I cant decide on my major. Ill be a sophomore in college and got some basic classes out the way my freshmen year. I cant decide if i want to do wildlife management or be an architect. I love the outdoors and everything about it. My parents, friends, and everybody that knows me says that wildlife management suits me best. I also like designing things to build and actually building them. No matter if is just something im making for the house thats a 2 hour project or a deck that i designed and built last month at the camp. I know the pay is a little different but i dont care about that. I just wanna do what will make me the most happiest in life. So from some of you older guys that have been through this what do yall think? any advice on what i should do or an own experience yall want to share? Im in a pickle here!!
Make your vocation your vacation. Find what you enjoy and then find somebody that will pay you to do it and you won’t work a day in your life. If you follow the money but don’t care for the job, it makes for a very long and miserable life. Not everybody can find their calling in life and they end up doing something else while living with regret. Don’t be that guy.
I actually agree with RC's advice. But you are in a situation that you do seem to enjoy both options ahead of you. So even if you choose not to go with the wildlife thing, architecture is something you like. It can also be very well paying. Sometimes I look back to my 2nd semester freshmen year when a "conservation biology" major was introduced at my school. I immediately wanted to jump to that but everyone talked me into staying in engineering. So here I sit 20 some years later trapped in office cubicle hell.
Take a look at the career opportunities around you and decide if you think you will be able to find a job once you've graduated. I did the whole conservation biology thing and here I sit without a job. I'm currently working at a state park making minimum wage in an attempt to get some experience to get me a leg up on applicants with similar majors. Once you can actually find a job in wildlife, you're pretty well set, but there are some many hunters and other outdoor lovers that do that major, and very few jobs. In that case, if you will enjoy a job as an architect and there are a lot of job opportunities in that field, then I would take that path.
Wildlife biology degree then a minor in criminal justice and become a game warden. You can work as a biologist privately for hunting clubs who want help. I have a friend who does this. He lays tile for a living. He started laying tile to put himself through college and started making so much money doing tile work, that he just kept doing it. He doesn't work at all during bow season and is even allowed to bowhunt many of the properties that he helps manage. Sweet Deal.
It's a tough choice for sure. And one that no one can make for you. I will say this though, if you are a game warden, your busiest time of year is when you'd sure like to be in the woods. If you truely enjoy both, I think it'd be easier to work as an architect and do WM work/volunteering on the side, than the other way around. Take this with a grain of salt. I when to college for graphic design and photography and have been in the hospitality industry ever since
My friend from high school graduated with an architecure degree in 2011, and has only had one or two interview opportunities since graduation. Doesn't seem like the field is really booming right now, may want to look elsewhere.
A word of advice: I was a Wildife Conservation major in college (focus is on fisheries) and ended up getting a BS. After that, I couldn't find a job to save my life, and I had good grades, experience, and am a veteran. I loved every second of the major and have a passion for the field, but it is so hard to find a good position, and the ones that are out there pay less than if you worked at Wendy's. If you get a Masters in it, you may have a better shot, but I just decided to go back to school for Biotechnology and ended up getting a job with the USDA right away. The problem with the good conservation jobs is that they are so awesome, you have have to wait for someone to die or retire to get a position. I'm not one to discourage anyone from doing what they love, but I'm just letting you know that it is a tough field with limited demand. Good luck to you.
I work for a state Natural Resources department and work with many recent college grads each year, and I cant help but feel sorry for them as they try and try to get a job in wildlife or natural resources. The vast majority of the states are experiencing major budget probelms and as a result are being forced to cut their workforce in their naturaul resources department making it harder to land a job. When jobs do open, it is usually those current employees who have seen their hours cut that get first dibs on the new positions. No sugar coating it, its a tough field. If you choose to give it a go, you will up your odds dramatically if you are willing to move anywhere and everywhere across the country to take a job, especially some of those areas not so desireable to others. Once you're in, it gets easier, but braking through that initial door is tough. Good luck to you.
Im not too knowledgable about the wildlife degree, but the challenge of getting into that field of work makes sense. Only problem with architecture, at least here in MI, is not too many ppl are building in this economy...which could be a challenge for you. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2
good advice guys. It help a lot. I do not want to sit behind a desk for years as my job. I would probably go insane. I want to be doing stuff hands on and not just sitting there. The only thing driving me away from the wildlife degree is that it will limit my hunting and that is the least thing i want like said above. yall make it sound tough getting into that field to which i kinda expected that. I might just take my chances in architect and hope for the best.
I just took a Career Explorations class in college and I researched a lot about becoming an fish and game warden. Was all set on following that career path until we had to interview a game warden. Found out that they had little time to hunt and fish, as previously stated above. (Which is what really turned me off the job) They had little family time as always on call, and it is very hard to get into that field. So now im on the hunt for another career again, my advice for you is to interview workers in the field you are interested in...it will help you a lot!
Theres always agriculture, working out of doors, with animals and owning the land you can hunt on. With out much desk time, and many rewards with family and friends. And the demand for food will never go away.
ive never thought about doing interviewing people in the field im interested. Im glad you posted. I might give that a shot and see what they have to say. thanks
Wildlife management is going to mostly likely make you perpetually poor. I saw somewhere that the number of students graduating in "OuTDOOR' majors most likely.... never get a job in the field. Oh if you're a minority, girl or single minority parent... you have chance because you would fill a couple "Quotas". I've had a nephew and a niece both graduate from Syracuses Forrestry school He works on the NY State Thruway system maintainin roads. She took a job in NY City with a world reknowned charitable foundation. This was her second degree. Her first was in stage and she worked on Broadway for several years before returning to school. She got tired of the night life of stage on Broadway. Architecture would be tough too in this market I'd think. Hell, computers do it all now.
Do not get a wildlife degree. Every redneck boy in US wants the same thing you do, and they all go for a wildlife degree, and then they more than likely end up in the oilfield because if you want to be successful with a wildlife degree you need your doctorate, and dem good ol boys don't like all that schooling. If I was to go back, I'd get a B.S. in Geology, then a M.S. in GeoPhysics, get a job with a major oil company, and make serious bank. Like really. Bank bank. All the while traveling the world with no expenses.
