Careers Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, permanent, full-time roles are common. However, many roles are funded by shorter-term grants for specific projects so these appear to occur more frequently. Here’s what this might mean…

• Full time, fixed-term contract: This means you will work five days a week for a set amount of time, usually between six months and two or three years.
• Part-time: This means you will work usually between two and four days a week. This can be permanent or fixed-term depending on the way it is funded.

This will depend on a number of factors including the type of role and the experience of the person applying. Few applicants will meet every requirement on a job specification (especially when you are just starting out) but what you absolutely must do is demonstrate that you meet enough of them to prove that you are able to do the job.

Employers will often divide requirements into two groups:

• Essential: you must (or really, really should) be able to do/have this
• Desirable: it would be beneficial if you can do/have this

In most cases, if you do not have all of the ‘essentials’ you will likely not be considered for the role. Be sensible - if you are missing only one essential requirement but have all the others, it may be worth applying as employers will also consider your experience and other attributes.

On-the-job training is usually offered by an organisation for some of the desirable requirements if a skill/qualification is required to do the job. For example, a trailer licence, chainsaw ticket or a first aid certificate. These training courses are expensive so while it may be beneficial for you to have the qualifications, not having them will usually not prevent you getting the job, especially if the employer likes the rest of your application.

As well as your skills, knowledge and qualifications, employers will also be considering the following in your application:

• Do they have the right temperament and attitude for the job?
• Does the applicant have the motivation and drive to do the job to the best of their ability?
• Is the applicant the right fit/personality type for the existing team?
• Can the applicant grow and develop in the role and push the role forwards, beyond what was listed on the application?
• Is the application specific to this role? Applications that have been copied and pasted, that don’t answer the criteria or that haven’t been considered properly by the applicant can be disregarded. Employers want to know that you have a passion for their role.

This is a really difficult question to answer as salaries will vary depending on:

• the size of the organisation and their individual salary grades
• where you are in the country (London salaries are often higher to match the higher living costs, for example)
• amount of experience and level of skill you have
• the earning potential of the role and its level of responsibility of the role (usually, the more responsibility a role has, the higher the salary)
• If the organisation generates its own income (many employers are non-profit-making charities that rely on income provided by membership fees and external funding opportunities - pay will reflect this.).

Below is a VERY rough guide to salaries that you might expect. Please note that these are only guide figures and are correct at the time of writing in 2021.

Salaries will be ‘pro-rata’ for part time staff, meaning it will be a proportion of advertised annual income based on the number of days you work.

A working week of five days is equal to 1.0, so each working day is 0.2. Multiply the total annual income by the number of days e.g. £22,000 x 0.6 (for three days a week) = £13,200

Having any degree shows that you likely have a good number of important, transferable skills e.g. computer literacy, organisation, time management, ability to absorb large volumes of information etc. Having a degree in a conservation-related subject demonstrates that you have a good baseline knowledge of relevant topics and also shows a level of interest in the sector, suggesting that you are interested in pursuing a career in this area.  

However, having a degree is not a guarantee of, or short cut to, gaining employment in wildlife conservation. It is most useful as part a wide portfolio of experience and not as your only experience. 

Furthermore, depending on the role and organisation, a degree is not always essential. It is usually only one of many different criteria on a job description and is often written as:  

‘must have a degree in a relevant subject OR have suitable equivalent experience’. 

Again, depending on the role, an applicant without a degree but with a varied portfolio of high-quality volunteering and work/life experience will possibly be considered above someone who only has a degree but no experience. Valuable skills, knowledge and experience cannot be gained from study alone.

Whilst at university, there is nothing wrong with focusing on your studies and enjoying all the things that student life has to offer: the social experience, the night life and the societies etc.  However, think about your priorities - missing one or two social days/nights out a month in order to volunteer will greatly improve your opportunities for employment once your graduate. If you’re unable to volunteer, that’s okay but you will need to gain experience of the sector in some form.  

It is also worth noting that some trainee schemes exclude graduates in order to support and upskill individuals without higher/further education qualifications. You may want to research these. 

There is no right or wrong answer to this question! Each route has benefits and consequences but you need to decide which way will suit you and perhaps do some research to help with this.

Demonstrate your commitment to following a career in the sector – volunteer

It is never too early (or too late) to start volunteering. Regular volunteering demonstrates your commitment to pursuing a career in wildlife conservation, that you have (or are gaining) relevant skills and that you are able to work in and as part of a diverse team of people.

It is also the best way to find out if you actually enjoy the work before committing to it as a career. You may find, for example, that you don’t really enjoy doing practical conservation and that surveying may be more appealing. However, it is important to note that most jobs include an element of public engagement so make sure you get experience of engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds.

If you are under the age of 18, you may need a parent or guardian to accompany you, depending on the organisation. There are plenty of youth volunteering opportunities and wildlife youth groups, however. Check out  our Outdoor Origins: Youth volunteer group or similar groups - check out opportunities with your local Wildlife Trust if you're not in Worcestershire.

