Wildlife Vocalizations: Nicole Davros 

We’ve all heard the “work hard so you can play hard” motto. We should all be able to enjoy time off the clock without feeling guilty for the work we haven’t gotten to yet.  

However, my advice for work/life balance is more along the lines of being close to family—or other main support systems—and starting a family of your own when you are ready, not when those in higher-level positions around you think you should.  

As you’re starting out in your education and career, take the time to really think through your mid- and long-term plans in life and career—not just what comes next. The opportunity to travel to exciting locales far from home for field work is exciting, especially when you are young and not tied down by as many responsibilities. But if family is important to you, put yourself in a position to be close to your family when you are ready to settle down into a permanent position.  

One way to do that is to gain diverse experiences and skills so that you can compete for many different types of jobs when the time comes if you to want to move closer to home. I missed many holidays and family birthdays because I was away from home conducting research—something I sometimes regret. And although I do feel extremely fortunate to have ended up where I am, it does come with a heavy heart because I was so far away from my family—especially as my parents grow older.  

Additionally, women still face some stigmas and challenges for choosing to start their families at the same time they are starting their careers. We’ve all heard far too many stories of women being discouraged from starting families during graduate school or otherwise early in their careers, or being discriminated against for actually starting their families during this time in their lives. For this reason, many women may be pressured into thinking it is not the “right time” to start a family.  

But too many of us delay starting a family due to the pressures of our careers, and because biology always wins in the end, we end up not being able to have biological children of our own. Although we have made strides in this area and working mothers have become more of the norm rather than the exception, the current COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the fact that many working mothers still provide far more of the childcare at home, often to the detriment of their careers. It is up to us to change the culture around this topic and do a better job of supporting our working mothers—whether at home or at work—and at any point in their careers. 

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.