What do you do for a living?

[aquashelle]

Since I could walk I wanted to do something with the water and marine life, and now going into my senior year, I know I need to start making some decisions about my major. I would love to study marine biology, and get a masters in it, but most people i know who have done so don't end up working in the field. some ended up at NASA, and others working in clinics or with radiology.

I'm trying to find out if there's hope for such a future, or for a desire to work in something of relation to aquatic life, from freshwater to saltwater.

I want to get my bachelors in Biology, and work my way up. But I'm losing hope on the job outlook.

Does anyone here have some experience to share on such a subject? If not, perhaps just share what you do for a living. I really want a career that can at least support my aquarium hobby on the side. I would love to have my tanks in college next year as well, but it seems that most colleges require you to live on campus the first year, in which you can only, if even, have up to a 10gallon. quite depressing.

I've got good grades and am in the top 10% of my high school, but I don't have the financial means to go to a truly expensive college...

Well, I guess I rambled, but if you have an helpful information, do share. :)

[armthehomeless]

I think Sea-Agg09 and cichlid1409 would be good people to talk to. MerrittA would probably be helpful as well. If they don't see this post, you may want to PM them.

[aquashelle]

I Pmed them, thanks! :]

[Sea-agg09]

Man.... throwing me under the bus like that. What a drag lol. Yeah, I got this one covered.

I'm sending you a PM, but for the masses. I went to A&M Galveston (hence the screen name). I majored in marine biology, in the next 2 years I'm going get my masters in larval development, settlement, and breeding behavior in reef fishes.

If anyone else wants to know about a science field, just pm me.

[armthehomeless]

Man.... throwing me under the bus like that.

I know that you are a wealth of information, I figured that you woudn't mind sharing. I'll try not to throw you under the bus in the future . . .

[fishboyt]

I've been thinking of becoming a marine biologist once I graduate...

[aquashelle]

Sorry for bugging any of you, but I really appreciate the help!

All PM's were really informative, and I thnk you all for the time.

[TonyO]

I have B.S. in Biology, with a Chemistry minor. I was getting my advanced degree, focusing on chemical ecology (how organisms use chemicals to communicate with others in their environment) and insect population dynamics. I was doing a combination of lab and field work. I ended up getting a job in a histology lab at a contract research organization. I enjoyed it enough that I decided to leave school and work full-time. I got my certification as a Histotechnologist, and then I moved to Houston to work in a pathology lab. I made the choice, it wasn't out of necessity.

A few of my friends are still in school, a few got married and are stay-at-home parents, but most of the ones that followed the career path have done ok. Even some that do not have advanced degrees have some pretty cool jobs. . . one trains orcas, another is an elephant manager. My uncle is a fisheries biologist back home. Some of what you're seeing in terms of jobs is because of the job market. It's tough for many people, regardless of their field of interest. Funding may not be there. However, it's possible that by the time you finish, the outlook would be much better.

I would suggest keeping your eyes and ears open for opportunities to work with researchers. Research experience, in a field like marine biology, would be incredibly beneficial. If you are considering an advanced degree, admissions are typically due a semester or more before you finish, so you'll need to know by then.

I'm a pretty good example of someone who ended up in a slightly different place than what they envisioned, but I took opportunities as they came. . . I'm happy to answer any questions you may have!