Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

I carry out surveys (with a particular specialism in birds) and write all reports. I also liaise with clients and other stakeholders, including the local council. I also manage and plan bird elements of many large projects, aswell as providing fee proposals for this work.

During the nesting bird season (March-Aug inclusive) I typically get up before 4am and start my breeding bird survey by 5am. This means I am finished generally by lunchtime! I sometimes assist with other surveys in the afternoon including reptile surveys, or bat surveys in the evenings. The survey day can be quite long!

Being in the countryside, being paid for doing something you enjoy, seeing new places, working with a host of different people

Weather can be challenging, access to particular sites can be an issue with some jobs, coping with livestock can be an issue.

I love wildlife and enjoy being in the countryside and surveying wildlife.

Identification skills, report writing skills. I also have protected species licences (Great crested newt and barn owl) and I need these to carry out some surveys.

I did my Ecology undergraduate degree at the University of Stirling, Masters degree in Ecological Economics at the University of Edinburgh and my doctorate at the University of Sheffield. Since my doctorate I have worked for AECOM for the last 4.5years. Before my doctorate I had ~2.5years in consultancy (URS, which AECOM bought over) and around 19months working in East Africa (Tanzania) with Frontier UK. I also had a 5 month stint working with the National Trust for Scotland as a water vole, bird and bat surveyor.

I see myself working in consultancy as I am doing as I enjoy it. As a side project I also write wildlife stories for children and I hope to self-publish these in the near future.

Volunteer with a wildlife trust, RSPB, local wildlife groups etc, as having some experience is key. We also have a small number of university students who assist us with surveys and I regular have someone out with me to learn survey techniques etc.

I'm happy to provide any further information if needed. I have quite a varied experience including working in academia, consultancy, National Trust and in Africa so happy to inform of pros/cons of each!