Downsides:
Ok, before we continue its not all blue sky and rainbows. There are some difficult choices to be made, things that most don't realise and many unique to this career choice. Below is a short list of what I find hard about this career.
-Low pay
-Periods of unemployment
-Extreme isolation
-Mentally trying
-Out of the loop
-Social and relationship issues
-Cultural differences
This is not a complete list and some people will experience some of the above and more or not even any but only if you are lucky. Remember, this is just a list of what I find difficult about this job. So lets go into each in a bit more detail.
Low Pay
Ok, you have just graduated and are deep in student loans. You might have friends who are off and bringing in money, buying homes and not worrying about finances. Well unless you land one of the few jobs that actually pay more often than not you will be just surviving.
Because of the interest and dedication people have in this field many jobs are turned into volunteer positions and employers know people need experience. Volunteer programs are a good step into this world but they annoy me as they take jobs away from qualified people.
I often manage to just about save enough to see me through to the next role by living off field pay.
Periods of unemployment
Since a lot of jobs are seasonal because of weather, species movement or other reasons (some places are just so trying a cap on the time you can spend there is a factor). This means that once a season is over you have to wait until another job comes up. Its rare you can find a permanent role in the field.
Extreme Isolation
This can be a positive (see next section) but it also has its downsides. It could be months before any supplies reach your field site. This means you cant just go off and buy something you have forgot. And being so isolated also means communication to the outside world is rare. Emails ofetn by satellite link are expensive. More often than not you really will be going off grid. No electricity, no running water, no communications.
Mentally Trying
This work can be quite intense. You are often with the same people all day while working and then again in any free time. And with a small team small issues build up. They might seem like nothing to an outsider but a tiny thing can really get to you. I remember a work strike in one camp where we ran out of milk powder. We stopped work until we could come to an agreement on buying milk from a nearby (40km away on foot) village. It was a very stressful time over basically nothing.
Out of the loop
While refreshing to not know every little thing happening in the world it can be scary at times. If you are in a country with a troubled past or is currently unstable you often wish you had some news if things were going bad. Like I mentioned about season length. If you are in the field you cannot look for the next position or even hear of any positions (unless someone in camp is wiling to hire you).
Social and relationship issues
This is one not many think of. You will be away from family and friends for long periods often with no contact. It can become very lonely even though you have other researchers around. People dont realise how important family and friends really are. And being in a relationship is almost impossible. For two main reasons: the chances of finding a partner in the field are slim and if you do and end up breaking up its almost impossible to deal with.
Cultural differences
Often you will be living with a group of people whose culture is not the same (again this can come under positives). Things you do and think of as normal can irritate others and vice versa. And language comes into this. Imagine being in a camp where no one else speaks your langue. How would you cope?
Still not put off? Good Come back tomorrow for the good news.
Ok, before we continue its not all blue sky and rainbows. There are some difficult choices to be made, things that most don't realise and many unique to this career choice. Below is a short list of what I find hard about this career.
-Low pay
-Periods of unemployment
-Extreme isolation
-Mentally trying
-Out of the loop
-Social and relationship issues
-Cultural differences
This is not a complete list and some people will experience some of the above and more or not even any but only if you are lucky. Remember, this is just a list of what I find difficult about this job. So lets go into each in a bit more detail.
Low Pay
Ok, you have just graduated and are deep in student loans. You might have friends who are off and bringing in money, buying homes and not worrying about finances. Well unless you land one of the few jobs that actually pay more often than not you will be just surviving.
Because of the interest and dedication people have in this field many jobs are turned into volunteer positions and employers know people need experience. Volunteer programs are a good step into this world but they annoy me as they take jobs away from qualified people.
I often manage to just about save enough to see me through to the next role by living off field pay.
Periods of unemployment
Since a lot of jobs are seasonal because of weather, species movement or other reasons (some places are just so trying a cap on the time you can spend there is a factor). This means that once a season is over you have to wait until another job comes up. Its rare you can find a permanent role in the field.
Extreme Isolation
This can be a positive (see next section) but it also has its downsides. It could be months before any supplies reach your field site. This means you cant just go off and buy something you have forgot. And being so isolated also means communication to the outside world is rare. Emails ofetn by satellite link are expensive. More often than not you really will be going off grid. No electricity, no running water, no communications.
Mentally Trying
This work can be quite intense. You are often with the same people all day while working and then again in any free time. And with a small team small issues build up. They might seem like nothing to an outsider but a tiny thing can really get to you. I remember a work strike in one camp where we ran out of milk powder. We stopped work until we could come to an agreement on buying milk from a nearby (40km away on foot) village. It was a very stressful time over basically nothing.
Out of the loop
While refreshing to not know every little thing happening in the world it can be scary at times. If you are in a country with a troubled past or is currently unstable you often wish you had some news if things were going bad. Like I mentioned about season length. If you are in the field you cannot look for the next position or even hear of any positions (unless someone in camp is wiling to hire you).
Social and relationship issues
This is one not many think of. You will be away from family and friends for long periods often with no contact. It can become very lonely even though you have other researchers around. People dont realise how important family and friends really are. And being in a relationship is almost impossible. For two main reasons: the chances of finding a partner in the field are slim and if you do and end up breaking up its almost impossible to deal with.
Cultural differences
Often you will be living with a group of people whose culture is not the same (again this can come under positives). Things you do and think of as normal can irritate others and vice versa. And language comes into this. Imagine being in a camp where no one else speaks your langue. How would you cope?
Still not put off? Good Come back tomorrow for the good news.
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