Fancy Scientist with Dr. Stephanie Manka

When I give advice to young wildlife professionals or those aspiring to go into this career, I always tell them to reverse engineer it. To “start with the end in mind,” (a quote from Stephen Covey), but what if you don’t know what the end looks like?

Or what happens if you thought you wanted something and you went after it, but then you realized maybe you want something else. And if you decide to pursue that other thing, what does that mean about you?

How do you know who you really are and what you really want? If you are on the right track? 

I have some free tools to help you – I have the Job Tracker, but you may still be confused on what want or what the end looks like. I’ve talked to SO many students who are interested in multiple options and directions and don’t know how to choose. And who are we really when it comes to our careers?

These are some big questions that I am going to explore today. Really finding out who you are and what you really want, how to know if you’re on the right track, and maybe this episode will give you some permission to really go after what you.

If this is the first episode you’ve ever watched or listened to, this one is going to be a little bit different. It’s an episode that is definitely relevant for those who are interested in wildlife careers, but if you are not, there are still many lessons that will help you.

It’s a very personal episode for me as I have gone through a lot of major professional and life changes this year. I’m experiencing a reset in many areas of my life and these are some of the questions that I have really been thinking about lately. Who am I professionally? What do I want?

What does it mean about me if I change what I decide to go after? This podcast will definitely give you some perspective. It will give you lots of unconventional advice, but it’s great advice. This is an episode all about figuring out who you really are and giving you permission to go after what it really is that you want.

Full show notes here: https://stephanieschuttler.com/91-identity/

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology

Have you ever thought about starting an environmental career, but instead chose a more “safe” and “secure” route? Or maybe you are currently tempted by it or you simply didn’t know how to go about a wildlife career and took a path that was more easily laid out? 

Is there a part of you that still wonders “what if?” but worries it might be too late or are too scared to step out of your comfort zone?

We only get one life to live and so much of our lives are dedicated to our work – simply by the hours put in. What if I told you it isn’t too late. If you feel at all pulled to make a change then I’m here to tell you that you can. But maybe you don’t know how…

In this episode of the Fancy Scientist Podcast, I interview web developer Melina Shack about her experience transforming from computer scientist into a career in wildlife, ecology, and the environment. Perhaps just like you, Melina didn’t know how to start the transition or even if it was possible. But it is and she is currently starting an environmental career.

Melina is a student in my Successful Wildlife Professional program and had no idea about how to go about changing careers, but she felt a pull that that was the right move for her. She had always been interested in careers in the environment and ecology, but she didn’t know how to get there, and she took computer science because it was a lucrative, safe, and secure route. In this interview we talk about how she is making that transition through the help of my mentorship and being in the Successful Wildlife Professional program.

Melina has just started this transition after being accepted into graduate school (with a scholarship!) several months ago. We talk about the steps she has taken to make this transition and what it’s like her first semester in graduate school. 

Specifically, we chat about:

• What it’s like for her to start graduate school and experience her first semester
• What got her to finally make the transition into a career in the environment
• What it’s like for her to start graduate school and experience her first semester in a different field
• How to go to graduate school as a working professional – having a full-time job and enrolling in a Master’s program
• The difference between thesis and non-thesis Master’s programs

and MORE!



Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ 

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology

It’s no secret that the wildlife or conservation field can be competitive, and many of you have always asked me, “How do I get my foot in the door?” or “Is there any chance that I will get a permanent job in the future?” And my answer is always yes. If this is what you truly want, you can get it, but it will require strategy. Gone are the days of just getting a degree and a job quickly, which will require other things you might not know about and even thinking outside the box. 

Scott Putnam loves to give this kind of advice to students and entry-level job seekers. Scott has worked as a Regional Fisheries Biologist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game for over thirty years. He spearheads monitoring anadromous fish in freshwater and their migration to and from saltwater, which requires remarkable fieldwork like snorkeling in beautiful rivers for hours. And you may have heard Scott’s name before. If you listened to podcast episode #86: Getting a Wildlife Career with NO Wildlife Experience: Interview with Ron Lewis, you’ll recognize that Scot is the person who hired Ron. Ron spoke so highly of Scott and knew he had so much great advice to give that he connected us both for this interview to help all of you out. 

In this podcast, I interview Scott about his career as a fisheries biologist, from volunteering to working his way up. You might think Scott had his fisheries career set from the beginning, but that wasn’t the case; he took a side trip as an enforcement officer in conservation and a business management position along the way.

So how did Scott build his career as a regional fisheries biologist, and what tips does he have for aspiring biologists? Trust me - this podcast is GOLD. Scott reveals many great career tips - many that you have likely never heard - and stories of his fun adventures in fieldwork.

