Recommendations for Job Applicants in Field Biology
Earlier this year I advertised for a field biologist position. Not
having gone through this process before, I told the 80+ applicants from
all over the US and Canada that I would share my personal
observations/comments/and recommendations once I put them together. I'm
sure there are hundreds of resources out there to help prospective job
applicants prepare their resumes and applications, but you can add this
one to the list. I have tried to generalize my recommendations where
possible, and hopefully folks will find this helpful.
WRITING
Write well. Although the job is a field position, writing is
unavoidable, and I certainly value writing skills for anyone who wants
to grow into a more significant position. I rated (1-5) every cover
letter on basic writing skills such as flow and cohesiveness, word
choice, use of punctuation, basic grammar, spelling, etc. I scored them
somewhat generously, and the mean score was 3.2 (SD = 0.83). I
considered scores of 1-2 inadequate and pretty much automatically
disqualified nine applicants based solely on that criterion.
Interestingly, only three applicants scored a "5", and two of
those were
the only applicants that were not biology majors (one was a former
lawyer and the other a professional nature writer).
Learn how to use a semicolon (;) and avoid run-ons, fragments, and poor
transitions. A paper I used in graduate school that addresses
transitions and organization very well is The science of scientific
writing (George Gopen and Judith Swan. 1990. American Scientist 78:
550-558.) The application of this paper is much broader than its title
suggests, and any applicant who has ever followed their general
suggestions would have automatically scored at least a "4", even
if
their grammar and spelling were relatively poor. Of course, there are
many writing aids out there, including other people; use them. Remember
that your cover letter may be your only significant exposure to your
potential employer, so write it well.
Convey enthusiasm, but don't rely on punctuation! Applications dripping
with enthusiasm are hard to ignore, and I felt obliged to really
consider those applicants who seemed eager and willing to work in just
about any conditions. There was one applicant in particular whose
enthusiasm seemed particularly genuine and palpable, and I made an extra
effort to try to hire her even though she had little experience.
CONTENT
Customize your cover letter. At a minimum, please address all, or at
least most, applicant requirements if you are responding to specific job
ad. Yes, the broadcast method can work, but those are usually
detectable a mile away. Remember that your employer probably doesn't
mind feeling special, too. I ranked (1-5) each application on content,
the primary factor being responsiveness. Cover letters that were
generally non-responsive indicated a lack of real interest in the job;
the one that addressed me as a completely different person also didn't
score too highly. Overall, the mean score was 3.1 (SD = 1.03). There
were nine applicants that scored a "5", and 14 that scored a "4".
Use your cover letter as an opportunity - perhaps your only chance - to
discuss your qualities, skills, etc. that are desired by the employer
yet not easily revealed or discernable from a resume. Sharing your
personal and professional goals and dreams can also be very useful, but
only if they are specific. Statements such as "I want to get more
experience" are not useful.
Many folks use an Objective heading on a resume, but it's entirely
extraneous and usually awkward. Instead, make your objective known in
your cover letter.
Everyone should consider including their GPA - especially if it's
>3.0-3.5.
Demonstrate, don't dictate. Several applicants listed skills that were
belied by their own application materials. It's fine to list your
skills, but save those for things that you really can't otherwise
demonstrate or discuss in a cover letter or resume. If you can write
well, demonstrate it, don't say it. If you have word processing
experience, then I would expect to see a nicely formatted resume and
other supporting documents. If you're passionate, convey that without
stating it.
Consider including references, even if unsolicited. I never would have
thought of this one, but 2-3 applicants included unsolicited letters of
recommendation, and I thought that was a great idea. It's a good way to
distinguish your application from others. Be careful, though; it may be
that some government agencies don't want the additional materials (but I
wouldn't know).
Don't truncate your resume based on page length. If it's relevant,
include it.
Include contact information for all relevant work. This is another
suggestion that I have borrowed from the handful of applications that
had contact information listed for every single job. That's very
professional and sends a strong signal that either someone has had
repeatedly positive experiences and/or that they are comfortable dealing
with any former experiences that were less than idyllic. Similarly,
leaving off contact information for your most relevant experience could
send up a red flag.
FORMAT
Please put your name on every page; it makes it easier to read your
application.
Fancy paper is completely unnecessary. Yes, I've used it too, but I'm
not sure why. What kind of person/business makes hiring decisions based
on paper?
POST-APPLICATION
Stay visible if you remain interested in the position. If you accept a
job elsewhere, inform other employers considering your application as
soon as possible, even if they haven't contacted you.
If you are asked a question, please answer it, don't avoid it. If you
do not answer, it sends a bad signal that you may not be professionally
responsive. Likewise, if you have a question or are uncomfortable with
details, communicate. Not communicating those questions sends a signal
that you might not be able to deal well with conflicts.
OTHER
If you want to be a field biologist in the private or non-profit sector,
it is definitely to your benefit to own a 4WD vehicle. Small pickups
are usually very adequate (and sometimes ideal), but some low clearance
AWD models can be limiting.
Brian Williams
Wildlife & Conservation Ecologist (&Adjunct Professor)
Williams Wildland Consulting, Inc. (& Sierra College)