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Career Tools

Go to Envirovet Summer Institute 2002

Go to The Career Changing Tool Kit by Leslie Dierauf, from Connections, the AVE Newsletter 1:1 (1996)

Go to Conservation and Environmental Career Opportunities by Ted Mashima, from Connections, the AVE Newsletter 2:1 (1997)

The Career Changing Tool Kit

by Leslie Dierauf, VMD
Conservation Biologist, USFWS

Leslie Dierauf, V.M.D. is also the editor of The Marine Mammal Medicine textbook. Click below for CRC Press ordering information.
Each AVE weblink order provides a small donation to support the work of AVE.
http://www.crcpress.com/shopping_cart/products/product_detail.asp?sku=0839&parent_id=&af=W1126

CONNECTIONS
The AVE Newsletter
Vol. 1, No. 1 Summer, 1996

One of the most frequent requests received from new AVE members is for information on how to redirect careers toward pursuit of environmental work. This deceptively simple inquiry actually entails a long and complicated answer, with each individual career path representing a unique blend of what the person wants to do, what experience and training they bring to the pursuit, and what personal lifestyle choices they must also honor. AVE wants to address this important issue for its members and be of assistance in finding new ways to direct our life's work toward conservation and environmental protection. We will start with a series of articles addressing this subject. This first installment begins by talking about the "tools" needed for that first, all important step of assessing where we are and where we really want to go with our careers.

Personality Pluses: The first category of tools to gather together are those personality characteristics that lend themselves to exploration, risk taking and creativity in finding new directions. These tools which come in handy include being imaginative, creative, ever aware of potential opportunities, practical, persistent, patient, enthusiastic, and possessing a willingness to dare to dream. These are traits that lead to "making your own luck". In actuality, luck is really the meeting of opportunity and preparation. These creativity tools need constant replenishment and encouragement, so seek out those who would mentor and encourage your ambitions.

Bonus Skills: Another vital category of tools are those skills which are not directly related to veterinary medicine but extremely important to moving outside of the traditional practice setting. I have been filling my toolbox with special tools since before I became a veterinarian... skills such as creative writing; scientific writing and editing; networking; big picture views of the world, its people and cultures; and awareness of the effects animals have on our world, and the effects our world has on animals. Other valuable skills to pursue include computer literacy, a grounding in ecology or environmental sciences, foreign languages, journalism, or law. There are many ways to enter the environmental arena as their are careers and imaginations to create them.

In 1990, after 17 years of practice, including small and large animal medicine, emergency small animal medicine, marine mammal medicine and wildlife rehabilitation, I was lucky enough to compete for and be awarded an AVMA Congressional Science Fellowship to work on Capitol Hill for the U.S. House of Representatives. In four short, fast-moving years, I went from being a focused marine mammal specialist to being a total generalist! My knowledge was a mile wide, but an inch deep! I had gained, however, through my contacts in Washington, DC, a new view of the profession. I was exposed to scores of veterinarians in a wide variety of unconventional careers, from those in the Peace Corps, to those in the Public Health Service, environmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, international development, environmental education, complex problem solving situations, ecotoxicology, ecosystem management, and risk assessment.... each veterinarian attempting to bridge the gap between veterinary medicine, science and national/international policy. Being open to unconventional work opportunities is a necessary "bonus skill" to create your own new career.

Getting Started: After evaluating your goals and the skills your possess, the next step is to become active in preparing yourself for the transition. An excellent way to begin is through involvement in your local community. Volunteering with the local nature conservancy group, zoo, or department of natural resources can be an excellent way to develop your contacts and experience in a new line of work. Do community work, travel, read and network with everyone you meet. Ideas to help you get started as a veterinarian outside traditional practice or in addition to daily clinical activities include:

I suggest that anyone contemplating a career change or seeking an unconventional career after graduation, begin with a thorough self assessment using the excellent book by Richard Nelson Bolles called What Color is Your Parachute: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career Changes. This book takes you through a thorough self evaluation which helps immensely in determining what kind of work would best suit your life's goals - field work, research, public service, politics etc. It then helps you understand the best ways to seek out (or create) those perfect jobs that you will never see in any job listing or want ad.

The Alliance of Veterinarians for the Environment has set one of its objectives as highlighting and detailing ways to move veterinarians into non-traditional roles. We hope this newsletter article helps you begin your quest, if that is your desire. Future articles will present additional information on ways to pursue your environmental career goals. Good luck!

AVE is working on a three-phase career changing kit for the veterinarian interested in environmentally-related fields of work.

Conservation and Environmental Career Opportunities

by Ted Y. Mashima, DVM
Projects Director, National Association of Physicians for the Environment

CONNECTIONS
The AVE Newsletter
Vol. 2, No. 1 Summer, 1997

Editor's Note: Part of the AVE mission is to facilitate participation by animal health professionals in diverse careers where their expertise can benefit environmental health and conservation worldwide. We are very grateful to Dr. Mashima for putting together this comprehensive list of career information sources for use by our members.

A great many veterinarians, both new graduates and seasoned practitioners, have an interest in directing their careers into environment related work. This is appropriate, since the broad medical and scientific background of veterinarians can be valuable to conservation and environmental organizations. The challenge is to match an individual's interests and experiences with the needs of an organization, and then to find or create a position to fill those needs. The following list of resources are offered as potential resources that may be useful in finding conservation and environmental career opportunities. Look for these resources at local and university libraries, professional outplacement assistance centers, and university career guidance centers (especially in science and agriculture departments), which often have job listing services and other resources. The Internet is an extremely valuable way of accessing information on career opportunities. Almost all local libraries now provide Internet access to everyone, so find a computer terminal and check these information sources out.

When using the Internet, remember that organizations frequently change Internet addresses; if the listed full address does not work, try using the root address. Particularly useful resources are marked with an *.

DIRECTORIES

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JOB LISTINGS AND JOB LINES:

JOB LISTINGS, JOB LINES, AND OTHER RESOURCES:

GENERAL INTERNET SITES:

| GOALS | ACTIVITIES | FACTS & CONCERNS | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| CAREER TOOLS | JOB OPENINGS | FACT SHEETS |
| AMPHIBIANS AS SENTINELS | CLIMATE AND HEALTH | NEWSLETTER EXCERPTS |
| ANNUAL REPORT | MEETING REPORT | MEMBERSHIP |
| RELATED SITES | HOME |