Specifically, we discussed:

• What does Scott Putnam do as a Regional Biologist in the Department of Fish and Game, and how did he get where he is today?
• What it’s like to work in the US government
• What it’s like to work as a fisheries biologist
• What it’s like to work in conservation law
• Is there a difference between fisheries and terrestrial wildlife? Can one easily transition between the two? 
• How the field has changed over three decades
• How does someone navigate the hiring process, especially for government jobs
• How to advance in your career
• How do you quit a position without burning their bridges?
• What kind of education do you need to get jobs - is a master’s necessary? 
• How to get your first permanent position
• How to stand apart from everyone else in job applications and thinking outside the box
• What skills to have that they won’t teach you in school

And MORE!

Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ 

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology

You may have heard me on social media talk about how I am writing a kids’ book and unless you are new to the podcast, you will already know that I wrote a book called Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know. I am so excited to announce that my kids’ book, My First Book of Earth, is now available for pre-order and will soon be available everywhere on August 2nd.

With this official news, lots of people have been asking me, how I did this. Today I am going into detail about that – talking about the entire experience – from setting it up, writing, and getting it published with a publishing company.

For the second part of the podcast, I’m also gonna tell you about my experience writing my other book, Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology, which is a book I self-published in 2020. This is a book I wrote entirely by myself – with no publisher – and has done well since its release selling hundreds of copies.

Writing both of these books has been such a fun experience and great learning process. I really hope this podcast inspires you to write a book if this is something you have been thinking about. This is something you really can do!

I am going to break it down for you and also talk about the advantages of working with a publisher and self-publishing. Specifically, I talk about:

• How I was approached by publisher
• How long it took me to write both books
• My process for writing for kids and for adults
• My process for writing when working with a publisher and on my own
• The challenges that come with writing a kids’ book including maintaining scientific accuracy without using jargon and sticking to a word limit
• How the books were designed
• How I was inspired to write a book
• An overview of how to self-publish
• How I used the Best Self Journal to write my book
• What you need to know about marketing your book during the pre-release phase
• and MORE!

Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ 

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology

I know that so many of you out there are struggling to get jobs in wildlife biology. I see all of these posts in the wildlife Facebook groups, and when people join my own Facebook group, Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology, I reach out to them and ask them what they’re struggling with. I truly understand how tough it is out there to get a job.

There is more competition than ever before, and the requirements have changed. What used to get you a job is not good enough now. People are frustrated, tired, feeling defeated, and honestly just quite sad.

So I’m doing something that I’ve never done before. If you are sick and tired of not having a job in wildlife biology, if you’ve been applying and applying and applying and can’t get anything, or if you are training for a job in wildlife and you’re scared, then you are going to want in on this four day workshop that I am doing for the very first time.

At 8:00 PM Eastern time starting June six, I am going to be condensing and sharing with you the four most important things to have, do, and be for wildlife biology careers. This also pertains to ecology, conservation biology, biology, zoology, and all of the “ologies.” This is all free. It’s based on my nearly 20 years of experience. You are going to want to get in on this workshop.

For today’s podcast as a lead-up to the workshop, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about the biggest mistakes that I see that people do when they are trying to get a job.

No matter where you are in your career – if you are at the very beginning stages or if you are applying for jobs, frustrated, crying, and punching pillows, then you’re going to want to listen to this episode. These are the top nine mistakes that I see people do who are struggling to get jobs in wildlife biology, ecology, conservation biology, and related fields.

Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ 

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology

One of my favorite podcast episodes to share with people is #46: Starting a Wildlife Career at 40: Interview with Jeffrey Hunter. In this episode, I interview Jeffrey Hunter of the National Parks Conservation Association on how he left his corporate job to pursue one in wildlife at 40. 

One of the people listening to this was Ron Lewis. During the pandemic, Ron was let go from his engineering job at 49. He always loved wildlife and it had lingered in the back of his mind that he should pursue a wildlife career, but things always got in the way.

One day he happened to be listening to the Jeffrey Hunter interview and it changed his life. This was the sign he needed – it was finally the perfect time to pursue this career. 

Ron and I started talking on Instagram and I was so excited to hear this! But even more exciting was that Ron got a job right away – a full time job. And he was also back in school. 

To be honest, this was pretty surprising to me. I hear all the time (and experienced it myself) about how difficult it is to get jobs. But he got one right away and with NO experience. How did he do it? I knew I had to have him on the podcast to find out.

In this episode, we talk about just exactly that – how Ron got a job once he made the decision to pursue this career. As you’ll find out, Ron is a master networker, so it wasn’t just luck. We also talk about how having mechanical experience is a big asset in this field. 

