Age is Just a Number! Breaking into the National Park Service in Your 50s: Interview with Lynda Moore
Do you have a lingering desire to start a wildlife career, but feel like it might be too late for you? Or maybe youâre working on a wildlife career, but it isnât working for you, and time just keeps passing by? You got the degree, but then life got in the way, and you even had to get a non-wildlife job to pay the billsâŠ
Listen to From Passive to Proactive: Age is Just a Number! Breaking into the National Park Service in Your 50s: Interview with Lynda Moore:
https://stephanieschuttler.com/fancy-scientist-podcast-152-lynda-moore/
Well, Iâm here to tell you that whether youâre 25, 45, or older, a wildlife career IS still possible for you (and yes, I get by 25 year olds that they think they are too late), and this weekâs Fancy Scientist podcast episode really proves it! I interviewed Yellowstone Park Ranger Lynda Moore about her journey from Radiologic Technologist to environmental educator and what itâs really like to work in one of the most famous protected areas.Â
Lynda first spent 28 years working in healthcare before deciding to return to school in 2017. She graduated with her degree in wildlife conservation biology in 2021, just two weeks before her 58th birthday! Now, she is working in one of the most coveted locations in the world for wildlife job seekers: Yellowstone National Park.
Through our conversation, youâll learn how Linda navigated the challenges of being a non-traditional student and successfully landed a position with the National Park Service. She didnât let age hold her back or fears about ageism in the workplace. In fact, she embraced her past experiences and used them to her advantage, leveraging her work as a Radiologic Technologist to her new career while focusing on new strategies to land her a park service job.
Youâll learn that Lynda emphasized networking and learning from others, building relationships with professors and graduate students while getting her degree. She shares how she willingly raised her hand for new opportunities, including counting bee behaviors in a lab and driving across the country for internships.
Youâll also get an insiderâs perspective on the fascinating, and sometimes dangerous, reality of working in Americaâs first National Park. Lynda discusses her role as an interpretive ranger, educating the public on everything from the parkâs unique thermal geology to the âBig Fiveâ wildlife species in the United States. She shares eye-opening stories about âbabysittingâ a 2,000-pound bison and the constant struggle to keep tourists at a safe distance from unpredictable wild animals.
I also asked Lynda about the technical side of landing a federal job. She credits her success to having a mentor help her navigate the notoriously difficult federal resume process. Youâll learn about the new federal resume requirements and how she transitioned from the âhealthcare brainâ to the âbiologist brain,â and how she carried over the work ethic and supervisory skills from her previous career that made her a standout candidate.
I also asked Lynda about the technical side of landing a federal job. She credits her success to having a mentor help her navigate the notoriously difficult federal resume process. Youâll learn about the new federal resume requirements and how she transitioned from the âhealthcare brainâ to the âbiologist brain,â and how she carried over the work ethic and supervisory skills from her previous career that made her a standout candidate.
After the interview, I break down the take-home points that you can apply to your own journey, regardless of your age. I explain how previous âunrelatedâ career experience can actually contain a variety of transferable skills for wildlife jobs, how to network with people who are decades younger (or older) than you, and how seeking outside help from professionals can help you navigate something like the frustration of the federal application system.
If youâve ever told yourself youâre âtoo old,â that âitâs too late,â or that âemployers wonât hire someone my age,â Linda is living proof that the National Park Service, and the wildlife field at large, needs your experience and your passion! And even if you arenât working towards a wildlife career, in this episode, youâll be fascinated by what itâs like to work inside one of the worldâs most iconic parks.
Specifically, we talk about:
- Lindaâs steps from a 28-year career in radiology to becoming a Park Ranger at Yellowstone
- What itâs like to go back to school in your 50s and graduate alongside your own daughter
- How starting your career later in life can work to your advantage: using âadult moneyâ and maturity can be a competitive edge in wildlife work
- Behind-the-scenes of working at Old Faithful and educating the public on thermal safety
- Why âinterpretingâ wildlife behavior is actually a safety talk in disguise
- Fascinating animal facts and the emotional impact of seeing a wolf in the wild for the first time
- Lyndaâs most impactful animal moment with Lucy the Orangutan at the National Zoo
- Practical tips for federal resumes and navigating the shift from long-form to two-page limits
- The reality of seasonal life in temporary wildlife work
- The importance of using informational interviews to learn the âhiddenâ requirements of jobs
- Why you should never underestimate yourself before you even apply for a job
- The mindset shift needed to overcome imposter syndrome as a career switcher
- How protecting the natural world starts with educating a single tourist or child
- And MORE!
Listen to the whole episode here:Â
https://stephanieschuttler.com/fancy-scientist-podcast-152-lynda-moore/
Wildlife biologist đ Mentor đ©âđ Your Biggest Career Cheerleader đŁ Communicator đ„ | Showing animal lovers how to get their dream jobâš | Connecting people with nature for conservation đż and community đïž
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