Having a full and vibrant CV or Resume relies on not only a solid academic foundation, but perhaps even more importantly, relevant and practical work experience.
However, finding this work experience can be a challenge – especially in the marine conservation sector. Here is a quick guide to different types of work experience, where to look, and how to start!
Types of work experience
Work experience spans a wide range of activities and job roles, often part-time or on a short-term basis. The first separation to make is the difference between paid and voluntary positions – and in the marine field, finding paid positions which are not full-time, officially contracted job roles, is very challenging. Instead, finding a voluntary role with an established organisation, NGO, or research lab is much more feasible for starting out.
The 3 main types of voluntary work are:
- Remote work
- Field research
- Lab work
Remote Work
Remote work may include managing the social media page for an organisation, managing advertising of events, or creating content for social media platforms to help raise awareness of marine issues, research, and conservation work. This can often be found with charities and environmental organisations, who are often seeking some extra help – even just a couple of hours a week. This type of work is very accessible as it is often flexible to your own schedule and time availability, can be carried out from anywhere with good Wi-Fi connection, and opens up a wider breadth of organisations across the globe to which you can offer your time.
Field Research
Field research involves getting hands-on and practical, which may require a little more training, and may be available as an intense short-term block, such as a month or a few month’s worth of help, or may be a less intense weekly schedule. Finding a local laboratory, university or organisation looking for physical help such as the role of a research assistant is a great place to start. This strengthens your CV by providing practical hands-on experience which is hugely appealing to employers.
Laboratory Work
Laboratory work is similar to field research in that it requires some prior knowledge of the subject at hand, and will also entail some level of training in order to be allowed to handle laboratory equipment and fulfil the role as needed. Getting first-hand experience in a research laboratory is an excellent way to prove your ability to work in a professional environment, learn how to use new equipment and data handling techniques, and enhance your knowledge of your chosen area, whether that be measuring the photosynthetic rate of phytoplanktons or looking at the recovery rate of different coral species. Often, laboratory assistants start out with basic tasks such as caring for live samples, laboratory cleaning, and simple maintenance until a level of experience is achieved, allowing progression to roles with more responsibility.
Where should I look?
Finding relevant work experience can be the hardest part of all. It is a good idea to have a social media presence to enable yourself to be recognised by potential work experience hosts, and to have your CV/resume up to date and ready to send to any potential organisations. Besides emailing individual organisations to offer your help, you can also search for openings within universities, colleges, research stations and charities. In addition, it is worth following marine conservation and research organisations on social media, so that you are always alerted to new openings and opportunities.
Some useful sites to start searching on are:
- Social Media Platforms such as Facebook, and Instagram
- Marine Job Boards e.g., WiseOceans Careers Job Board
- Conservation Careers
Tips to get started
Start small. Targeting smaller organisations and NGOs yields a higher chance of success, as these are the people who need an extra hand most. Once you have found an organisation you are interested in helping out, write them an email outlining what you can offer, add your CV, and detail any experience or skills you already have. It is important to show your passion here, and highlight why you want to contribute and what you hope to achieve in the process.
Offer your time voluntarily. When just starting out, it is unlikely you’ll be able to find any kind of role that pays you. However, offering your time up for free is a great way to give something back to an organisation, build your skillset, and experience new working environments and approaches without being contractually tied in.
Be open to new experiences. Don’t be put off by tasks or work that you haven’t done before. Pushing your limits, trying new things, and being eager to learn is a hugely important skill when it comes to finding a position with an organisation. Lots of research centres and stations offer wildlife internships and courses, which you will likely have to pay for, but this can give you a huge boost in the marine world as you enhance you skills and explore new environments and methods. See the list above for insights into how to find internships!
Apply. Even if the opportunity is directly related to the career you are working towards, all work experience helps build your skills, whether that be technical, social, communicative or otherwise. There’s no harm in applying to multiple places, and starting the conversation with many different organisations can help you make connections for the future too. Don’t be afraid – the worst that can happen is you’ll get a no, which helps you narrow down your options.
Don’t lose hope! Finding work experience is no easy task, and is an ongoing process. Talk to people, make new connections, show your interest and willingness to help out, and be transparent about your abilities and previous experience. Once you start gaining some experience and get the ball rolling, it gets easier and easier as you build your CV and skillset, and become increasingly appealing to employers and organisations. It is a long, and slow process, but is enormously rewarding, and is enriched by the skills you pick up and people you meet along the way.
Thanks to our guest writer Sophie Coxon for this blog!
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