How to get a job in the field. A short guide Part 3: Advantages

Advantages:

Ok so you got through the negatives and it still hasn't put you off. Great, then this might be the field for you. And its not all doom and gloom. There are so many unique advantages to field work just as there are disadvantages.

-Extreme Isolation
-Cultural differences
-Unique experiences
-Diverse skills
-Amazing people
-Experience a place
-Make an impact
-Satisfaction

Extreme Isolation
So this was also a disadvantage but its can also be an advantage. With extreme isolation you have less day to day cares. No worrying about daily life. No stress of modern life. No traffic, news, Facebook to name a few. You get to live free and wild and just relax.

Cultural differences
Another negative turned positive. You get to fully immerse yourself in a different culture. Learn new traditions, words, languages, ways of life foods to name just a few. It will open your eyes to a different world and gain valuable people skills. If you can work with people of a different culture you can work with anyone.

Diverse skills
You will learn new skills without realising. How to track an animal, start a fire, cook on a fire, survive in the wild, moderate you water intake. Things you would never do in a city. They can enrich your life. Then there are the trained skills. First hand data entry. Doing this often enough it becomes second nature. Its also highly likely you will get credit on scientific papers. You never know what you may learn. Im a customs officer and got a chainsaw license.

Amazing people
Yes it can be hard living with and working with the same people day in. However I have made my closest friends in a field site. Its because you all want to be there and are like minded. You will make friends for life in literally every field site you visit.

Experience a place
This falls into the pay for me. I know if I had a high paid job I would spend the money travelling and see a place for a few weeks. In a field site you live in a place. You get to fully experience what a place has to offer. Something a tourist could never hope to see.

Make an impact
Very few jobs outside this field allow you to make an impact. Yes there are some but I feel I have done a lot of good. Data I have collected has gone on to better understand species and environments. Conservation work helps maintain the survival of species. Everyday you do something positive.

Satisfaction
A simple one. Its often hard to tell when work stops and play begins. Can you imagine doing what you love and being paid to do it? Well thats what I feel.

Still here? Feeling ready to take the plunge? Come back again tomorrow


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