Zoo jobs

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BonkersBlake

Member
Hey up guys, sorry if this has been discussed before as I'm guessing it will have been but just thought I'd give this a shot.

I've just completed a degree in animal biology and am now looking for jobs. I'd love to be a keeper or education officer in a collection but know how seemingly impossible this is given how many other people have a similar interest. I'm just wondering if anyone has heard of any zoo jobs out there that I may have missed or has any inside information at all?

I've got some experience in zoo work (and absolutley loved it) and have got plenty of other animal related experience too. I've also got all the usual job sites favourited e.g. zoo news digest vacancies page and biaza etc etc. I can't volunteer anywhere as my closest zoo is over an hour away unfortunatley.

Any help or advice or anyone going through a similar thing, would love to hear your opinions!

Thanks

BonkersBlake
 
Sorry, can't offer any particular advice, but I shouldn't let an hour's journey put you off. Plenty of people willingly travel that and more for both volunteering and permanent jobs.
 
volvox said:
Sorry, can't offer any particular advice, but I shouldn't let an hour's journey put you off. Plenty of people willingly travel that and more for both volunteering and permanent jobs.
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I think the problem is, in todays economic climate especially, who can afford to volunteer - especially so far away.

Imagine how much petrol it would take to travel 2 hours a day? Where could anybody get the money for that without it being a full time job. Even if it were, somebody I know had a high position in a job about 45 minutes away, but had to give it up because of the amount of petrol he was using.

That is my 2 cents anyway - everybody's situation is different. I can just see the problems with having a job that takes so long to get to and back from.
 
I would say getting some volunteering experience in is highly important most places ask for some experience these days. I volunteer once a week and my day starts at half 5 in the morning and involves 2 trains and half an hours walking it definitely doesn't put me off. Just give it a go.
 
Little Lion Man said:
I would say getting some volunteering experience in is highly important most places ask for some experience these days. I volunteer once a week and my day starts at half 5 in the morning and involves 2 trains and half an hours walking it definitely doesn't put me off. Just give it a go.
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Wow, certainly commited :) I'd love to volunteer @ Chester, but transport is difficult (I don't even know what the train/bus links are (other than a half-hour walk, a bus to Crewe, a bus to Chester and a bus to the zoo) - the biggest two problems though are bus times (they don't run 24/7 - I think they start at 6am or 7am, but not sure) - and travel costs.

If you don't mind me asking (and you certainly don't have to answer :)), how do afford to take 4 trains a DAY (assuming that the '2 trains' is just there, and not back)? Do you volunteer just on one or two days a week, with a paying job for the rest, or can volunteers get any bursaries etc to cover travel/basic living costs?
 
Hi Little Lion Man, I have got voluntary experience from summers in between uni (e.g. Highland Wildlife Park) but I probably need more. It's just a case of not being able to afford to do it. I'm working on getting any old job at the moment so at least I can afford to do a bit.
 
Javan Rhino a open return from Crewe to Chester station costs £6.00 return with a young persons rail pass which gives you a 1/3 of all train travel and costs £25 a year so well worth it. The first train runs at 6.23am and then runs every 20 to 30 minutes through out the day from Crewe to Chester. All of this information is on the thetrainline.com

Chester station to the zoo is around 2.7 miles. You can either walk it, cycle it or catch a bus. So there are plenty of options.

£6.00 isn't alot to pay for a day of valuable experience and it is certainly more than I pay and I manage on a students budget. The zoo does not cover this cost usually.
 
I can't speak for other zoos obviously, but London Zoo pays up to £9.50 a day for travel expenses, and lots of people including students come in one day a week from miles around. It is invaluable experience, not just for those interested in animals, but also for that ghastly expression "customer service", ie dealing with the public.
 
BonkersBlake said:
Hey up guys, sorry if this has been discussed before as I'm guessing it will have been but just thought I'd give this a shot.

I've just completed a degree in animal biology and am now looking for jobs. I'd love to be a keeper or education officer in a collection but know how seemingly impossible this is given how many other people have a similar interest. I'm just wondering if anyone has heard of any zoo jobs out there that I may have missed or has any inside information at all?

I've got some experience in zoo work (and absolutley loved it) and have got plenty of other animal related experience too. I've also got all the usual job sites favourited e.g. zoo news digest vacancies page and biaza etc etc. I can't volunteer anywhere as my closest zoo is over an hour away unfortunatley.

