Reflective Response

In the future I would like to pursue a career in zoology. Since I love looking after animals and spending time with them, I have always wanted to pursue a career having to do with them. I am very organized and like to have a schedule of what my tasks are. Zoologists must be organized by the many tasks they must complete on time. They must be good time managers and can’t procrastinate. My personality relates to this because I spend my time wisely and always complete my work on time.

Some of my interests include writing and travelling. One of the main jobs a zoologist must complete is working on the field observing different species of animals. Zoologists travel to different locations throughout the world observing animals and their habitat. They write journals and books about what they witness, and conference with other zoologists. This is good because my highest learning strength is verbal linguistic, which will be helpful when completing essays and journals about the behaviour of different animals.

After reviewing my results on personality tests and quizzes, I concluded that I am a Guardian. Guardians are serious about their duties and responsibilities. I appreciate having clear-cut responsibilities and being recognized for the dedication and achievements I complete. By following a career path in zoology I will have certain responsibilities I must complete.
One of my work preferences is directive. Directive people like to take charge and control situations. They enjoy organizing their own activities and see themselves as independent and self-directing. This relates to a career in zoology by working well with a team while still being able to do things independently when they are out in the field. The responsibilities of a zoologist can alternative. They can complete different tasks throughout their career, such as working in the field, researching animals, or teaching at universities.
I think my personal and work values relate to a career in zoology by one of my top values in life is spending time with family and helping others. Zoologists can spend many hours a week working and may not have time for family. If I do pursue a career in zoology, this will be one of the flaws that I’ll dislike. By spending up to sixty hours a week working I won’t have that much time to spend with my family. When I travel in the field to observe animals I will be far away from my family. I’ll dislike this my I think that this is one of the only flaws in becoming a zoologist.

To help increase my experience for future employment in zoology, the in-school and out of school activities I should complete will be volunteering at a vet’s office or helping at a zoo. I will learn to become more comfortable around animals and learn about the different vaccines that animals should be given.

My hopes and dreams for the future include getting my high school diploma, attending university and having a successful career. I will measure my success by how fulfilling my life is in the future. When I start a career, I believe that it is more important that I enjoy what I am doing compared to how much I get paid. I believe that it is better to get paid a small amount and enjoy what your doing immensely compared to getting paid well and not enjoying what your doing. After university, I hope I will get a full-time job completing something I enjoy doing. I hope that I will receive enough money to start to pay off student loans I will have from university.

Remaining healthy and maintaining close relationships with my family and friends will be something I value highly in life. I will measure how successful I am by my close relationships with my family and friends. I believe that having family and friends is the most important thing to have in life. I don’t think that owning a lot of assets in one’s life is very important. Some people could have a really nice house and thousands of possessions that they love, but may not be close with their family or friends. I think that it is more important to have friends and family who you are close with compared to having a really nice house and many assets.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages

The advantages of pursuing a career path in zoology include:

• fulfilling-helping wildlife
• able to travel the world while working in the field
• can be flexible with completing different tasks- teaching, research, and administrative activities
• secure employment-skills for molecular biology are in demand

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of pursuing a career path in zoology include:

• can work long hours -60-70 hours per week on regular basis
• difficult to juggle all aspects of job, such as teaching and researching
• must stay on task at all times

Trends

Some trends that may effect a future job in zoology are technology, information age and environment.

Technology will effect my career by the increase in electronic equipment. In the future robots could replace tasks in laboratories, such as experimenting with different specimens.
The information age is currently effecting my career by electronic equipment being used to spread information worldwide, such as the Internet. This effects my career by when people are on the field by themselves they can connect with other zoologists through video or camera. People can listen to zoologists having conferences while they are still in the field. The Internet can also inform them about people's current status at researching a specific species of animal.

Another trend that will effect my career path is the growing concern on protecting and conserving the environment. Throughout these last decades, global warming has been a critical concern with scientists. Since I am pursuing a job in zoology, I will be around other scientists who would want to help protect the environment. Zoologists will take part in environmentally friendly activities and will research ways to improve the environment. By observing animals and their habitats they will realize how much global warming is effecting their current lives.

Type of Personality

Best Suited
The type of person best suited to become a zoologist should have the following characteristics:

-strong interest in animals
-patient
-kind/caring
-organizational skills (follow certain procedures correctly and properly)
-time management skills
-hard working


Least Suited
The type of person least suited to become a zoologist should have the following characteristics:

-lazy
-impatient
-unorganized
-procrastinate

Relevant High School Subjects

High school students interested in a career in zoology should make sure they understand the basics in sciences such as biology, chemistry and physics. Mathematics, computer, and English courses would also be helpful.

