Ecologist

Ecologist – U.S. Department of Agriculture – Forest Service

About the Position 

The Forest Service is a government agency that manages over 193 million acres of land. Their primary job is to protect and manage natural resources, perform research on how we use land, and coordinate with state and local governments as well as the forest industry and private landowners to protect and manage non-federal lands. There are different levels to government work based on background and previous experience. As a graduate with a bachelor’s degree, the highest level for entry is GR5, a master’s degree is necessary to move into the upper levels. This position combines office work and field work for an interesting work environment that can change everyday.

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Question & Answer

Replace this section with your questions and their corresponding answers. Wherever possible, please use complete sentences. Make sure you include a few of your own questions as well as the required questions as well. Follow this format:

How did you find this position?

This position was located on USAJobs, a website that is preferred by federal government entities for posting open jobs and receiving job application. Typically, you can also see these posting on other job sites like Indeed but they will reroute you to this website.

What are the minimum qualifications?

The minimum qualifications for this position are completion of all requirements for a bachelor’s degree from a qualifying educational institution. Since this posting is part of the Recent Graduates Program to jumpstart careers in the federal government, bachelor’s degree completion must be within the previous two years. The Bachelor’s degree must also include a major field of study in biology or a related science field with a focus on ecological research and included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must include 9 hours of ecology and 12 in physical and mathematical sciences.

What are some of the preferred qualifications?

Since this job also requires time spent outdoors, hiking, carrying instruments, and other physical movement, a preferred qualification is the ability to perform physically challenging field work.

What skills are important for success in this field?

As a part of the federal government, some of the important skills in this position are the ability to work in group settings, critical thinking skills, the application of knowledge and skills in a real-world setting, the ability to communicate through writing, the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information in decision making as well as skills in civic engagement.

What might be helpful for a language major to prepare for this position?

For a language major who wishes to use their proficiency in this field, it would be helpful to learn and practice using terms specific to the job. There is a lot of technical language involved in this position that is not typically taught in university language classes so this expansion of vocabulary would be very helpful.

How is proficiency in another language useful in this position?

Proficiency in another language is useful in this position for communication with coworkers or constituents. Working for the federal government requires talking to the people who support or oppose measures being instituted and speaking another language allows you to communicate with those whose opinions may not be listened to otherwise.

How is the ability to communicate and work with people form different backgrounds important in this position? 

As previously stated, working for the federal government means representing people of all different cultural backgrounds. Being able to communicate with people in their native language and understand their different cultural backgrounds is critical to the communication aspect of not only government work but many different jobs.