Any help or advice or anyone going through a similar thing, would love to hear your opinions!

Thanks

BonkersBlake
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Some smaller collections advertise jobs in Cage & Aviary paper/magazine. I don't get it so not sure if it is a weekly or fortnightly publication but there may be jobs advertised there that are not advertised on BIAZA website etc.
It can be difficult to get keeper jobs but getting your foot in the door with any work in a zoo helps as then you are on the inside as such and more likely to hear about vacancies. Also worth taking seasonal jobs too and quite a few of the larger zoos take on summer keepers and often this time of year is the best time to apply as they need them from Easter onwards.
I would also recommend just writing in with your CV as you have qualifications and experience with animals and some zoos have so many people do this they can interview for a keeper without having to advertise.

Good luck!
 
Little Lion Man said:
Javan Rhino a open return from Crewe to Chester station costs £6.00 return with a young persons rail pass which gives you a 1/3 of all train travel and costs £25 a year so well worth it. The first train runs at 6.23am and then runs every 20 to 30 minutes through out the day from Crewe to Chester. All of this information is on the thetrainline.com

Chester station to the zoo is around 2.7 miles. You can either walk it, cycle it or catch a bus. So there are plenty of options.

£6.00 isn't alot to pay for a day of valuable experience and it is certainly more than I pay and I manage on a students budget. The zoo does not cover this cost usually.
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Ahh cool, thanks for the info :). I didn't know train times + prices tbh since I was looking at busses more - but it makes sense. Do you know what time volunteers usually start (particularly @ Chester), the earliest bus from near my house to get to Crewe is 6:42am and gets me to Crewe at 7:11am. Taking into account walking to the train station, waiting for the train, travel on that and getting to the zoo, how likely would it be I could make it?

Hopefully I can, and if I can I will be applying to do it in the New Year :)
 
Little Lion Man said:
Most places start at either 8am or 9am though it depends on the collection.
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Ahh cool, I'll either e-mail or phone for an exact time. If I can prove how much I want it, they might take the distance and times into consideration and let me start at 9:30am/10am (they might not, but always worth a try :D).
 
Chester Zoo volunteers are often the one's outside the entrance shaking the 'gimme your money' buckets. No animal contact at all unless on a year work placement/work experience through a recognised college/university
 
Paulkarli08 said:
Chester Zoo volunteers are often the one's outside the entrance shaking the 'gimme your money' buckets. No animal contact at all unless on a year work placement/work experience through a recognised college/university
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I thought volunteers man the Butterfly Journey and Twilight Zone?
I can see it being a good thing for a foot in the door, but the whole point is to get experience :(. Maybe I will have to look at something else.
 
I think you've said it, Javan Rhino, the great thing is getting that foot in the door, and convincing them you're not a fluffy bunny hugger or some other sort of undesirable [which I'm sure you're not]. I'm going through similar career-changing processes myself, over a period of years. It's probably best to be young and have a parental home base to fall back on. Unfortunately, I don't fit either of those criteria. 'Not giving up' is pretty important as well. There will always be lots of people wanting to work with animals, only a few oif whom have the staying power to shovel manure in all weathers, wash down walls, chop up food day after day, put up with all the emotional stuff when things die [get ill or have babies], and work for less money than they would get elsewhere. BUT, you can't put a price on the privilege of seeing a Gorilla [poison arrow frog, Pink Pigeon or whatever] every day.
 
FBBird said:
I think you've said it, Javan Rhino, the great thing is getting that foot in the door, and convincing them you're not a fluffy bunny hugger or some other sort of undesirable [which I'm sure you're not]. I'm going through similar career-changing processes myself, over a period of years. It's probably best to be young and have a parental home base to fall back on. Unfortunately, I don't fit either of those criteria. 'Not giving up' is pretty important as well. There will always be lots of people wanting to work with animals, only a few oif whom have the staying power to shovel manure in all weathers, wash down walls, chop up food day after day, put up with all the emotional stuff when things die [get ill or have babies], and work for less money than they would get elsewhere. BUT, you can't put a price on the privilege of seeing a Gorilla [poison arrow frog, Pink Pigeon or whatever] every day.
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Exactly - I am fortunate that this isn't a career change (I've only ever had temp. jobs) and I'm still young, so I've never had a career yet, and I can go to college etc.
 
Thanks for all the replys guys. I hope all those who are looking and have afore mentioned staying power do eventually find what they're after!
 
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