1. Employment Profile: What exactly does a n Animal Trainer do? |
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 What field is your job in?
Non-Profit, Animal Care, education
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What is your job title?
Animal Trainer
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Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for
(size and general description of what type of organization it is)
I work for the New York Aquarium/Wildlife Conservation Society. The WCS is a non-profit association that manages the 4 New York City Zoos and the aquarium. They also have numerous field programs internationally and are involved in conservation and education efforts around the world.
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How long have you been employed in this position?
2 years
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How many hours do you work a week on average?
50 hours
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Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
I primarly am responsible for the daily care and management of california sea lions. I also am responsible for educating visitors through daily sea lion training demonstrations and other formal/informal visitor contacts.
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What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
32,500
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What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
34000
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Please
list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation,
sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
401K, full medical/dental, pension plan after 5 years on the job, paid vacation/holidays, and sick time.
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Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
well compensated although the nature of the job requires us to work all weekends and holidays.
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2. Work environment! |
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Does
your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this
something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
Yes, and I love it. We are working closely with other employees in animal care and in education. We are also interacting with the general public constantly, everyday 365 days/year!
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Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
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Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
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Describe
your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what
you like/dislike about working in it
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Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
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2 Income
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1 Work Environment - co-workers
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3 Work Environment - supervisors
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5 Benefits
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4 Hours
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6 Level of responsibility
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7 The actual "work" you do at your job
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8 Job Title
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3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours? |
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If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
The most important prerequisite is volunteer work in the field. Regardless of your formal education, volunteering at zoo/aquarium/musuem or other animal care-related facility is a must. A bachelor's degree is also required, preferably in biology,zoology,psychology...but any degree will do. Most of this is on the job training.
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What
skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a
position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social
skills, organization skills, technical skills)
Social skills, public speaking ability, strong work ethic (lots of the job dirty work cleaning up after animals!)
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Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
bachelors and even masters is helpful
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What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Good luck! It's hard work, physically demanding, but very rewarding. You can't expect a big salary, but you can expect people to think you have the coolest job in the world! and you do! Just come in expecting to work hard, and maintain a positive attitude.
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