The Student Room Group

Jobs in zoology?

What jobs are there in zoology?
Original post by thomasadamhill
What jobs are there in zoology?


Anything that uses your transferable skills. Why not do your own research?
Original post by alleycat393
Anything that uses your transferable skills. Why not do your own research?


That requires funding, you'll find the "transferable skills" thing is not as simple as it seems on the surface. Employers are always going to favour people will experience which is closer/more relevant to their field. You're going to struggle to find well paid work if you go down this route so be sure you're happy to do altruistic work for little pay.
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by DHeeney84
That requires funding, you'll find the "transferable skills" thing is as simple as it seems on the surface. Employers are always going to favour people will experience which is closer/more relevant to their field. You're going to struggle to find well paid work if you go down this route so be sure you're happy to do altruistic work for little pay.


I think he means do your own research into potential job opportunities.

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Zoology is a degree in animal biology. You will be looking to get an MSc and then a PhD If you want to get involved in science as a research associate to work in academia(neuroscience, developmental biology, cancer, stem cells etc etc) (zoology is valuable for all these fields because animal models are one of the most common ways to study gene expression and disease), it's not an easy path and there is virtually no guarantee of job security. You can also look for work in Industry (pharma, biotech), I've heard that job security is better but that it is very profit-driven and not very enjoyable.

Alternatively you can follow career paths that don't require a specific degree such as law, management and banking (provided that you have shown interest in these fields by getting work experience and that you get a good grade in your degree ideally from a reputable university).
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by DHeeney84
That requires funding, you'll find the "transferable skills" thing is as simple as it seems on the surface. Employers are always going to favour people will experience which is closer/more relevant to their field. You're going to struggle to find well paid work if you go down this route so be sure you're happy to do altruistic work for little pay.


Do your own research into potential jobs. And as someone with a Phd and postdoc experience now no longer working in academia having made a career change into something I had no relevant experience in using my transferable skills I’d say be careful about underestimating them. Most people don’t end up in academia and you probably won’t get a job in the field without further study I.e as a graduate. Most people move out of the field after their undergrad degrees using their transferable skills and work their way up sometimes into very well paying jobs. So maybe you want to clarify what you mean?
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by alleycat393
Do your own research into potential jobs. And as someone with a Phd and postdoc experience now no longer working in academia having made a career change into something I had no relevant experience in using my transferable skills I’d say be careful about underestimating them. Most people don’t end up in academia and you probably won’t get a job in the field without further study I.e as a graduate. Most people move out of the field after their undergrad degrees using their transferable skills and work their way up sometimes into very well paying jobs. So maybe you want to clarify what you mean?


Well having a Phd and postdoc is vastly different from a bachelors or even a masters. Define "well paying job"? As a 34 year old mature graduate with masters degrees in Zoology and Conservation combined with 10+ years of experience and vastly more transferable skills than most I cannot find work much above minimum wage, salaries in zoology/conservation at my level are in the region of £16-18k at best. Whilst I'm sure there are opportunities out there I think we need to make current students/recent graduates aware of just how difficult it is rather than trying to paint a picture of prosperity following their time at university.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by DHeeney84
Well having a Phd and postdoc is vastly different from a bachelors or even a masters. Define "well paying job"? As a 34 year old mature graduate with masters degrees in Zoology and Conservation combined with 10+ years of experience and vastly more transferable skills than most I cannot find work much above minimum wage, salaries in zoology/conservation at my level are in the region of £16-18k at best. Whilst I'm sure there are opportunities out there I think we need to make current students/recent graduates aware of just how difficult it is rather than trying to paint a picture of prosperity following their time at university.


I appreciate that your journey has been difficult but there could be a number of reasons for that. We have a CV help service and careers forum which may help. But please don’t use disillusionment to mislead applicants into thinking they have no hope as that’s not right.

Agreed that undergrads have an unrealistic expectation that they will get a job in the field without further study but that’s not at all to say that they can’t have a prosperous future with just a bachelors outside of the field. The idea is that they have realistic and well researched expectations.

Grad schemes don’t ask for specific degrees and someone above has mentioned law and banking. Then there’s the world of science communication and policy. People with all sorts of degrees work in the university sector and these are just examples. If you work your way up you can easily earn a wage that allows you a comfy lifestyle a mortgage holidays etc. Like I said before research is key.
(edited 5 years ago)
zookeeper
My apologies that was not my intention.
Original post by DHeeney84
My apologies that was not my intention.


Ps:- I’ve worked for a charity in London earned £27k and was fine living in London. And guess what we all had different education backgrounds.
That's a difficult question to answer because many jobs which are suitable for zoologists are not simply titled "zoologist". There are many different job titles suitable for a zoologist with relevant experience to that specific job, such as "research assistant" or "field assistant". It's very competitive and the pay is often low - many charities will have vacancies for those willing to work full-time (40 hours + per week) for an extended length of time (several months) for free (sometimes not providing accommodation or food in return for work). The good thing is that a degree in zoology can provide you with a wide range of experience, including ecological survey experience and research experience in the field and lab.

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