Work Experience

Zambar

Zambar

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
As I am currently doing work experience in a pet shop, I thought it'd be interesting to see which zoos I'll be able to go to when I'm older. First link is this useful list of BIAZA zoos work experience policies, so if there's any younger zoochatters out there, this could be handy.

BIAZA Work Experience

Fortunately the list works with my plans for a placement at the New Forest Otter, Owl and Wildlife Park when I'm eighteen. The strictest zoo is Marwell, who only allow over-18's studying animal mangement at Sparsholt or doing a vet course. The most open is Noah's Ark, the only one allowing 13+: To be honest this doesn't suprise me considering the zoo's amateurish stance.
 
Thank You Marwell Dalek!
Im starting my animal management course @ sparsholt in september and i have 2 do 2 work placements each year so this is a big help!:D

Thanks,
PK
 
Out of interest, what are you hoping to do career wise, MD? And what are these work experience placements a part of? You're own interest or part of a college course?

I'm coming to the last few weeks of my BTEC National Diploma Animal Management, and I would recommend to try work experience placements in a variety of different professions. I myself have done placements in zoos, farms, vets, pet shops, etc.
 
I nearly got to work at Marwell in my first and second year at Sparsholt doing the Animal Management Diploma. But I got beaten to it :( They are SUPER strict about letting people into Marwell. But my friends that did it had a great time. If you get accepted, it should be good :)

For my work experience I worked at Birdworld, Farnham, a Vets and actually did some land management. It counted as conservation :P but now I work in a pet Shop. Try to work in as many different places as possible, even as volunteering. When you go on zoo trips with school/college ask the keepers/educators how they got into working at zoos. :)
 
I went to WMSP, Whipsnade and Heythrop whilst doing my ND in animal management. Like Huxleypig, I finish in a couple of months, but the work placements were great :)
 
ashley-h said:
I went to WMSP, Whipsnade and Heythrop whilst doing my ND in animal management. Like Huxleypig, I finish in a couple of months, but the work placements were great :)
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you got to have work experiance at heythrop, How?!
 
Bit of a daft question, but is it possible to work your way up to being a keeper (junior, I wouldn't want to be in charge of a whole section!) from starting out as a volunteer? Or do all zoos in the UK (well, the reputable ones) demand some form of degree/A level/BTEC, etc?

Just curious really, it's a job I wouldn't mind giving a try :)
 
Cat-man: Just e-mailed them ;) it was great.
And yes jacobea , that's how most keepers start their jobs, although most places ask for a relevant qualification (e.g.- Animal management ND, degree etc). But some have none and have just literally got jobs after volunteering.
 
Jacobea said:
Bit of a daft question, but is it possible to work your way up to being a keeper (junior, I wouldn't want to be in charge of a whole section!) from starting out as a volunteer? Or do all zoos in the UK (well, the reputable ones) demand some form of degree/A level/BTEC, etc?

Just curious really, it's a job I wouldn't mind giving a try :)
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I think you need a qualification. I'm on an Animal Management degree next year in the hope of gaining a keeping job in the future.

Most zoo jobs seem to require the experience as well as a qualification though, which is why work experience is very valuable
 
I originally wanted to work with animals and so did my work experience at the local farm park and it was a great experience for me. It did however make me realise i didnt want to work with animals. Im now working towards either journalism or teaching just if people wanted to know!
 
Tigerlemurguy said:
I originally wanted to work with animals and so did my work experience at the local farm park and it was a great experience for me. It did however make me realise i didnt want to work with animals. Im now working towards either journalism or teaching just if people wanted to know!
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That is a smart move. It's always good to get work experience in a field you're interested in, just to actually see if that's what you want to do for a living.

I've done work experience at a vets and disliked it so much, it put me off any idea that I had of being a vet. But when i've done work at a zoo, I'm sure it's what I want to be doing in the future.
 
As I say, I'm currently doing work experience in a pet shop. However, the animals is only a small proportion as it's mostly retail, so I'll be doing voluntering in a kennels before doing a placement at the Otter and Owl Park when 18.
 
Marwell Dalek said:
As I say, I'm currently doing work experience in a pet shop. However, the animals is only a small proportion as it's mostly retail, so I'll be doing voluntering in a kennels before doing a placement at the Otter and Owl Park when 18.
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I dont know where you are in Hampshire but may I suggest Staunton Country Park, they are great for volunteer work. I help out there most holidays and the atmosphere there is very welcoming.
 
Im doing my work experiance at a vets in a few months which i hope will give me quite alot of experiance, Its the only animal based experiance i could get as Zoos round my area would not take part due to Health and Safety Issues.
I aim to do my Work experiance placement when im doing an Animal Management Course at Linton Zoo in Cambridgeshire.
 
Riziki said:
Im doing my work experiance at a vets in a few months which i hope will give me quite alot of experiance, Its the only animal based experiance i could get as Zoos round my area would not take part due to Health and Safety Issues.
I aim to do my Work experiance placement when im doing an Animal Management Course at Linton Zoo in Cambridgeshire.
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That's the same reason I did experience at a vets a couple of years ago.

P.S. I think this is turning into the young zoochatter's thread;)
 
Yes CZ Jimmy lol!
I did mine @ birdworld last year and with the forestry commision - Just thought id let you know!

PK
 
Tigerlemurguy said:
I dont know where you are in Hampshire but may I suggest Staunton Country Park, they are great for volunteer work. I help out there most holidays and the atmosphere there is very welcoming.
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Just by coincidence, I was there yesterday assisting with rounding up the alpacas, sheep and goats as well as feeding the lambs! :D

I study at SDC not too far from there.

Some of my friends at college have done work experience there and one used to volunteer there. Its a nice little place and good for work experience. Other large placement recommendations are Birdworld from my friend, the Reading Wolf Trust from another friend and Exmoor Zoo from me. :)
 
CZJimmy said:
I've done work experience at a vets and disliked it so much, it put me off any idea that I had of being a vet. But when i've done work at a zoo, I'm sure it's what I want to be doing in the future.
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I did 6 months of weekly help at a vet's and hated it too. That's why I decided to try for human doctor instead. I also did a week at a falconry centre, which wasn't great.
 
I've done two weeks at vets. Didn't much like it, either.
This is why varying your work experience is really beneficial. Lets you work out what you like and what you don't. That said, I hated working in one pet shop and loved working in another. But that may have been because in the former, one of the blokes who worked there would brag to me about people he's beaten up and worse. Not fun.
 
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