ORIGINAL: OregonOutdoorDude
First thing i'd like to ask out of a ton of questions is, what does it take to become a wildlife biologist??? How many years of college? What are the cold hard chances of becoming a biologist? And those of you who have been biologist... Did you like the job?
Thanks for your guys time.
to get a degree (BA / BS) will take 4-6 years (depends on you) ... to get a job in the position of "Wildlife Biologist"..it really depends on your timing. it can take a long time depending on jobs and your location or it could take a short time.
best advice i can give is to start looking now. look at fed, state, and private sector. talk to persons who are holding those positions. i can tell you the pay is not great, especailly with state, the feds are a little better depening on where you live. you can make much more money doing other things environmentally related. not to discourage you at all, it it is something you really want to do..stick with it.
a key is to get your foot in the door. work summer jobs, get something part time as an intern, student assitant, etc!!! the more on the job training and interaction with the department you may want to work for the easier it will be...trust me...
as others have said in these hard time currently, the market SUCKS!!! i know this first hand as i am in the same boat.....jobs that only require a 4 year degree are being filled with persons who have a masters and PhD!! so timing can be a lot of it, but getting your foot in the door and letting them knowt he kind of person you are and your work habits will ensure them looking over a masters degree if you hold a bachelors.
are you in college now or is this a career you want to persue?