careers

[XxRachxX]

i was wondering who on here has jobs with animals/reptiles? and how you got to do that job?
i currently do animal care at college but to tell you the truth im finding it quite boring and not something i want to be doing for the nxt 1.5 years! we learn about mice, gerbils, rabbits, hamsters, cows, sheep blah blah.... ive only done half a year of a 2 yr course......anybody think its worth while staying? i would like to own a shop of some sort ("when i grow up";) ) maybe a small exotics shop..we have a SEVERE lack of good ones around here!
eh..thoughts anyone? im in a real predicament <--ohh long word i dont think i can spell right....:D

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

...www.aza.org, go under Job opening. Lokaround on there and you may find something youre looking for. Personally, I'd pull through with the class you are in because, I find it better to have a vast knowledge of things at hand. Plus you never know, working with your exotics, you may need to know about the above mentioned animals, such as food items or a lil petting zoo, heh. Just a thought.
Xain

[krrc]

I'm still in high school but the only two carrers I can imagaine getting into are eather an airline pilot or a herpatiogest <-I cant spell> and I'm starting to lean tord the herp side. why? well the money that I'd make as a pilot would be great upwards of 300 G a year after about 7-10 years. I fear that I would not get very much time at all with my animals at home and would be forced to give most of them up. does anyoone have a site that might desicibe a herpotiogest's salary? I''ve been told a zoo will pay starting, in the range of 80,000 a year wich iesent bad. any help would be great!

[Gorelith]

Don't take this the wrong way but $80,000 a year isn't very likely. Most accomplished zoos make just enough to cover basic costs and add a few new displays. Running your own successfull zoo may depending on how you plan your finances may barely pay you at all. If you plan to work for someone else in the herp field as a herpetologist you'd have to be one of the more accomplished herpers in the world to pull in $80,000.
Realistically though, i think, that $30-40,000 is more likely once you're finished school. And quite possibly even less if you plan to run you own zoo (at least for the first few years). If you've got some good potential investors you could get lucky and hit the 50-60k mark. It really varies from city to city and zoo to zoo. But $80,000 i'd think would be more reserved for one of the top guns in a large canadian city. Not sure what it'd be like in the US. Either way I'd stick with what you want to do and enjoy doing. Don't think of it as money because too often people get lured into what they think would be great making big bucks, when they'd in many cases be happier doing something different for less. Love what you do, do what you love. Best of luck on your decision either way and hope you let us know how it goes.

[Them and Us]

Money vs. Happiness. rarely it seems that they ever mix. Hers my poorly thought out life plan at age 18. Start college early at a community college this coming fall. Blindly take out loans for school. Move onto a 4 year school.... Marist, ARI or NYU hopefully. Major in recording/mixing and mastering as its the only thing i'd want to do full time. Own my own studio eventually and small record label. I would give anything to push these kids, these talented kids into the music scene with a 4 song EP and get them on their way. Then in 10 years when I've chalked up enough herpetoligical i could breed extremely small time and sell to other seasoned herp lovers. I'm not talking about adding to the saturaton of the market as it seems it already is quite saturated.

[Lisa]

I've found once a hobby becomes a job its not as enjoyable as it once was.

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

...I've been wanting to be a pilot and a of now I'm getting personal training from my Father's friend. And he says that schooling, at least good schooling I take, cost a good amount of money; Like 50 grand a year. Which is worth it if you consider how much Delta pilots are paid a year. (Thats the flyer I'd try to fly for).
Where'd you see 80 grand a year at? I wanna apply, heh.
I agree with everything Gorlith says, too. I too plan on opening a park. Crocs will play the main attraction =)
Xain

[krrc]

that was just a number i got from my anut most likely a guess on her part thanks for the input guys!

[BILLP]

I don't work in the feild but my girlfriend works at a zoo and 80 grand is more than double what she makes. I also have several friends that work at the San Deigo zoo and they don't make that much unless they are a head keeper or a vet. It is a lower paid feild for a basic keeper because it is a job done out of passion for animals so if you don't want to work that cheap they just find another person. As far as opening a zoo or a pet shop there is nothing that says you have to have a degree. As far as opening a zoo it is very expensive the zoo my girl freind works at started as a bird farm and just eventually grew into a zoo.

That is my two cents

[Dilshad]

I deal with animals every day. I work in the hospitality industry. :D