1.0 Introduction: How the careers investigation was implemented
I decided to initiate my search in careers within the marine conservation sector, as this is a field that I have had interest in since I had the opportunity to scuba dive in Vietnam a few years ago. I aspire to do some travelling after university and get as much experience as possible. I thought researching into paid jobs within a volunteer conservation organization would give me some insight into what I could expect if I follow those aspirations.
I initially began my investigation using online resources, finding email and telephone contacts via organizations home pages. Researching the home pages informed me of what careers they had at each organization. I sent out a few emails
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to different organizations requesting an interview, an initial email interview and a latter telephone interview. The email interview allowed me to ask some vague questions to begin with in order to gain a general idea of their career pathway. Leading me to have further, more detailed questions which I decided to ask via a telephone interview as it allowed more flow in the conversation. I planned a number of interview questions prior to the phone call but also found more questions came to mind during the interviewing process. I took notes on my interviewee’s answers in order to reflect on at a later date. When originally emailing the organizations I explained that I was an Earth and Ocean Science BSc student from Brighton University and gave them a brief overview of the assignment. It took a few weeks to get a reply from any of the organizations I had contacted; Coral Cay Conservation Organization was the first to contact me back, as many of the organizations I had contacted were similar I decided that this contact was suitable for my assignment. 2.0 ‘The Head of Science’ – Coral Cay Conservation I interviewed Alex Ferguson – Head of Science at Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) who has been in his current job role since March 2014. Prior to joining CCC Mr. Ferguson was employed as an Assistant Countryside Ranger for Sussex wildlife trust. All other previous job roles former to Coral Clay Conservation were unrelated in retail and catering during studying a Geography BSc at the University of Manchester. Mr. Ferguson has progressed at CCC from a conservation intern, project scientist in the field and assistant to the head of science before becoming the head of science himself. Mr. Ferguson’s qualifications include a Geography BSc as well as a Conservation Biodiversity MSc (University of Exeter) in which he found completing a master’s degree to be beneficial towards his career pathway. Mr. Ferguson also has many skills including being RYA level 2 certified, a qualified divemaster, ‘reef check eco diver course director’ and a first aid instructor, achieving an Emergency Medical Technician certificate. His experience using Premier and Minitab applications to analyze large sets of data along with remote sensing and GIS software to undertake natural resource mapping activities have been vital to the ‘Head of Science’ job role. The head of science typically works an average of 40 hours a week and their general job role involves employing and managing staff on sites, writing grant proposals (yearly budgets and achievement reports), managing science programs for volunteer groups and analyzing data and writing field reports. The job role involves 90% office based work (50% admin work, 30% managing staff, 10% meetings) with about 10% of the time spent on the field working for ‘Life Signs Group’ – an outdoor education company. Managing people who are based in different countries, with different time zones and with variable internet and telephone access is one the biggest daily challenges that Mr. Ferguson faces. Staff members on site rotate approximately every 6 months to a year causing the additional difficulty of adapting to different personalities and trying to ensure consistency between staff contracts. However, meeting new people is also one of aspects of the job role which Mr. Ferguson enjoys most along with having the opportunity to travel and witnessing the results in the field. Field work includes dive surveys of reefs using belt transect, along which the abundance of different species of fish, coral, invertebrates, and other organisms are investigated. The methodology for these surveys are based on the internationally recognized reef check protocol although their number of target species is significantly increased. Mr. Ferguson also overlooks the investigation on tropical forest birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invasive plant species in the Montserrat project although he is not as actively involved in the collection of data as in the diving expeditions. Mr. Ferguson is unsure of his future career pathway although he is certain that he wants to continue working in the marine conservation sector. He feels comfortable at CCC and is happy with the amount of on the job training available to him in his placement. 3.0 Personal Evaluation The task of finding someone to interview for the careers investigation was challenging as it took a few weeks to get a reply, with many companies failing replying at all. Once I heard back from the Coral Cay Conservation the response to my interview questions was fast. Organizing a time to carry out the telephone interview was reasonably straight forward as Mr. Ferguson gave me a set date and time to call, which he had scheduled especially. However, Mr. Ferguson was not comfortable answering all my questions resulting in failure to obtain information on his annual income. I found this career investigation helpful in understanding what qualifications and skills may be necessary in order to obtain a career in the marine conservation sector.
