Although I am unsure on what career I would like to pursue, I know I’ve always wanted to work with animals somehow and better understand and help them. I also know I want to be working in an outside, hands-on environment, not in a vets office. One of my friends introduced me to a girl named Haleigh who works at the Plumpton Zoo in  Maryland. Being able to talk to someone who is only two years older than me really gave me more confidence in finding a job or internship in a zoo to work with exotic, rare animals. I told her how I have been stuck on working with animals, even if it means not making a lot of money at first. She told me that it is helpful to start volunteering or doing internships now during the summer to get experience, which really comes in handy and zoos always need volunteers. Haleigh has been there for three years now and loves every second of it. On a daily basis, she can be doing anything from feeding animals to teaching groups of people with live, hands-on experiences. She also recommended that I take some zoology or animal science courses like she did to get a better grasp on what other employees there were teaching her.

Haleigh really helped me get a better idea on what I really should be doing now, especially in the summer, to better my chances of achieving a real job that I’ll love. The good part about volunteering is that it’s not like I’m dedicated to that place for years. It may not work out for me like it does for her, but everything she explained about how she started feels like where I am now so my passion for it is still there.

Being semi undecided on what career I want makes creating a career plan difficult. So much stress comes with not knowing by this point. Whatever I may choose, I do know that a short term goal is to start interning somewhere at least related to an interest of mine to further explore what may work for me. Interns are perfect to try out something new and exciting. I’m hoping that over the summer I can get a job or intern at one of the zoos nearby to being working with animals like I want to. Finding something that makes me happy, but that also fulfills my dream job goal of making money, seems impossible from my stand point. My long term is related to my how I want my dream job to be; something I enjoy while making enough to support a family. I know that much, now I just have to figure out WHAT that magical job will be…

If there’s one thing I knew I would never do growing up, it’s working in an office. My ideal job involves a lot of hands on, outdoor work. I couldn’t stand sitting behind a desk all day. I need to constantly be moving around and doing a project. I want to be excited to come to work and love what I do, not be miserable. As stated in my other blog, finding something you love is highly important to me. Jobs you aren’t interested in just lead to depression and a rough life in my opinion. My daily life needs to involve having fun with mostly animals while also learning about them every second. Field work observation is much more effective than research. Although it may be difficult at first, I want to eventually be at the level where my salary can easily support a family. With cognitive science and anthropology, moving around locations to get experience may be needed at first, but I want to end up somewhere near by to home in the end. People aren’t awful, but working with animals has always been my dream job. Working in groups with other people or shadowing someone more experienced than me is also something I wouldn’t mind doing. Working flexible, long hours doesn’t bother me, but I would like to have off for holidays and some weekends. I love to travel and if I can with a job, that’s even better for me so I get paid while enjoying new cultures. I won’t settle for any less than what makes me happy in a job.

From the start, I’ve known I’ve wanted to work with animals, but I wasn’t sure what career to go into. I’ve recently found that I also take a strong interest in learning about human nature in anthropology. Before going to the career fair at UD, I was even more unsure about what major could relate to both human psychology and animals. It wasn’t until the very end that I was directed to the cognitive science table by the women at the anthropology table. From there, Dr. Andreasen and I bonded right away. I explained to her exactly what I was looking for and she told me she wanted to hug me and thought I’d be perfect for cognitive science with a minor in anthropology. A lot of my skills come from hands-on experiences and this would give me more field work. This now being my intended major, it fits perfectly with my career goals and is similar to what my skill sets are. I like to preform lab work and conduct research, not just sit behind a desk all day. Cognitive science is a broad enough major that I can fit exactly what I’m interested in while also meeting my skills.

The answer to the question could go both ways. If you decide to study something just because you’ll earn more money but you hate it, then you’re going to be miserable doing it. I don’t believe money can buy you happiness. Yes, it can help with achieving certain goals that make one happy, but having to do it almost everyday is just going to take the joy out of life. I came across this issue with the major I always wanted; Marine Biology. I always wanted to work with and study marine animals in a zoo or aquarium. In this case, the issue isn’t with what I would earn. Living in lower Delaware, there aren’t many zoos or aquariums for me to go to on a daily basis. Marine biology jobs are limited anywhere in the United States and I would have to be making an effort every summer just to get known in any of these establishments. Because of these limited jobs and my location, I’ve tried looking for alternate jobs that may be similar to my interest. In order to do other things in life that I enjoy, like traveling, I need a job that pays well to do so. I think you should always go for something you are passionate about doing. You and whoever you work for will get the best results if you truly put your all into it. With that said, even if it’s not your first choice, maybe going for something more in reach that will get you a good job is a better route to help build your life, but don’t sway too much.