falconer for a couple of years then there is a written test and a state inspection of the apprentice’s equipment and facility.

If you are interested in such a career the best thing to do is to visit facilities that conduct shows with birds of prey and to attend falconry meets and related events. Join some of the organizations such as the North American Falconers Association and talk to those active in it about the realities of the sport/profession/hobby.

You can find a nice list of resource links from American Falconry Magazine.

Photo Credit: Eric Charlton

Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues is a new course offered by the University of Florida’s Aquatic Animal Health Program.

It will allow students to access the material at their convenience within a given module and introduce students who are at the upper levels (undergraduate and graduate) and professionals to some of the controversial issues surrounding aquatic animal species ranging from invertebrates to marine mammals (with emphasis on marine mammals) but also including sea turtles, fisheries, and marine ecosystems.

This is a two-credit hour course lasts 16 weeks.

It is broken into 14 Learning Modules, 13 Lecture Topics presented via MediaSite, and with access through ELearning web site via Sakai.

Reading material will be provided from:

• Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals, 1999, Eds. John R. Twiss Jr. and Randall R. Reeves (CMMM)
• Biology of Marine Mammals, 1999, Eds. John E. Reynolds III and Sentiel A. Rommel (BMM)
• Marine Conservation Biology: The science of maintaining the sea’s biodiversity, 2005, Eds. Elliott A. Norse and Larry B. Crowder (MCB)
• and current literature from assorted journals on relevant topics.

For more information visit the Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues page.

Periodically I get notices of internship or externship opportunities but are they worth it?

In todays animal career world it is highly competitive so both internship and externship opportunities are valuable if you are seeking a career with animals.

There are also a lot of different opportunities that you can volunteer for–such as a docent position and other related animal jobs.

But what is the difference?

Animal Career Internship

An animal career internship is where you are sponsored into a program to help with research in conjunction with a school or educational facility.

This is popular in zoos and domestic animal facilities and can get you into some top name institutions and give you some amazing opportunities.

The benefit is that it is supervised practical experience.

You actually go and work within a program or facility outside of your educational one.

Most of these programs are run during the school year or in the summer months, when the course load is lighter. May will also consist of an academic research project.

Accommodations and any travel is handled by the student or intern and not the facility–unless you are very lucky.

Animal Career Externships

An animal externship is when you get involved a training program that is part of an actual course of study that is part of an educational facility.

For instance, when I was in college, I had affiliations with Santa Barbara and Los Angeles Zoos.

I got academic credit for the work and another difference was that it was mostly practical experience instead of research.

The goal was to get students out into the working environment so we could develop relationships with people already working within it.

Although it can vary, usually the externship is in the private animal world and is supervised by the business owner but it can also be in the municipal sector and other facilities.

Animal Docent or Volunteer Programs

Local zoos, natural history museums, and private organizations will often have docent or volunteer programming available for people interested in wild and exotic animals.

In the domestic animal realm it is more common to find opportunities with shelter animals, or in pet rescue, but if you are lucky you might find some opportunities with pet training or other pet industry businesses.

Usually a docent or volunteer program involves short introductory training.

There programs are usually related to education but a few will allow you to gain practical hands-on animal experience.

Special events, tours, and presentations are a few tasks covered by trained docents or volunteers.

Often there is a fee for participation in these groups and they usually cover your training, materials, uniforms, and other related items.

In a few cases a minimum time commitment may apply.

Most all of these opportunities have age limitations or restrictions due to insurance and liability issues.

So, it is worth the effort?

Yes, I believe so.

If you work it right, you meet others that might help you move forward in your animal career and build relationships with others that may be beneficial to you in your animal job search in the future.

Plus, if you don’t have a lot of animal experience, these types of opportunities help you get it AND also help you to determine if the particular career with animals (or animal job) is the right one or something you absolutely hate!

Photo Credit: Inju

For a long time there was not a lot of interest in animal nutrition other than from the agricultural field or those involved in the manufacturing of specific diets.

Today that is changing a there is a rising trend for animal nutritionists.

However it is hard to find a course of instruction that isn’t in the main sector of commercial animal diets.

When I was a clinic associate for a progressive animal wellness center back in the mid-1990s, natural nutrition and raw food diets were considered fairly new and foreign.

Today that isn’t the case as more and  more people question the reasoning behind commercial manufacturing and demand more complex and more palatable foods for their pets.

One thing you can do is explore the animal nutrition books on the market to get a small glimpse of what is involved and if you might be interested in an animal nutrition career.

Coming from the zoological field had its advantages because we had to feed foods that met the nutritional needs of our animals and primarily fed raw diets. During my early years in my career with animals we were also instrumental in assessing the packaged foods that began to appear on the scene.

