Tim Bean is working on his Ph.D. in environmental science, policy and management at UC Berkeley. His work as a graduate student includes writing grants, teaching, attending research seminars and undertaking his own research projects. His education and work experience have provided him with ample opportunity to explore environmental fieldwork firsthand and learn more about what a career as a conservation biologist entails. There are many areas he will be able to pursue after graduation, and he is interested in a variety of career possibilities. He helps run and writes for Consblog.org, which is dedicated to furthering awareness of conservation issues.

What is your job title, and why did you decide to pursue this career field?
I'm currently a Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley in the department of environmental science, policy and management. When I finished my undergraduate degree (in ecology, evolution and environmental biology), I did a few summers of fieldwork and then worked at the Wildlife Conservation Society. It was fairly clear that my career options were limited without an advanced degree, so I decided to come back to school.

What type of preparation did you do to get into this field, such as educational experience and work experience?
Getting in to graduate school for my field of study required experience both in the field and working at a nonprofit conservation organization. It let me see both how fieldwork (an important component of my research) happened, as well as how conservation science works in practice.

If your education was directly related to your career, what types of classes and projects did you have to do?
As an undergraduate, I took a range of classes in ecology, evolution and environmental biology, as well as introductory-level physics, chemistry, calculus and statistics. The most important thing I did as an undergrad was work on a senior thesis with an adjunct professor. I spent the summer before my senior year conducting research and my senior year writing it up. That experience was important foremost as an introduction to scientific research, a better understanding of some research tools and methods, and it also helped me gain contacts in the field in which I wanted to work.

How did your education help you in your career?
I use what I learned as an undergraduate every day. Learning to write was such an important skill. I think a liberal arts education is important for a conservation biologist because we need to draw on such a broad range of fields to be successful.

What was your career path like in this field? For example, did you begin in one position and advance through others to reach where you are now?
As I said above, I spent a few summers doing fieldwork after I graduated. This seems to be the typical career path for a conservation biologist—get some experience doing fieldwork, try to get work (even if just an internship) with an NGO [nongovernmental organization] and then return to graduate school.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
Conservation biologists these days need to be many things—managers, economists, sociologists and, of course, biologists. We need to know multiple languages if we want to work globally. I think that one can work doing conservation with a number of different educational majors, and I often wish I had a stronger background in economics and sociology. That said, the biology must always guide us.

What do you do on a typical workday?
Being a graduate student is like being a scientist-in-training. I write grants (and reports for grants I already received); teach, in order to support myself and cover my tuition and fees; attend seminars on research related to what I'm studying; try to keep up with the scientific literature; and try to find time to get some work done on my research. Beyond that, though, there is a lot of freedom to explore things of interest, to do things that I think will help me in my career, or that I think are important. Graduate school is the biggest thing in my life, but it's not the only thing.

Do you plan to advance to another position within your career field? If so, to what position and why?
I hope I will graduate at some point! When I started, I was intent on returning to a nonprofit conservation organization. I enjoy the academic atmosphere, though—it's very different from my experience of university as an undergraduate. Most people in my department end up in one of four places: NGOs, government agencies, environmental consulting or academic positions. The four of those types of jobs each have a different combination of freedom, salary and stress. I love teaching, and I love the research that I do, so I hope to remain in academia. At the same time, I loved working for an NGO and seeing directly how my work improved conditions on the ground. I think this field requires some flexibility in the kind of career we end up in.

What type of person do you think is best suited for a job in your field?
Conservation biology is a problem-oriented science. We are looking for solutions to a very difficult problem. Because of that, I think there is room for all sorts of people within the field: creative people who can communicate the urgency of the issues or who have a vision of possible solutions; researchers who like playing with numbers and have a great attention to detail; and managers who can see a project through from beginning to end. Being a conservation biologist requires, above all else, flexibility. The most dangerous thing we can do is rely on a single old idea of how conservation is supposed to work without considering alternatives. If you care about making the world a better place and you like to travel, it's a good job. If you want to make a boatload of money, I would advise seeking something else.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
It seems these days like making a career out of conservation biology requires a graduate degree, but often getting into graduate school requires some experience. Fieldwork is a crucial component of that. Like most fields, networking early and often with people who might be able to give you a job or research experience is crucial. Don't be discouraged if you can't find a position right away. Read more. Spend more time outdoors.