Wildlife Vocalizations: John Cassell

My advice to those seeking biology-related degrees is not to rush into academic pathways right away. I value and appreciate the four years of internships, seasonal jobs and part-time contracts I had before entering graduate school. These positions allowed me to cultivate critical skills that are necessary when doing graduate or PhD work in small teams or with diverse-minded committees.

These positions also allowed me to travel abroad and work with endangered animals, two things that I can’t do in my current position.

My early experience in Costa Rica was one of my favorites because it was one of the first situations where the interns and staff felt isolated. This was due to location—the remote-style fishing village was very far from the capital, San José.

As memory serves, upon leaving the airport, it took a taxi almost an hour to reach the bus depot. Then, after almost two hours on a bus, my luggage and I were dropped off at the canal terminal, where ferry boats would take another hour and a half to reach the village.

In other words, if a situation required me to go to a hospital, it would take an extremely long time to reach potential aid. This promptly made my 23-year-old self become more mature and polite when interacting with strangers on the job or when trekking through the rainforest.

This was also the first experience where I was far removed from my family. It was a time before iPhones were common and spotty Skype calls using available WiFi were the only ways to stay in touch. Many people today assume that remote work won’t impact them because they will have 5G cellular service or Uber Eats to bring them a meal. But these internships can be a true test of one’s ability to work in nature and away from the comforts of the city.

So, for those who feel pressured to get a PhD as fast as possible, do not forget that there are other amazing wildlife jobs and internships out there waiting for you.

Wildlife Vocalizations is a collection of short personal perspectives from people in the field of wildlife sciences. 

Learn more about Wildlife Vocalizations, and read other contributions.

Submit your story for Wildlife Vocalizations or nominate your peers and colleagues to encourage them to share their story. For questions, please contact tws@wildlife.org.