What is a myth/misunderstanding about your job?
Ask a Biologist 7/19/21
The biggest myth that I get frustrated by is that since we love our jobs, we can never have a bad day or times that we don’t like working. The idea that "if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” is a total myth. It’s still a job and can be really hard at times!
Answers from Biologists:
That I handle or even get to see the animals I study.
That I play with animals and plants all day. There’s so much data entry and spreadsheet tracking.
That I encounter venomous snakes all the time. It does happen but not very often.
Because I do computational analysis and data science work with computers, that I am IT.
That working outside must always be fun. Remember that we are working in all weather conditions!
That because you choose a career to follow your dreams, you don’t deserve to be paid well.
From the public: the intricacies of my job. Personally: the amount I work in the office.
That plants are really boring and that we’re all a “bunch of hippies”.
How I got my job. I went to college and applied to jobs like every other career.
That I know everything about all animals.
That every state agency employee is law enforcement.
You need to like lab work/field work/office work. Many biologists only do one of these.
People think you specialize in every species and can answer any wildlife question.
That animals are dangerous. People are way more dangerous!
“Oh you’re a wildlife biologist? So you’re a park ranger?”
That every day I’m touching/holding animals.
“You just get to play with fish all day". If only! Lots of writing and computer modeling.
That animal rehab is a 9am-5pm job. A lot of baby animals need to be fed every hour of the day and night.
That handling wildlife is most of our job. I wish!
That being a fisheries scientist isn’t a “real job” because I “get to catch fish all day”.
That it’s always fun and working with animals. It’s usually computer work or boring fieldwork and harsh weather.
When I’m in a remote area I should be scared of mountain lions and bears. I’m way more worried about people.
That our jobs are always outside. I am also in so many meetings that can be very high stakes.
That being a biologist means working with animals. It actually often means working with habitat.
Everything that we sacrifice to be in this field. Relationships, stability, money, etc.
(Museum curator) That I want animals to die/actively kill them.
That we make good money and we know everything about everything related to our field.
That I get to see/handle the animals I study all the time.
That we aren’t hunters/fishers. So many of us are! Hunting/fishing funds scientific research and conservation.
That we’re all hunters or anglers. Some of us just want to work with animals.
That you don’t need people skills to be a wildlife biologist or natural resource specialist.
That we only wear outdoor apparel. Apparently we aren’t allowed to look nice or have style.
That it’s only animals. You actually have to learn about ecology, chemistry, and computer science.
As a coastal ecologist, people think I just hang out on the beach. It’s actually not that chill.
That all biologists are created equal. While it has improved, research/educational enterprises are still bad.
That living on a field station is a “vacation”. It’s a lot of hard work and little free time.
That I must love fieldwork. It’s honestly my least favorite part of my job unless it’s a fish survey.
That wildlife/conservation education is all showing animals off. It’s mostly curriculum design.
90% of jobs are actually dealing with the public. We don’t just get to hang out in the woods.
That we get to handle animals frequently. It’s such a small part of the job, if it’s done at all.
That it’s all fun, working with animals. Mostly it’s computer work or boring field work in bad weather.
Most people in the public think you’re a conservation officer.