Reflecting on my interview with Mr. Ferguson enabled me to commence planning my future after studying my Earth and Ocean Science BSc. From previous personal research into marine conservation careers I found that diving (PADI), RYA and first aid qualifications are often required which Mr. Ferguson concluded for me. I have been made aware of how some of the skills I’m currently learning and using at University such as the mini tab application and remote sensing are important abilities to have when aspiring to work on the field. I was already aware that a great deal of experience on conservation projects was needed however I now also believe that completing a MSc in a relevant conservation field will also be valuable in obtaining the more high paid career pathways. Interviewing Mr. Ferguson has opened my eyes in to how passion for your chosen career can enable you to move up within a company. I am now contemplating finding an internship rather than volunteer work after University as I feel this would be a more notable achievement for my future CV and a good way to begin
networking.
Therefore, I learned at the end of the interview that this career that I chose to pursue is very diverse. Meaning, there are endless routes, that branches out from this one field of study. The possibilities are endless; however, hard work is still expected. This interview did not reshape my objectives and goals. It has rather made me realize to stick to my goals and objectives. It has reminded me, to continue to be the best; by learning from the best and surrounding myself with the best.
Murphy’s law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. As someone who bears the name I can attest the truth in that statement. I have an extremely blessed life and do not endure the suffering that many people do on a daily basis. However, I have bizarre connections to small misfortunes and circumstances that follow me back as far as I can remember. Any acquaintance of mine will attest that things in my life never go as planned and anything that can happen will. Yet through a collection of misfortune, one can still find solace and benefit through their tribulation and see that negative experience could actually be positive.
Perhaps the most visible and obvious structural issue revolves around the aquarium's mission statement and goals. As noted in the case study, the original mission statement "make known the world of water through education, research, and exhibition" concentrates on its goal to bring sea life to the community. The new mission statement saw the aquarium as a "responsive community resource that attracts the broadest possible audience delivering highest quality experience" and as "a culturally diverse staff."
...ms within. I grew up on the lake, so water will and has always been a part of my life. I go to the beach almost every year, so I am frequently involved with the ocean life as well. My dad is a fisherman; he has been to many places and shown me many unique animals he has caught. I feel that it would be the most interesting job to have because there is a huge ocean to explore. Another awesome part of the job would be the idea of always learning new things about the fish. It would never turn into that job that has the same old routine because discoveries are still being made. The only down side to being a marine biologist is constantly smelling like a fish and dealing with the rather large fish that could endanger my life. But every job is going to have a down side, if these two are the only downsides to having this job, then I would have no problem conquering my fear.
I’m applying to SEA Semester, because I love the ocean. It’s been my dream from a young age to learn to sail and live on a ship. I’m from Aroostook County in Northern Maine, which is five hours away from the ocean. Every summer my parents would make sure I got to the ocean at least once, and I’ve romanticized it since I can remember. Since coming to Bowdoin, I’ve always spent my weekends biking and driving to the ocean, because it’s become a place for me to think clearly and escape the fast-paced life of a college student. The ocean has developed into my happy place, which is why I want to study it and understand how humans are impacting it. I want my undergraduate studies to give me the knowledge needed to protect our oceans in the future, and to be able to conduct research to expand our knowledge of the ocean. To be able to live on a tall ship and continue my studies of the ocean is my dream.
On my sixteenth birthday, my friends--we call ourselves The Crew--gave me the best gift ever. They combined two of my favorite things--the TV show, Law and Order, and Taylor Swift--and created a mini movie. The first time I watched it, and every time since, I crack up laughing. It is the funniest, quirkiest creation I have ever seen and it’s a fantastic representation of how thoughtful and loving my friends truly are.
The career I want to pursue when I go to college is in marine science. This career sparks my interests and fits my character style. As a child, I was intrigued by stories that took place in the ocean or along the beach. Sea creatures and indigenous areas always left me wanting to learn more. Even though natural disasters were devastating, they caught my attention too. The college I selected is the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) I found it to be an affordable college choice and have the most academic advantages in my career choice to become a Marine Biologist. Although I have not participated in many marine aquatic activities, I still chose to research the career path to becoming a Marine Biologist.