Lifestyle diets for companion animals broke onto the market around the early 1980s and today the dietary options available for pets can make your head spin since there are so many choices.

If you are looking for a career with animals that helps them and continues to offer new opportunities, consider animal nutrition.

But keep in mind that this is a growing field and so hard to find a lot of options. The main three areas include agricultural (animal science), pets and zoo animals–listed in order of the opportunities on the job market.

One good place to start is the Comparative Nutrition Society because it crosses disciplines and can be a good place to network and explore.

The Global College of Natural Nutrition is now offering a course of study and has some accreditations but is not a recognized program for animals and I doubt a Holistic Chief for Animals certification will hold any weight at the moment.

In the zoo world you can find some zoo nutrition books over at the European Association of Zoos & Aquaria and announcements on upcoming zoo nutrition conferences too.

If you are looking for something that has weight within the animal field (but more conservative in scope) start with some of the recommendations at the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.

You might find it interesting to know that of all the zoos in the United States there are currently only about 20 or so zoo animal nutritionists. (Brookfield Zoo is one of the leaders in the industry.)

The Zoo Nutrition Advisory Group regularly posts opportunities in Wildlife Nutrition. So, if you are already on the path, and have an MS or PhD, this might be an avenue you might want to explore.

Animal Sciences usually has a lot more opportunities and Purdue currently offers an online course that could be something to use to get your feet wet to see if it is something that you might be interested in.

Principles of Animal Nutrition covers five main areas: nutrients, digestive systems, feeds, ration balancing and livestock feeding. The course touches nearly every subject in basic animal nutrition and is part of the animal sciences department at the College of Agriculture.

For information about fees or registration contact Dennis McElhoe the distance learning coordinator, at (765)-494-1434, dlmcelhoe@purdue.edu.

Additional course information is available by contacting the instructor Dale Forsyth at (765) 494-4841, dforsyth@purdue.edu.

4H was a hot topic of discussion this week. I have a friend who didn’t have fond memories of having to deal with an animal she raised going out for bid and sale for slaughter.

Many people believe animal careers means playing with animals but it is much broader of a career base than that. In this case, the group helps expose young people to the business of livestock.

Since I never was involved with 4H, it got me to thinking about how most people don’t know what 4H stands for or that it is the nation’s largest youth development organization.

4H is began as a rural youth program. (HHHH is for Head, Heart, Hands, Heaith.)

The birth of the program is credited to A.B. Graham who, in 1902, began a club in Ohio that is considered to be the origin of the 4H program.

Congress created the 4H Cooperative Extension Service at USDA in 1914.

After a state expansion in the mid-1940s and then into more urban areas in the 1950s, today many people associate the club with livestock efforts across the nation since many of the kids show their animals at different fairs annually.

An outreach to astounding six million American youth take place annual annually and focuses on teaching research based learning to promote life skills, science and citizenship.

Known for connections to science, engineering and technology of land-grant universities and local youth and families, the 4H National Headquarters is at National Institute of Food & Agriculture NIFA and the USA programs are under the leadership of the United States Department of Agriculture.

To learn more about 4H, take a look at the curriculum or visit the 4H headquarters website.

At the moment, 4H programs can be found in every county of the USA and can be a good experience for kids to learn more about what is involved in agriculture.

For more information, you can learn how to be a member or volunteer by contacting the local cooperative extension office.

Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk

VetClick? if you live in the United States you might have missed this animal career website and so I thought I would take a few minutes to alert you to this resource that would be of use if you live (or want to live) in the United Kingdom and are seeking an animal job in the veterinary field.

The reason I think this resource is valuable to animal career job seekers is that those practices who post their jobs online, or who wish to view applicants, pay for the opportunity to do so. The site does not just specialize in job postings or seekers, it also sells products and provides a referral listing for veterinary practices.

What is a perk for those of you seeking an animal job in the UK is that you can post your CV (curriculum vitae) to the site at no charge. I also like that the site actually asks if veterinarians are registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to work in the UK. VetClick also provides valuable downloads to helping you fine tune your application to reap the best results. If you are a veterinary technician or veterinary nurse you must explore the specific requirements necessary to work in the United Kingdom before applying as this site is specific to the United Kingdom.

Another area of interest on the site is the forum which currently has topics for pet owners, veterinary students, wildlife rehabilitation, and a public discussion area. Although I am not familiar with the names of those who moderate the specific areas of the forum, each section has a specialist assigned to address the questions. The Ask the Vet section is the most active and post histories go back to 2004.

For those not seeking a career, you can find a veterinary practice listing by plugging in the postal code or town. This is incentive to members and a good resource for pet owners who find yet another reason to use the site.