Since many zoologists give lectures to students , it is required that you should be comfortable doing public speaking. Good writing skills and research skills are required since zoologists write many reports about different species of animals.

The following is a list of courses suggested for students to take if interested in pursuing a job in zoology.


Grade 9

English
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Creative Arts / Business
French
Health & Physical Education
Computers


Grade 10

English
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Personal & Career Development
Creative Arts / Business
Computers


Grade 11

English
Mathematics
Probability & Statistics
Biology
Chemistry
Earth & Environmental Science
Physics
Social Studies
Computers


Grade 12

English
Algebra & Geometry
Calculus
Biology
Chemistry
Earth & Environmental Science
Physics
Social Studies
Computers

Prerequisites

Some courses of study that a student needs to take to become a zoologist are environmental science, or other subjects offered by the Department of Zoology. These include anatomy and cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, earth sciences, genetics, anthropology, geography and environmental studies.

In university, a student studying zoology should obtain the following degrees:

Master's Degree
Master of Science (2 years)

Doctoral Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (4 years)

Undergraduate Degree
Bachelor of Science (4 years)
Bachelor of Science (Honours)

Working Conditions

Zoologist can work in many different places depending on what type of job they have. Research labs and the habitat of the animal they are researching are the main places where zoologist work. Depending on the field they are in, they can work up to several weeks, or even months in the field each year. They can have irregular work hours, observing animals for all times of day.
Zoologist who do in-depth research may travel to the habitat of the creatures they are observing. They may live in harsh conditions due to the certain area they are located. Some of these conditions include living in a tent for long periods of time and cooking food over campfire. There can also be a risk of contracting diseases such as malaria. Depending on their area of study, animal attacks are also a severe caution. These threats however, can be minimized by taking precautions, such as immunization for diseases and bringing the proper equipment for observing the animal.
Zoologist spend a lot of time reading scientific journals and using libraries for their research. Some zoologists travel to conferences and zoos to meet with other scientists and share research ideas. They can work as professors at universities teaching students about the specific field of zoology. They spend their time conducting research, writing papers on zoology and giving lectures to students.

Part One: Becoming a Zoologist

In the future, I would like to become a zoologist. A zoologist is someone who researches and studies exotic animals. The study of zoology is a branch of biology that studies animals of different species. There are a variety of different types of zoologists. Some of them include the study of mammals (mammalogy), ornithology (birds), ichthyology (fish), herpetology (reptiles), and entomology (insects).

Some of the work involved with zoology is researching and teaching. Zoologists can teach at universities and colleges where they must adapt to public speaking to inspire their students to study zoology. Other zoologists can work in zoos and museums informing the public about exotic animals.


The average salary for zoologists is between $ 55, 000 and $ 70,000 a year. Depending on the type of position the zoologist has and based on their education, they can make under $ 30,00 or up to $ 100,000 a year. Zoologists with a bachelor's degree earn the lowest salaries, while those who have a master's degree can be significantly higher.

If a zoologist has their PhD, they could own a zoo, or obtain a research position at a university. University professors can make anywhere between $ 40,000 to $ 140, 000 a year. As a univeristy professor, a zoologist's opportunities for career advancement depend on their level of success as a researcher.

LEVEL 1 Field Researcher
EARNINGS $30,000 to $35,000 a year
REQUIREMENTS • Bachelor’s degree in biology or zoology
RESPONSIBILITIES Conducting experiments; gathering data in the field; working under the supervision of a scientist.


LEVEL 2 Assistant Scientist
EARNINGS $35,000 to $55,000 a year
REQUIREMENTS • Master’s degree in zoology (PhD preferred)
• Experience doing field research
RESPONSIBILITIES Working in a lab or in the field; observing animals; conducting research; analyzing results; writing up the results of the research.


LEVEL 3 Full Scientist
EARNINGS $55,000 to $100,000 a year
REQUIREMENTS • PhD in zoology
• Many years of experience doing research
RESPONSIBILITIES Observing animals; running experiments; analyzing results; writing grant applications and articles.


Net Paycheck Estimate
$ 1,793.60

Bi-weekly Gross Pay
$ 2,427.64

Federal Withholding
$ 448.33

Scial Security
$ 150.51

Medicare
$ 35.20