Volunteering and needing to earn money can be a difficult balance but many organisations offer volunteer opportunities seven days a week, especially for practical conservation. Be proactive and contact local organisations to find out about the opportunities they offer.

If you are unable to volunteer, consider:

• Joining a local special interest group. These often run weekend and evening sessions e.g. mammal, bat, botany, amphibian and reptile, dormouse, bat or wildlife recording groups.

• Researching and writing about wildlife and conservation topics. If good enough you may get them published in local and national wildlife magazines. 
• Attending talks and lectures put on by local wildlife organisations (offer to help out if you can).
• Teaching yourself about wildlife by collecting wildlife records for your local biological records centre.
• Taking part in awards such as the John Muir Award of The Duke of Edinburgh Award

Ask questions

When you are out volunteering, take the opportunity to ask questions and be inquisitive, this shows that you have a genuine interest and is a great way to learn. Most people are more than happy to help, share their experiences and offer advice.

The only silly question is the one not asked! No one will laugh at you or tell you off for wanting to improve your knowledge.

Think about:

• What do you want to know about working in the sector?
• Do you want to learn how to identify specific species?
• Ask people about their career journeys, is there any advice they can offer you?

Check out as many different role descriptions as you can 

Knowing what skills and qualities are being asked for by employers for specific roles will mean that you can tailor your volunteering and/or course of study to allow you to meet those requirements and make you a more attractive candidate.

It may be useful to make a list of the requirements for a role you like the look to see if and where you need to improve.

Countryside Jobs have a range of job profiles from employers across the UK.

For ‘live’ jobs, check out the following (others are available):

www.wildlifetrusts.org/jobs
www.countryside-jobs.com
www.environmentjob.co.uk
www.environmentaljobsuk.com
 

Get a driving licence

Due to the nature of many roles in the conservation sector, being able to drive is often classed as essential, particularly for those roles where you need to get yourself to remote locations either in your own vehicle or in the organisation’s vehicle. There are, however, numerous office-based roles that do not ask for a driving licence as a prerequisite (you just have to make sure you can get to and from the office).

Note, almost all vehicles owned by organisations will be manual and not automatic so you will need a full, manual driving licence. You may also be required to have your personal vehicle insured for business use.

Additional licences (minibus, trailer etc.) are useful but not essential and employers will usually provide and pay for training if you need these.

Keep an eye out for traineeships

Many organisations run trainee opportunities that are specifically tailored to recent graduates or people (of all ages) trying to get into the conservation sector. They provide superb opportunities for on-the-job training and a chance to gain real grassroots experience. They are often combined with a qualification, such as a City and Guilds qualification in land management, and sometimes have a training budget to allow you to gain key skills e.g. chainsaw licence or Forest Schools training. Most trainee schemes run for between six and 12 months and can be part-time or full-time. However, they are often unpaid or with a small subsistence grant so you may have to get a second job to be able to support yourself. Some placements may offer accommodation.

Keep a log of your activities and take photos

Recording your hours of volunteering or work with special interest groups is a useful exercise both for yourself when you write applications and as a folder of evidence that you can take to and talk about at an interview.

It’s also worthwhile to take pictures of yourself doing tasks as these can be used as evidence (and are great to look back on). When applying for a job, it is sometimes useful to submit an additional sheet alongside the main application form with a small number of annotated, key photos showing you doing relevant tasks or using relevant bits of kit. Do not include photos on your main application or CV, use this space to fully explain and evidence how you meet the key criteria.

Keep going

This is a highly competitive field and it is easy to become disheartened if you have been unsuccessful when applying for a number of roles.  No-one likes being rejected and employers do not like having to reject passionate and committed individuals, as these kind of people are exactly what the sector needs.

As frustrating as it may be, it is often not that you are missing anything from your application but that there was someone with more experience or someone that would be slightly better suited to the role or the team… and one day that will be you! Remember, the more applications (and interviews) you do, the better you will become at them.

Continue to push and build your portfolio of experience, expand your knowledge and your skills. Being committed, passionate and informed about wildlife conservation and active in a local conservation community will get you noticed and help you to make valuable connections. Then it will only be a matter of time before you’re the best candidate and earn your dream job!

Our advice about writing applications is pretty universal no matter what job you want to apply for:

• Make it clear how your experience has allowed you to meet each of the criteria. If you can, use examples from different organisations and roles.  

• Do not waffle or bluster; make concise, factual statements and if you make a claim, PROVE IT. Anyone can state that they are ‘organised’ or ‘know how to use hand tools’ but it is down to you to back that up with examples of your experience. 

• Do not undersell yourself but be truthful at the same time.  

• If you've got lots of experience, pick the relevant and/or your most successful examples and try to resist squeezing in everything you've done.

There is no right or wrong answer to how much you should write – it will depend on the job requirements, amount of experience you have and the role being advertised. Consider the following applications, which do you think is better?