To achieve ranking, the site has a free listing resource page for websites related to animals, supplies, and other topics. That does not mean that the sites listed are necessarily the best but they are specific to the UK which is appropriate. Since I thought the topic was misplaced, I clicked into the Dating category and found dog walking and single pet owner listings. So, you might want to peruse the directory to see what pet or animal related businesses are thriving in the UK for other job or business ideas.

Another nice feature is that the veterinary practice listings by specialty. What surprised me was the number of homeopathic clinics. I am glad to see those growing steadily around different countries. Again, these listings are a free resource for ranking but also of use to readers of VetClick.

The final two areas of the site include the animal news feed and a calendar section. The news feed covers a variety of veterinary, conservation, and other animal news. The Calendar sections has replaced the mediation section and you can find veterinary medical continuing education programs along with a few other types of topics that might be of interest.

The final two areas of the site include the animal news feed and the mediation section. The news feed covers a variety of veterinary, conservation, and other animal news. I have no idea why the mediation section was included in this site as it is more appropriately placed into a legal website. However, perhaps it is a service provided to the membership–it doesn’t say.

Overall, I believe VetClick is a good resource for UK job seekers or UK veterinary practices that are seeking help. At the very least, check it out and let me know what you think.

Photo Credit: Christianny

Explore animal careers that involve breeding animals in this video that focuses on animal science careers with animals.

Animal careers usually need some sort of animal certification. Not too long ago I wrote about how to determine if an online course was worth the investment of time or money.

Today I thought I would talk a little bit about animal certifications.

In a lot of situations, certifications are only worth the paper they are printed on.

However, if you are in a specific industry, recognized certifications mean that your education is more timely and more effective than an outdated diploma.

For instance, I consulted with someone recently who had a diploma in oceanography. The problem was that her degree was from the the 1970s and she has not done any work in that industry since.

The vast changes in technology and the amazing discoveries within that realm mean that she is not current in her field.

To keep up with change you can join professional organizations and find out what continuing education programs are offered and learn from colleagues or experts just where to go for them.

Personally, I am constantly enrolled in continuing education programs.

In fact, I just received a certificate from a recognized professional organization.

But truth be told, I have a lot of certifications because I value continuing education, although I might need them for something or other, it isn’t likely since I’ve been in my field so long.

But how much weight does a certificate hold?

Well, it  can be valuable if it is recognized but the truth is that a lot of them don’t always hold a lot of weight.

In order to leverage them, it is important to make sure that they are worth continuing education units at bonafide educational organizations or from professionally recognized programs or organizations.

Why do I keep doing training then? Because ongoing education and experience keeps me current, competitive, and on top of trends in my fields of interest. They also help me to stay on top of changes that I might miss otherwise.

If you are considering specific certifications, ask the hiring managers (of the facilities you are interested in working for) or practice managers (if it is a veterinary clinic) if they view those certifications as valid.

Don’t forget to ask those people who are in your field of employment too–because not every HR department is familiar with what other professionals recognize.

Taking some time to invest in ongoing education is always going to give you an edge but make sure it is the right one!

So, I am wondering if you are a person dreaming of an animal career, what training you are considering?

For instance, one of my subscribers just asked me about two programs. Although one of the two he mentioned provides hands-on training, it is limited. I happen to know that the program carries no academic weight, costs a mint, and probably won’t help in his quest.

However, I started my career with a similar model, so it can be of value, but you must have a plan to leverage it–or know what that value it has in your strategic career planning.

If you are a professional, I am wondering–what programs do you participate in for continuing education?

Feel free to leave your answers in the comments or over in my Facebook community.

Photo Credit: Pretty/Ugly Design

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to generally accepted accreditation principles.

In the United States, the only accreditation that holds any weight has to come from an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation in Washington.

If not, it won’t be accepted by those in academia, business, and government.

However, there may be exceptions in specific animal industries.

For instance, I received private certification from a number of institutions that were leaders in their fields before any degrees in those areas were available.

Those credentials hold weight based on the agency and the people who I trained under but only those who are in the animal field would recognize them.

However, I also received recognized degrees and certifications from accredited schools and believe that you need to have an edge in today’s competitive animal career market.

So, although you might have found a school you think is perfect for training for a career with animals, I’d encourage you to check to see if the school is listed and accepted as an accredited institution.

A few places to check:

• International Association of Universities
• Commonwealth Universities Yearbook
• ACCRAO & Electronic Database for Global Education
• US Department of Education
• College Navigator
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation
• Australian Education International

There are more than 50 unrecognized accrediting agencies, and many others that do not meet the criteria for recognition, so take your time to determine what would work the best for your long term goals.

You might also check out this distance learning FAQ.