I feel so lucky that my time at university has been filled with all these wonderful experiences. Even with the pandemic affecting my last two years here, I feel like I’ve gotten so much out of my degree. As for what I’m going to do after I graduate: I still don’t know for sure! But making this blog has given me a chance to reflect on experiences that I’ve really enjoyed.
Though I’ve talked about a lot of different career options over these posts, I feel like I would be happy pursuing any of them. I have no strong inclinations towards any particular animal group, I love them all! I would be equally happy working with bugs, birds, or anything else. Some jobs sound a lot more challenging than others, but they all feel like they would be rewarding experiences. Managing an entire nature reserve might be more stressful than managing a pet shop, but I think I would enjoy both.
The one thing I have realised I’m not cut out for during my time here has been academic work. While I have enjoyed most of my university assignments, I think I’ll leave studying animals to the experts. I would definitely prefer a more practical job, or at least one that doesn’t involve any statistics!
Part of me wishes I was more cut out for academic work, since that seems like the best opportunity to be able to travel and look at animals from all over the globe. I hope I’ll be able to find other ways to do this, since I love discovering exciting species I haven’t seen before! Because of this I would also be very happy to work abroad, especially in places with warmer weather and higher animal diversity.
Over the last few years I’ve also discovered a huge passion for animal photography. It saddens me a little that being a full time photographer isn’t something I can confidently aspire to be – if I’m being realistic, then its something that’s more likely to just be a hobby. But who knows, maybe with enough practice I’ll be able to have it be my job one day.
Whatever job I get, I hope its one that’s located in nature, or around animals at least. Working in a museum would be great too! I like the idea of educating the public about wildlife, either in a museum setting, a reserve, zoo, or anything else.
Passing on my love of animals to others, and inspiring them to support conservation work would be incredibly fulfilling. Raising awareness of how important conserving species is, especially of animals like pollinators, is vital for the future of the planet.
I often worry that I don’t have enough experience to land an animal related job. In the next couple of years I plan on doing a few different things to boost my employability. I’ll hopefully do a masters course in a topic that appeals to me, get my drivers licence, and find opportunities to expand my knowledge in different areas of zoology and animal conservation.
While I have less of an idea of what my future will hold than when I started university, I’m still optimistic about what comes next. Getting through uni has been a huge struggle at times, having had issues with my mental health, as well as staying on track with assignments. But I’ve made it this far, and with the right help I’ve made so much progress with myself. Even if it takes a few attempts, I’m confident I’ll find a job I’ll love!
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Natasha's Blog 