SAVING THE EARTH AS A CAREER: ADVICE ON BECOMING A CONSERVATION PROFESSIONAL, 2ND EDITION

Preface ix
Preface to the second edition xi
Read this road map before you begin xiii
• 1 Is this the right career for you? 1
What is a conservation professional? 1
Conservation contributors 3
Diverse compensations 6
Location, location, location 8
Your image 10
Talk and experience 11
• 2 Establishing an undergraduate foundation 14
Universities and degrees 14
Course work 15
Course performance 17
Experiences outside the classroom 18
References 24
Standardized tests 25
Changing course 26
Switching careers 27
Next steps 28
• 3 Selecting an educational program 30
The key elements: University, topic, degree, and advisor 30
When to begin? 37
Some scenarios 37
• 4 Applying for admission 46
Making contact 46
Personal essay or letter 49
Initial conversations 50
Application mechanics 50
References 51
Visiting 52
First impressions 54
Interviewing a prospective advisor 55
Interviewing other students 58
Interviewing other faculty 60
Making a decision 60
• 5 Designing a program of study 62
Your goal 62
A project 64
Course work 65
A balancing act 65
Teaching 67
Internships 68
Comprehensive exam 69
Investing in your department and yourself 70
Extracurricular activities 73
Communicating with your advisor 75
An advisory committee 77
When things go very wrong 79
A final word on work styles 82
• 6 Designing and executing a project 84
Selecting a topic 84
Setting realistic expectations 85
Framing the problem 87
Writing and presenting a proposal 92
Executing a project 98
Non-completion 111
Writing a thesis or final report 112
Final defense 114
• 7 Attending conferences and making presentations 116
Which to attend? 116
Conference information 120
Attending talks and other sessions 121
Networking 122
Professional-society activities 124
Presentations 126
• 8 Writing papers 138
A thesis versus a collection of papers 139
Writing a professional paper 141
Authorship 148
Selecting a journal for your paper 149
Submitting a paper to a journal 152
Your paper comes back from the journal 152
Other kinds of publications 158
• 9 Finding a job 162
What to seek 162
How to search 165
When to apply 167
How to apply 170
Accepting a job 176
• 10 Making a difference 179
Savior syndrome 179
Compassion fatigue: The flip side of the savior syndrome 183
Making a difference as a student 184
Making a difference as a conservation professional 188
Life style 193
Conservation ethics 194
Index 199

Written in an informal and engaging style, Saving the Earth as a Career is an ideal resource for students and professionals pursuing a career in conservation. The book explores the major skills needed to become an effective conservation professional by offering useful advice on a range of topics.

Chapters include:
• Is this the right career for you?
• Designing a program of study
• Designing and executing a project
• Attending conferences and making presentations
• Writing papers
• Finding a job
• Making a difference

Saving the Earth as a Career 2e is a friendly, accessible guide with a global perspective for anyone interested in becoming a conservation or environmental professional, and teachers will find this an invaluable resource for university students at all levels.