Over sixty days have passed since I left with the others from my homeland on the Mayflower, sailing along the Atlantic passageway in search of new beginnings. The journey at sea was treacherous, but not deathly, though our morale was quite shaken from the storms. The ship’s main hull was breached, but thankfully the ship remained intact for the rest of the course with just a few temporary repairs. Originally, we were headed to dock in Virginia with the other settlers, but the gales and squalls of the sea have steered our path elsewhere north amidst the land. Just shortly after we landed shore, a team was dispatched to explore where they named the area Plymouth Rock, just west of Cape Cod Bay. And now, the others and I have stepped foot on a sandy beach in this part of the New World, ready to form a fresh start.
Along with creating steps which will lead me towards my ultimate career goal, the creation of a specific five-year plan for myself was key. In five years I will be in school, hopefully in my final year of my Masters degree; a plan which seems so simple to achieve, however requires an extensive amount of hard work and dedication. Being so far in my academic career already, I will hopefully have worked in summer internships or been employed during the year by a speech-language pathologist or various health institutions to gain experience in the profession and potentially become full time employed by one of these institutions post-graduation. Within the five years, I will have as well established networks and built relationships with multiple
This job appeals to me because I really enjoy working with animals and I would like to travel around the word to study all kinds of different animals. I think it would be fun to travel to places like Africa and the Amazon to study the different animals in those two places.
that I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field but I was not sure
This career option as an assessment employer for the child protective services could possibly be a long-term career option. Although, I do not believe I would want this as my long-term career goal. Choosing to work directly out of college would also allow myself to gain experience within the field which would improve the possibility of getting a better job or getting into graduate school. If I was hired and I did accept the position within five years my goal would be to continue working while attending school to further mu education. I would continue to work to gain more experience as well as helping me get through school by paying off my tuition. I would not leave this job until I graduate and had another job lined up.
When I found out that there are currently over 160 offices in over 40 countries, which act as a base for Environmental Resource Management ,I was amazed (ERM.com) ,. At any point in time, an employee could be asked to take up a job in any of the numerous exotic and beautiful locations such as Japan or France. As an avid traveler, I was immediately drawn to the idea of working such a job. My dream, since I was a child has been to visit every country in the world at least once. In order to achieve my dream I searched for jobs that included traveling, and experimented with the idea of becoming an archeologist or a traveling photographer. In the end I chose Environmental Resource Management; the variety of locations offered sealed the deal for me. There were wilderness locations such as Peru, major cities like Hong Kong and everything in-between.
Marine biology is the study of marine life in salt water ecosystems. It can also be described as observing how marine species interact with one another. Certain species of underwater plants can affect the environment in which they are put in. Some branches of marine biology study the affects of said plants. There are many branches of marine biology. Many people tend to study dolphins or sharks, since those are the most known marine animal. Only 30% of the world's oceans have been explored. This means that by being a marine biologists, I can have the chance to explore parts of the world that have never been seen before. Not many people are willing to go through the dark places of the oceans. This is what I want to do, because I would be the first one to see what is hidden behind the veil of darkness.
The Open Boat is based off the true story of the sinking of the Commodore. Stephen Crane had a traumatic shipwreck in January 1897. After the crash on the 10-foot boat, Crane was lost at sea for 30 hours. He was later rescued and wrote 3 different writings on the sinking of Commodore (Eye). Crane’s afterthought of the sinking of the Commodore led to the short story. It was initially published as “Stephen Crane’s Own Story” (Hayes). The Open Boat is now a fictional tale written by Stephen Crane to portray his struggling experience. Dudley specifies, “In his role as war correspondent, Crane booked passage to cover the revolt in Cuba and nearly lost his life in a shipwreck off the coast of Florida in January 1897--events that would form the basis for "The Open Boat (Dudley)”. The correspondent in the story can easily be realized as the author himself. Crane wrote “The Open Boat” when the initial thought of the literary world was the realism and naturalism were the primary focus (Eye). Eye’s observation is a key point to why so many people lean toward the fiction aspect of The Open Boat.