Specifically, we talk about:

• What were Ron’s first steps to transitioning to a career in wildlife
• How Ron networked effectively (and you can too)
• How Ron’s previous job helped him get his wildlife job
• Unexpected skills that will help you in wildlife jobs
• What kinds of non-wildlife jobs are best to get if you can’t get a wildlife job
• What Unity online college is like
• and MORE!

For full show notes click here

Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ 

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology

Whenever I talk to someone who wants my help, I always ask them “What is your ultimate career goal?” and frequently the answer is “something with endangered species.

We’ve all seen the videos of scientists opening up a cage with a wolf inside, and it sprinting out of it to return to the wild where it belongs, or some variation of that with another species. These videos are so inspiring and uplifting – they make us feel so good and like there is hope for conservation. But there’s a lot of work that goes into those few moments of release that you don’t see. 

We go into this career because we love wildlife, and much of our wildlife is in crisis, so it makes sense that so many people want to do endangered species work – they want to make a difference and have an impact. But what does it really entail? What does it look like? 

On this week’s podcast, I talk about what it’s like to work in careers with endangered species. I realize this is a GIGANTIC topic and there’s no way that I could cover it all in one podcast, but here I give you a taste of what some of those careers look like. 

I especially focus on reintroductions, not because this is the majority of endangered species careers, but because so many of people want to go into and are fascinated by these careers. 

If you’ve ever wanted to work with endangered species or are curious about all of the science and prep work that goes into reintroductions, today I am peeling back the curtain to show you what that research is really like.

For full show notes click here

Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ 

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more?

Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology

Students always ask me – how do I choose my research? When I was in graduate school, this question lingered over me for the first six months. How in the world, out of all of the things to study do I pick something?

Most people will tell you to follow your passion – but what happens if you (like me) are passionate about many things? How do you choose? Or what if you aren’t sure what you are passionate about at all? 

Surprisingly, choosing your research based on what you are passionate about alone is bad advice. In this video, I explain why. 

If you are going into a research career, listening to this video is a must – especially if you expect to be the one leading the research (a principal investigator) because your research will likely set you up for your entire career trajectory.

If you’re not a scientist or not going into research, this episode is still worth a listen. You’ll understand how scientists approach their area of interest and structure their research.  

For full show notes click here

Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ 

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology

I was having some struggles in my business – specifically how to talk about my program to potential student.

I was thinking about purchasing a new course to help me with this problem and I was asking my mastermind group members what they thought.

It was a big chunk of change: $2,000. Normally we encourage each other to invest in ourselves, but one of my members felt like I already had the training I needed – and that it was more of my mindset I needed help with. 

She also suggested I could receive free training if I sign up to be an affiliate for a program I enrolled in two years ago. I didn’t think I could do it because I didn’t think the program would be fit for my audience, but she pushed me anyway to get me to learn more about the process.

Shortly after I signed up, the wildlife biologist above made that comment. I also thought about another wildlife biologist with a big following on Instagram who sells products and then I thought, maybe there is something to this? Maybe this is something my audience would be interested in. 

I am blown away by the opportunity that is out there nowadays and I invite you to join me to entertain the thought of starting your own digital side hustle. 

For full show notes click here

Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ 

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology

On this week's podcast, I talk about a hot button issue and one you probably wouldn't expect from a wildlife biology and conservation based podcast: money. I always knew I wouldn't make a lot of money in my career, but was surprised at how low the salary levels were for the jobs I qualified for. 

And lately there's been a lot of talk about things like unpaid internships and volunteering in our career and that young professionals shouldn't take them and organizations shouldn't offer them. As someone who has worked for an institution and has mentored over a dozen students - only one of which was paid, this is not realistically an option and I have a lot of doubt that it will increase inclusion and diversity.

I was nervous recording this episode because I'm going to say some things that I'm sure a lot of people won't agree with. But I am all about empowering you. An empowering question to ask yourself is "what can I do?" The goal of this podcast is not necessarily to debate the above topics, but to reframe your thinking and ultimately your belief system, so that it works in favor for you to advance to where you want to be in this current career climate.

I've personally been working on my money mindset for years now and I've learned a lot from the entrepreneurial world about how our beliefs limit us. Today, I invite you to think of things differently - or at least be open to it. I compare wildlife careers to other fields, talk about volunteering and unpaid internships from the perspective of an employer, and give you examples of people from other careers in bad money situations who were able to make it happen for them. 

Get a free chapter of my book “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know” to see how I can help you in your career: https://stephanieschuttler.com/getting-a-job-in-wildlife-biology-book/ 

Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ 

I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/

Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiology