Careers for Graduates with a Degree in Zoology

Graduates with a degree in zoology directed their college studies toward the study of animal life. Naturally then one would expect that careers for graduates with a degree in zoology will connect on some level with animals, their breeding, behavior, growth and relevance to humankind. That means that for graduates with a degree in zoology there really are lots of careers out there. Some of the careers for graduates with a degree in zoology may mean working directly with animals on an every day basis. But for those whose interest in animals is more academic than practical there are careers for graduates with a degree in zoology in which the graduate never actually confronts a live animal unless he or she sets out to do so. Animals are such an important part of our human existence that we need graduates with a degree in zoology to help us care for and appreciate the animal life in our midst.

Zoo Workers Graduates with a degree in zoology have academically prepared themselves for careers in and around animals in captivity in zoos across our nation. In four years of undergraduate work with related concentrations and field work, graduates with a degree in zoology are ready to take on zoo careers in which their primary concern is to feed, clean, groom, exercise and attend to the overall needs of the wide variety of animals living in zoos. This work can be physically demanding and occasionally even dangerous but graduates with degree in zoology have grown up with an abiding interest in and love for animals and for many even the sometimes rigorous nature of the job is invigorating because of where the work is done.
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Our zoos shelter many endangered or nearly endangered species. Graduates with a degree in zoology have an important and rewarding role to play in maintaining those animals and assisting them to breed in captivity to keep the species alive. Many zoos also work with animals that have come to the zoos through injury or abandonment. With knowledge drawn from their work in obtaining a degree in zoology, graduates work with animals to help return them to the fullest possible quality of life.

It is not unusual for graduates with a degree in zoology to extend their academic work to include either a second major in business or postgraduate work in business sufficient to allow them to work not just out among the animals but also behind a desk in the zoo's management sector. In zoo administrative or public relations positions, graduates with a degree in zoology can continue to work for the well being and appropriate housing of zoo in habitants from different but highly effective position.

Animal Training Just as some people are born teachers in the human world, some graduates with a degree in zoology are natural born trainers. A small per centage of graduates with a degree in zoology have an inborn sensitivity to animals and their behavior patterns. They seem, like the horse whisperers of old, to be able to communicate and touch the spirit of the animals with which they work. When some graduates with a degree in zoology combine their academic understanding of animals with their natural ability to communicate with animals they make a very marketable product and are likely to get consideration for jobs that involve animal training.

For some graduates with a degree in zoology, training animals may be something they have done since they worked with their own dogs as young people growing up. As adults, degree in zoology in hand, they are ready to approach the business world as documented professionals. Animal training positions are in fact more bountiful than you might at first imagine. Certainly the market that is most visible is for trainers that can work with dogs. Owners want their animals to be more manageable, better behaved, more responsive to command. Each owner has his or her own little pet peeves that they want the dog trainer to work out of their animal.

There are also careers for dog trainers who can work with dogs to train them to provide real service to their owner, beyond the mere "go fetch". Graduates with a degree in zoology may become involved in training dogs to serve as seeing eye animals to assist the visually impaired. Or they may work with dogs to help them become guard dogs, even in some instances attack dogs. Alll of this training can come with a rather large ticket. With a respectable clientele a good living is possible.

There is also a demand for graduates with a degree in zoology to work with many different kinds of animals to prepare them to be entertainers. In many instances zoos enhance their exhibits by offering shows in which trained animals perform a variety of tasks or tricks to delight and amuse the audience. These behaviors must be carefully taught and behaviors controlled by animal trainers. Some of these trainers are drawn from the ranks of graduates with a degree in zoology.

Performance work by animals is not restricted to the zoo venue alone . Many animals are trained for high visibility performance in the circus. Elephants, lions, tigers are all know circus performers. All are large and potentially dangerous animals. To allow them in an open ring requires a trainer with know how, patience and possibly a degree in zoology. Anyone who has ever seen a television show or a movie knows the extent to which animals are involved. Graduates with a degree in zoology who have experience in animal training may find very lucrative work as trainers for dogs, horses and other animals to be used in media presentations.

Park Rangers and Naturalists. It would be difficult to think of very many national or state parks that did not have some wildlife present. In many cases in fact the presence of wildlife is the major draw for visitors each year. While the animals living in national parks are for the most part self sufficient, there are steps taken within the parks to be of peripheral assistance, especially in cases where endangered species are involved or species are being re-introduced into their natural habitats.
Graduates with a degree in zoology may be hired to work on these kinds of projects.

These same graduates with a degree in zoology are also in demand to fill career positions in parks as rangers and naturalists who will help to educate visitors in the behavior patterns of the wildlife found in a particular environment. Graduates with a degree in zoology may find themselves leading hikes, heading up campfire presentations or providing written guides to visitors. All of their work is dedicated to maintaining and supporting the wildlife in its natural habitat.

The pay check for these kinds of park positions are only average but the working conditions in many cases can only be described as spectacular. Graduates in many national parks find themselves outdoors for most of the day moving about in a setting that has already been judged deserving of preservation. For graduates with a degree in zoology who love the out of doors and animals, a career in a national park may be a dream job come true.

Author, Teacher Some graduates with a degree in zoology love the academic side of their study. They may be less interested in working directly with the care, feeding, or nurturing of domestic or wild animals. For the graduates with a degree in zoology who love the animal world more in the abstract there are careers available in the world of writing and teaching.

On the stands today you can find many nature specific and general interest magazines that regularly include articles that are animal centered . Graduates who can combine their scholarly interest in animal life with solid writing skill may find their niche working as staff or freelance nature authors for magazines or newspapers. As with any creative field the competition in nature writing is considerable. However, armed with a degree in zoology the graduate becomes not just a creative writer but a credible one, thus increasing the chances for publication and a pay check.

In some instances graduates with a degree in zoology find that their studies equip them to teach at the secondary school level. The subjects offered to such graduates may be courses in general science, biology or an elective in elementary zoology. Graduates will discover teaching to be a job that offers a reliable pay check, good benefits and the much publicized summer off to pursue other interests.

Research The government,some industries and universities often engage in studies in which the observation of wildlife is paramount. Graduates with a degree in zoology are the kind of trained professionals that can be of great use in such investigative work. Graduates with a degree in zoology can offer not just the diligence to observe, record, and quantify, but also the knowledge to make informed judgments about their findings. This kind of technical work often pays well but is likely to require relocation to the site of the study. For graduates with a love of research and discovery, however, the challenge and the thrill may be worth the sacrifice.

Graduates with a degree in zoology lived for four years with their degree information always being alphabetically last in every bulletin and in every program. Once graduation is over however, graduates with a degree in zoology are apt to find that having that degree that begins at the end of the alphabet can take them to the beginning of some very exciting and provocative career choices.