Christina Weber did what most aspiring wildlife professionals think is impossible: she got every single offer she applied to with absolutely NO EXPERIENCE! How did she do it? That’s what this week’s episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast is all about. 

Listen to No Experience, No Problem! Building a Wildlife Career from Scratch: Interview with Christina Weber:

She took experience into her own hands and started with citizen and community science (including regularly conducting eBird surveys). She took advantage of and attended one-off hands-on volunteer opportunities such as beach cleanups, seal monitoring, and horseshoe crab monitoring to start somewhere and meet people in the field.

You’ll hear how Christina maximized opportunities to network, including creating her own connections by cold emailing professionals with the templates provided in the Successful Wildlife Professional program, even though she describes herself as shy and introverted. Her networking efforts led to referrals, informational conversations, and REAL job opportunities.

The results were incredible: Christina applied to four seasonal positions over the summer and was offered every one of them. She was even offered an AZA-accredited aquarium internship that she didn’t apply for! The employer received her resume through a cold email and decided to put it in the internship pile! Christina was shocked when she received a call asking if she wanted to interview.

Christina shares that now she’s conducting research through a NASA-funded New Jersey Space Grant Consortium project on microplastic bioaccumulation in marine copepods. She explains how she designed a project connected to her ultimate goal of working with whales by studying what whales eat. When facing obstacles, she didn’t let anything stop her, and she describes being “scrappy” in her community college setting by building equipment, culturing phytoplankton, and managing the costs and logistics of an ambitious project.

We also talk about how much wildlife work involves working with people. Christina was even able to bring her past dog-walking experience into her wildlife work! She shares that she educated dog owners on responsible beach behavior around endangered piping plovers, using common ground from her dog walking business to communicate conservation messages effectively.

After the interview, I offer you take-home points that you can apply right away to your own situation right now, no matter who you are, including how to volunteer without giving up your whole life or going into debt, using citizen/community science to build legitimate experience, get on LinkedIn strategically, and focus on quality over quantity in your job applications.

Specifically, we talk about:

• Christina’s exact steps from being a dog-walking business owner to working on a NASA-funded research project
• Why citizen and community science (like eBird surveys) can be a powerful way to build a real wildlife experience
• Simple ways to gain hands-on exposure through short-term volunteer opportunities, such as beach or river cleanups, restoration projects, or other community service days
• How strategic networking and cold emailing professionals can open doors, even if you’re shy or introverted
• How Christina used networking to get referrals, informational interviews, and unexpected job opportunities
• Why she received job offers from every seasonal wildlife position she applied for
• The surprising story of how she was offered an AZA-accredited aquarium internship she never applied for!
• An overview of her research on microplastic bioaccumulation in marine copepods through a NASA-funded project
• How she designed her research to align with her long-term goal of working with whales by studying their food sources
• How she stayed resourceful in a community college setting by building equipment, culturing phytoplankton, and managing research logistics
• Why communication and working with people are a major part of wildlife careers
• Practical advice on volunteering without sacrificing your entire schedule
• How to use LinkedIn strategically to build relationships in the wildlife field
• Why focusing on quality over quantity when applying for jobs can dramatically improve results
• The mindset shift needed to stop waiting for perfect qualifications and start creating opportunities

Listen to the whole episode here: 

https://stephanieschuttler.com/fancy-scientist-podcast-150-christina-weber/