animal careers – Page 3 – Animal Jobs Digest

Vet School Not An Option? Consider These Alternative Careers

By Animal Jobs Digest November 15, 2015All articles, Career options, Featured articles1 Comment

By Paula Fitzsimmons

If your dream of becoming an animal doc is not attainable, don’t feel too badly . . .veterinary medicine is not for everyone. Relatively few are able or willing to commit to years of post-graduate training or take on tuition debt.

Luckily, you have other options.

If you want to help heal animals, don’t let your skills and compassion go to waste. Consider these alternative careers, which require a fraction of the education, training, and tuition expense.

The Best Scholarships to Propel Your Animal Care Career Forward: A Guide for 2016

By Animal Jobs Digest November 1, 2015All articles, Featured articles, Slider, Tools for success2 Comments

By Paula Fitzsimmons

We need more, not fewer, people willing to work in careers that promote protection for animals, the environment, and the disenfranchised. These careers often require applicants to have some level of higher education – whether via certificate, technical, or college degree. Soaring tuition prices and high interest loans have made school more inaccessible than it once was. And that’s a shame . . . I believe anyone who wants to go to school to better themselves and make a difference, should have the opportunity.

All is not lost.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Activists – It’s a Group Effort

By Animal Jobs Digest September 30, 2015All articles, Inspiration & ideas

By Paula Fitzsimmons

This past week I was again reminded of just how harmful comparing myself to others can be, and how it often leads to feelings of inadequacy. I had been pleased with recent accomplishments, when on one of these particular days I chose to spend a few free moments browsing Facebook.

Peppered in with the regular stories of planetary abuses were welcome news pieces: Shell had halted its plans to drill in the Arctic; Eco Activists for Governance and Law Enforcement (EAGLE) activists were instrumental in busting yet another wildlife trafficker; various wildlife centers had rehabilitated and released animals to their wild homes . . .to name a few. Among these were posts from friends and others touting their own – or their organizations’ – successes.

Get That Animal Welfare Job – 8 Ways to Stand Apart From the Pack

By Animal Jobs Digest September 7, 2015All articles, Featured articles, How-to succeed

By Paula Fitzsimmons

If you want an animal welfare organization to hire you, the stuff you bring to their table has to be pretty special. If a company or organization has 50 people applying for the same position – and most of these applicants have similar skills and experience – it’s too easy to be forgotten. You need creative ways to stand out (in a positive way!) from the horde of other applicants, and give your future employer a reason to want to hire you.

The following ideas may not necessarily guarantee you the job, but they may indeed help give you an advantage.

Want to Become an Animal Doc? First Ask Yourself These 6 Questions

By Animal Jobs Digest September 1, 2015All articles, Career options, Featured articles

By Paula Fitzsimmons

Veterinary medicine has got to be one of the most undervalued professions on the planet. The path to becoming a veterinarian begins with rigorous academic training . . . at great personal financial expense that often leads to debt.

Vets get pooped on and bitten by their patients – no animal in his or her right mind actually looks forward to seeing the vet.

They also regularly deal with a range of human personalities and quirks. For instance, not everyone understands why they actually have to pay more than a few bucks for professional services. As if vets should work for free.

The Best Animal Lover Jobs . . . for Introverts, Independent Spirits, & Idea People

By Animal Jobs Digest August 17, 2015All articles, Career options, Featured articles6 Comments

By Paula Fitzsimmons

I love alone time. Having the personal space and time to devour a good book, think, create, and daydream is part of who I am. According to research, including that performed by the mother-daughter team of Katharine Briggs & Isabel Briggs Myers – creators of the MBTI® personality inventory – my temperament leans towards the introverted side.

Introverts tend to be independent spirits. We’d rather be – and are often more productive when – working solo or in smaller groups . . .this is when we’re in our element.

This isn’t a data-backed statement, but I suspect the animal welfare community, as a whole, gravitates to the indie side.

Want One of These Animal-centered Jobs? How Are Your People Skills?

By Animal Jobs Digest August 12, 2015All articles, Career options

By Paula Fitzsimmons

It seems counter-intuitive that a job involving animals would require good people skills. The reality is that regardless of which animal-centered career path you choose (or heck, with anything in life), you’ll likely need to work with people. Even if it’s just on a limited basis.

This can be a little daunting for those of us who want to work for or with animals. Why do I say that? Because I believe most of us “animal people” tend to be on the independent side. I don’t have any studies to back this up; it’s just a sense I’ve gotten from being around other advocates. And there’s nothing wrong with that . . . everyone is wired differently. I’m an introvert, by the way.

10 Free & Low Cost Career-Boosting Courses & Training Opportunities for Animal Advocates

By Animal Jobs Digest July 20, 2015All articles, Featured articles, Slider, Tools for success

By Paula Fitzsimmons

We can all benefit from learning new skills and exploring new ideas, regardless of where we’re at in our careers. The opportunities below aren’t a replacement for formal education and training, but they can certainly enhance it in different ways.

They can help give you an edge when applying for a job or seeking a promotion . . . showing potential and current employers that you take the initiative to learn on your own.

Legitimate Telecommute Jobs for Animal Advocates Really Do Exist – Do You Know Where to Find Them?

By Animal Jobs Digest July 13, 2015All articles, Featured articles, Slider, Tools for success4 Comments

By Paula Fitzsimmons

It wasn’t too long ago that the term Work from Home was synonymous with scam. Back in the 1970s, and even into the 1990s, those of us hoping to take advantage of flexible schedules were met with the same level of gimmicky advertising seen today. Perhaps not as sophisticated or widely circulated as modern ads, but still on the same level as too-good-to-be-true.

5 Animal Welfare Organizations With Amazing Employee Benefits

By Animal Jobs Digest June 18, 2015All articles, Featured articles, Tools for success

By Paula Fitzsimmons

Companies have traditionally offered benefits and perks as a way to attract and keep top employees. From decent health benefits and pension funds to daycare and paid leave, a good benefits package can add value – from hundreds to even thousands of dollars – to your pay per year.

It’s not just for-profit businesses who are taking care of their employees. Several nonprofit organizations, including those who advocate for animals and the environment, tout benefits that are just as attractive – and in some cases even more so – than their corporate counterparts. (Think of how much you can save with a deeply-discounted health plan for your animal companion, for instance.)