Program Director Natural History Institute, United States
From lab meetings to board meetings, from field work to strategic planning, and from grant writing to…more grant writing, transitioning to a career with a non-profit can be intimidating. But there are many opportunities for ecologists to find their way in this sector, whether through writing, research, education, or otherwise repurposing skills honed in graduate school. The beautiful part about working for these organizations is the idealism of being mission-based. Yet sometimes, the reality of non-profit careers can be one of unstable funding, unpredictable hours, and demands that far outstrip individual capacity. How do you know what questions to ask and what to look for in an organization? I didn’t set out to work in nonprofits, but I found it to be a way to gain experience in environmental education and science communication. In this talk, I’ll share my path from graduate school through work with three different education organizations, as well as things I wish I had known in grad school.
