humbug.
i try to be productive, really, i do. for the past couple weeks, i've gone to bed somewhere between 3 and 5 a.m. every night (morning?) every day i tell myself that tonight, tonight! i will find jobbers. and every night i occupy myself with some artsy fartsy project in front of a pile of house and seinfeld DVD's.
it is a specialist's world, with no room for a would-be jack of all trades. if i mention to my biology colleagues that i have taught english abroad or spent an unfortunate amount of time as a secretary of some stripe, or worked at ESL summer camps for the past 3 years, they give me eyebrow gyrations and speak slowly to me. if i mention to my ESL colleagues that my degree is in wildlife biology and i like chasing birdies in the middle of nowhere, same thing. the office people either think i'm crazy or they're jealous because, well, they're office people. a biologist is expected to be a biologist. all. the. time. why read literature when you could be reading "a sand county almanac" for the bazillionth time? fiction? you should be reading science journals. what's wrong with you, city girl?
wildlife biology is considered "multidisciplinary" in that in addition to competence in field research methods, a "worthy" job applicant is also expected to be knowlegeable and experienced in any of the following:
ATV, boat, tractor, snowmobile operation and maintainance.
tractor operation and maintainance.
local landowner issues in regards to policy (farm bill, etc.)
hunting/fishing regulations, preferably be a hunter/angler.
wilderness survival, etc. (remote camping, how to make palatable meals from dried/canned food for an entire field team, snowshoe/cross-country ski with heavy packs, avalanche safety, wilderness first responder certification, lifeguarding training, CPR and first aid at the least...)
GPS unit use, GIS program use.
small aircraft safety.
pesticide applicator's license.
chainsaw operation.
you get the point. i'm a jack of all the wrong trades.
i'm getting tired of scrapping with rednecks over $8/hr jobs, and even more tired of getting rejection letters from said $8/hr jobs saying that "over 250 applications were received for this position and we regret to inform you that your application was not successful." i am too old for this crap.
it is a specialist's world, with no room for a would-be jack of all trades. if i mention to my biology colleagues that i have taught english abroad or spent an unfortunate amount of time as a secretary of some stripe, or worked at ESL summer camps for the past 3 years, they give me eyebrow gyrations and speak slowly to me. if i mention to my ESL colleagues that my degree is in wildlife biology and i like chasing birdies in the middle of nowhere, same thing. the office people either think i'm crazy or they're jealous because, well, they're office people. a biologist is expected to be a biologist. all. the. time. why read literature when you could be reading "a sand county almanac" for the bazillionth time? fiction? you should be reading science journals. what's wrong with you, city girl?
wildlife biology is considered "multidisciplinary" in that in addition to competence in field research methods, a "worthy" job applicant is also expected to be knowlegeable and experienced in any of the following:
ATV, boat, tractor, snowmobile operation and maintainance.
tractor operation and maintainance.
local landowner issues in regards to policy (farm bill, etc.)
hunting/fishing regulations, preferably be a hunter/angler.
wilderness survival, etc. (remote camping, how to make palatable meals from dried/canned food for an entire field team, snowshoe/cross-country ski with heavy packs, avalanche safety, wilderness first responder certification, lifeguarding training, CPR and first aid at the least...)
GPS unit use, GIS program use.
small aircraft safety.
pesticide applicator's license.
chainsaw operation.
you get the point. i'm a jack of all the wrong trades.
i'm getting tired of scrapping with rednecks over $8/hr jobs, and even more tired of getting rejection letters from said $8/hr jobs saying that "over 250 applications were received for this position and we regret to inform you that your application was not successful." i am too old for this crap.