[snowgirl]

hey everyone. im currently in first year studying zoology but iam still if i would prefer marine biology. anyone got any ideas on what degree would open more doors for jobs in subject area?
im also wondering if anyone has any tips on how to build up a good looking CV for a career in conservation? should i get involved with voluntary work etc.
any ideas or tips you have would be appreciated!

[Coelacanth]

Zoology would be a more versatile degree IMO. It does all depend on how you apply it though, and what other assets you can bring to a position.
Instead of thinking about what a good looking CV might involve, you might be better off following your interests, you are more likely to put in the extra effort required to lift yourself above other applicants.
I always suggest to students that they think about their educational and vocational assets as a library, in which a degree, no matter how good, is just one volume on the shelf. The more varied and interesting "publications" you can offer, the more you are likely to catch the attention of a prospective employer.
Learn at this point how to read journals in your subject field, become familiar with terminology used and how to conduct self-guided further research (even if it seems a bit esoteric). Request reprints of papers through the University library and use them for reading on journeys or wherever.
£50-100 spent attending a conference has the potential to reap dividends later, especially if you take the time to research the speakers, find out what their published work is, read it and ask questions.
If you have a local Museum with Natural Sciences collections, there would be a good place to look at volunteering, but find out what the collections are and then go in with specific ideas about what you want to get out of it. I see too many volunteers who seems to be just marking time to get enough "credit".

[Alice]

This is my subject area...

I started my degree in Marine Biology and Zoology but switched at the end of my first year to Zoology with Marine Zoology (I went to Bangor Uni, is that where you are?)

I'm generally more interested in animals as a whole and for me, although the marine biology was a good course, it included a lot of oceanography and plants etc.

Generally people I know who carried on with Marine Biology found themselves doing a Masters too simply because that's what employers want.

I started up volunteering after my degree, simply as I wanted to gain more experience in looking after animals, learnt loads on the job and then they later employed me.

If you can, try volunteering for smaller places, or museums as Coelacanth mentioned. They're more likely to be helpful.

I truly enjoyed my zoology degree, but you have to do what's right for you. have you got any friends on the marine biology course whose work you can have a peep at?

Hope that helps in my rambling roundabout way!!!

[WildSam]

ORIGINAL: snowgirl

should i get involved with voluntary work etc.

YES, yes and yes!!!

[Dr Bob]

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More Spam!

[Dr Bob]

hey everyone. im currently in first year studying zoology but iam still if i would prefer marine biology. anyone got any ideas on what degree would open more doors for jobs in subject area?
im also wondering if anyone has any tips on how to build up a good looking CV for a career in conservation? should i get involved with voluntary work etc.
any ideas or tips you have would be appreciated!

Romanticism aside...
Realistically: The most important thing to consider with either of these two 'careers' is whether there will be a job opportunity at the end of it. In both fields the prospects of you getting one those few positions available every few years is very slim. Career duration too, is always questionable, especially in the field of marine biology where literally hundreds of students qualify each year to either work in dive centres filling tanks, or claim benefits. Even PhD qualified people (I know one personally) struggle to find work in the field of marine biology they qualified in.
The UK funding for Marine Biology projects is miniscule and grants are hard to come by, and always have a timed limit. Ongoing fishery projects; whilst having longevity, are again difficult to get into even at PhD level.
I recommend that you speak in depth to staff at Southampton University about the practicalities.
I'm pretty sure that the only reason MB is taught with such unrealistic regularity is to keep those favoured accademics who couldn't get jobs in the real world housed and fed.
There is always conservation work available, but usually it is unpaid. Helping out in sometimes questionable and seemingly self-serving projects should be avoided.
It all seems great at the beginning, but looking back at 50, it may not look quite so rosy...

[Hawk_Eye]

hey everyone. im currently in first year studying zoology but iam still if i would prefer marine biology. anyone got any ideas on what degree would open more doors for jobs in subject area?
im also wondering if anyone has any tips on how to build up a good looking CV for a career in conservation? should i get involved with voluntary work etc.
any ideas or tips you have would be appreciated!

CV's: Depends on the job. I personally think a chronological CV is best. When I've had to print out a CV I either print it out with education first or experience first. Either way covers most applications. Some general info about CV's: they meant to be precise documents about you so no more than 2 pages, make sure it's clear, concise and easy to read - many employers tend to bin CV's that have paragraphs of info - I've found bullet points are a great way of showing the essential information for each section. No fancy fonts, not too large (my name is in 14 but the rest is 11). If this is your first CV and you don't have a lot to put down I recommend filling it out a bit with 4 or 5 GCSE's you took including Maths and English but once you've got a bit more for the experience section you can just put something like "5 GCSE's including Maths and English". When it comes to the experience section mine is set out like this:

Experience
DATE
COMPANY AND LOCATION e.g. BBC Wildlife Magazine, Bristol
ROLE
RESPONSIBILITIES - listed as bullet points. I also included some of the skills I developed and improved on.

I also include an "Other Information" section where I've put a couple of hobbies and interests, and things that make me stand out such as, in my case, taking part in a charity fund raising challenge.

It's a bit clichéd but CV’s are about selling yourself so the better you can make yourself look the better the chance of getting an interview or even the job.

Sorry if that’s a bit long winded but I’ve had a lot of experience over the last 18 months or so All good now though

As for the actual course IMO the best thing to do is to research these two areas as much as you can. Find out as much as you can about various companies and organisations that work in those areas. Usually they'll have a job/careers section which should give you some information, also contact them and see what they say. Also talk to your tutors/lecturers; if they’re teaching these courses then they should know the career area fairly well. Also try the Uni careers service they’ll probably have a list or two with contacts for various organisations.
Definitely do some volunteer work, even if it's just walking the dogs at a local rescue centre (started that at my local Dogs Trust today). For one it's working with animals, plus it adds something to your CV and it shows that you can organise yourself to do these things, which employers seem to like.

Sorry for not being too specific in regard to Zoology and Marine Biology, my personal research has been for mathematics and aviation. I’m starting an Open Uni degree in Maths & Statistics. Well that’s my 2p’s worth. Hope this helps.

[stacey2010]

Hi,
I haven't got an answer for your question but seems others do so thats great.
Just do lots of volunteer work. I want to be a Conservationist and i got told that voluntree is what you need to do. Thats how you more likely to get notciced. I also got told that just being really passionate about the job/work is what most people want anyway. I don't know if this would be the same to get into Marine Biology or Zoology. Just research it and contact people.
Good Luck with it all.