I want to become a field researcher... HOW?

April 10, 2018 11:08 AM

Hello friends, I'm finally getting out of the private education sector. Seems like a lot of my illness was stress related to this field. I'd love to become a field researcher (biology) or something biophysics related but I have a BFA, attained almost a decade ago. What can I do to accomplish my goal? Do I have to get a second bachelors/ MS? late 20's, midwest female, more than willing to relocate.

It looks to me like I'd fully have to go back and receive a second bachelors degree, however:

I'm not that adept at "traditional" schooling, especially test taking. I do much better with experience-based "hands on" learning styles and applied learning, which uni doesn't necessarily support in full.

I don't want to take out several thousands worth of financial aid, especially since I'm still paying off my previous school loans, but I will if it means accomplishing my goal.

Is there an option for on-the-job learning or perhaps a more compact education track? My findings are saying "no, not really" but honestly the STEM job realm is not something I've dealt with before.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much in advance.

posted by Kestrelxo to Work & Money (11 answers total)

Field biology is a hugely broad field. What aspects of field research interest you? Would you be happy as a technician on a field project, or do you want to direct your own research?
I would suggest really narrowing down exactly what you are interested in doing, and then look for internship, technician, and field assistant positions. Conservation jobs is a good resource, as is the TAMU Department of Wildlife and Fisheries job board. You may be able to find a position there which will give you the sort of on-the-job training you are interested in. However, these tend to be temporary and will almost certainly lack benefits.

Depending on where in the midwest you are, check the closest land grant university. They often have extensions that offer continuing education courses and training opportunities in some biology/ecology topics. I'm most familiar with the Agricultural Extension and School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State, but other land grant universities should have similar opportunities. This may be a way to build a particular skill (become an expert in water quality measurement, for example) to get you qualified for more permanent positions.
posted by ChuraChura at 11:24 AM on April 10, 2018

I second the recommendation to check out your nearest land-grant university. A good source for fieldwork jobs in biology, ecology and similar environmental sciences is the ECOLOG listserv. Academic, government, and industry scientists use it to post job openings, plus info on courses, trainings, and seminars pretty often.
posted by Eriogonum at 11:34 AM on April 10, 2018

Good advice above! I'll add that getting a job doing summer field work is a snap. Transitioning those mostly temp jobs to a real job is the challenge. But get that foot in the door, work hard, and it can work out- degree or no degree. Though I will say that having the right degree usually makes it a whole lot easier...
posted by Patapsco Mike at 11:48 AM on April 10, 2018

Thank you people so SO much this is hugely great advice- I literally did not know how to start at all so THANK YOU
posted by Kestrelxo at 12:37 PM on April 10, 2018

Just a word of warning - field ecology work can be physically grueling and not very well paid.

An alternative, if you want something biology adjacent is perhaps looking into allied health professions. Depending on your jurisdiction, its typically a two year program plus an extra year of rotations. Good pay, flexible hours, work in demand all over.
posted by porpoise at 1:38 PM on April 10, 2018

Just a word of warning - field ecology work can be physically grueling and not very well paid. AND seasonal. But also, really fun!!! If you have the resources to do so, consider volunteering in a lab for a few months to see what you think.
posted by Toddles at 3:25 PM on April 10, 2018

So much good advice above. The good news is that folks are still hiring for summer field techs on TAMU and Ecolog, so you likely could still find something to jump right into.

Another thing to think about would be certifications, where you take a short course (40 hours or so) to get a recognized, needed skill set. One common one for environmental consulting careers is HAZWOPER, which is basically proper management of hazardous materials like you might find at a chemical spill or a brownfield site. It looks like the University of Minnesota has a good program, and there are likely others at a school near you--it frequently is offered at technical/vocational colleges.

Another possibility is wetland delineation. Swamp School is one training program that I know about, but there are likely others in your area.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:19 PM on April 10, 2018

Another possibility is wetland delineation.

I was going to suggest the same thing, because wetland delineations are a mandatory thing (meaning, people pay to have them done because they are required to by law; you are not at the mercy of their good intentions) and at least in the states where I have worked, getting certified is not a major endeavor.

If you aren't 100% wedded to full-time field work, and assuming you can write well, environmental permitting is a related task that has to be done and has low barriers to entry. To the extent that anything in natural resources has job security, permitting is pretty good because everyone is stuck dealing with it and most people hate it.

The advice above about where to look is good. I'd also suggest reaching out directly to local non-profits, agencies, and/or consulting companies, since a lot of seasonal work isn't advertised.
posted by Dip Flash at 12:11 AM on April 11, 2018

I'm not that adept at "traditional" schooling, especially test taking. I do much better with experience-based "hands on" learning styles and applied learning, which uni doesn't necessarily support in full.

You're kind of in luck because the main thing that matters for graduate school admission in most biology departments is research experience and the resulting recommendation letters. Most don't even require a subject GRE. However, if you really have no wet-lab experience, you may need to volunteer as an intern for a while before you can be hired as a technician. (Even then the money is typically not great, but it is likely way better than taking out loans for a second baccalaureate.)

My sense is that biophysics is going to be a bit tougher to break into unless you already have extensive math and physics experience. I don't even have the right math background and I'm a computational biologist, lol. Not saying you can't do it because you absolutely could if that's what you decided, but it might require quite a bit more formal schooling if you want to go that route. However, there are tons of other biology subfields out there that would be happy to take on someone motivated. I might think about environmental microbiology if you're interested in field work -- there's a lot of new-ish technology being brought to bear that have led to people being able to study things they couldn't before, so my perception (I'm not quite in this field, but am kind of next door) is that it's an exciting time.
posted by en forme de poire at 9:18 AM on April 11, 2018

Oh, practical advice: if postings aren't panning out, what I did to get my first internship was basically send my CV and a few sentences about who I was and what I wanted to do to any university group doing research I thought was at all interesting. If you're willing to be free labor for a summer, that strategy is def worth trying.
posted by en forme de poire at 9:20 AM on April 11, 2018

THANK YOU for all of your thoughtful responses! I feel so much closer to accomplishing my goals!!
posted by Kestrelxo at 2:05 PM on April 13, 2018