some employment questions

[Hespelerboy]

hey hey i know im new but i do have some questions i was thinking maybe some people here maybe able to help. So heres my situation as of now i am finishing up my mechanical design technician degree but i am definitly not satisfied with my career choice so i have recently applied to flemming college for fish and wildlife technician and was accepted. What i want is to maybe become a mnr officer or something of the sort in that direction. I have emailed the mnr there are programs i can apply for but way out of my league so i was thinking maybe someone on the site has gone through the same situation or does work in a job and maybe has some advice in which way i should go about landing the dream job lol! any help wudd be greatly appreciated even some advice or input

 

 

thanx all

[Terry]

hate to say it bud

 

but we are living in the world of Gov. downsizing..and I would think that getting into that field at this time will be more then just a little difficult ...check out he chances of getting a job in that field and let see what other guys here have to say about it

but good luck

[PatrickGG]

Unless you target a privatized organization do some more searching you will never know what you will come across.

[Headhunter]

I can't, through personal experience, help you with this specific course or career path. However I can suggest a few "tricks" to get yourself noticed.

-the squeaky wheel gets the grease! Sending letters and emails can help to get you introduced, but phone calls and follow ups to phone calls nets results

-Ace all your courses!

-Volunteer at any related function you can and kiss babies and shake hands!

-asking advice from a group like this is a great way to start

-if you can, find out who is highly respected within the MNR, (that goes for any other company as well) and be like their tail. Again, volunteer to help that person so they can then be a reference for you!

-ensure that your resume/cover letter are concise, but detail oriented. Ensure that you describe the skills and experience you have, that make you stand out among your peers. Your past accomplishments are what will get you hired. Your love for the out doors and all that is is, is a given! Everyone who applys has the same interest and affections. Also, be sure to include any commendations you've received from pervious employers.

-talk to as many people as you can!

 

Now after you've done all that, re-look at the MNR as a career choice! Do your really want a job with an organization that is under funded, that has "surplus" staff, based on the Ministry's ability to field enforcement officers. Do you want to sit behind a desk? Oh and lastly, I'd bone up on my internal politics skills.

HH

[tonyb]

hey hey i know im new but i do have some questions i was thinking maybe some people here maybe able to help. So heres my situation as of now i am finishing up my mechanical design technician degree but i am definitly not satisfied with my career choice so i have recently applied to flemming college for fish and wildlife technician and was accepted. What i want is to maybe become a mnr officer or something of the sort in that direction. I have emailed the mnr there are programs i can apply for but way out of my league so i was thinking maybe someone on the site has gone through the same situation or does work in a job and maybe has some advice in which way i should go about landing the dream job lol! any help wudd be greatly appreciated even some advice or input

thanx all

 

Hey shoreman,

 

I am a Fish & Wildlife Technician graduate from Fleming, I am also currently employed as an Oracle Database Administrator

 

After I graduated there was a surprising shortage of 'real' jobs available. Sure I could have gained experience with the travelling sea lamprey control program, but pay wasn't exactly in line with what I thought my earning potential would be with my diploma. I chose to return to college (Mohawk in Hamilton) and took a Networking & Hardware Tech. diploma course. It landed me a decent position when I graduated (~$35K a year) and has opened doors to many other job opportunities including where I work today.

 

You have to ask yourself a serious question: What is the lifestyle I want to live, and can I accept making minimal wages doing what I enjoy? (aka Career in Ontario Natural Resources)

 

I am sure there are some high-paying jobs in Natural Resources (Check GOjobs), but the vast majority are $20-$25k/yr positions (Not that there is anything wrong with that, but have you seen the price of fishing tackle these days?!)

 

Someday I would like to work in the outdoors, possibly with the MNR, but with the Government strategy of continual cutbacks, I wouldn't recommend investing your life's savings into an education at Fleming -- based on my personal experience.

 

All that being said, I immensely enjoyed my time at Fleming and the courses were very interesting to me, and the instructors were outstanding! (I actually got to say Hi to John Knight at the Sportsman Show - awesome guy)

I was really pumped about continuing what I had learned in school out in the real world as my career, but it was an eye opener after graduation.

 

A friend of mine spent several years at Fleming getting a couple of different Diplomas, but same thing, minimal paying jobs. He is now working for a Tree service company and is happy with his job (Not sure about his pay though)

 

Funny side story, on my Fish I.D. test I put 'Musky' down instead of the technical name 'Muskellunge' and had to fight with the teacher to give me the marks. He knew that I knew what fish it was, he was just busting my chops

 

Good times!

[tonyb]

Current Ministry of Natural Resources Job Listings:

 

Note Locations!!!

 

PUBLISHED ON POSITION TITLE MINISTRY PAY RATE

03/30/2007 PARK TECHNICIAN Natural Resources Goderich $19.72 - $21.31 hourly

03/30/2007 PARK STORE LEADER Natural Resources Grand Bend $19.72 - $20.71 hourly

03/30/2007 HEAD GATE ATTENDANT / REVENUE CLERK Natural Resources Goderich $18.88 - $21.22 hourly

03/30/2007 SEASONAL PARK WARDEN Natural Resources Kakabeka Falls (4853 Hwy 11/17) $19.72 - $21.31 hourly

03/30/2007 SEASONAL FIRE MANAGEMENT TECHNICIAN Natural Resources Pickle Lake (3 Airport Rd W) $21.03 - $22.69 hourly

03/30/2007 NATURAL HERITAGE PROJECT BOTANIST Natural Resources Peterborough $973.70 - $1,265.30 weekly

03/30/2007 CANINE OFFICER Natural Resources North Bay $28.44 - $30.77 hourly

03/30/2007 CONSERVATION OFFICERS Natural Resources Clinton (one permanent position); Vineland (one permanent position); Sioux Lookout (two permanent positions); Thunder Bay (one six-month contract) $28.44 - $30.77 hourly

03/23/2007 MAINTENANCE FOREMAN Natural Resources Nobel (Killbear Provincial Park) $22.54 - $23.71 hourly

03/23/2007 INFORMATION MANAGEMENT GIS TECHNICIAN Natural Resources Sudbury (3767 Hwy 69 S) $21.03 - $22.69 hourly

03/23/2007 BEAR MANAGEMENT TECHNICIAN Natural Resources Kirkland Lake (10 Government Rd) $21.03 - $22.69 hourly

03/23/2007 PLANNER/WRITER (Amended) Natural Resources Toronto $1,268.84 - $1,534.34 weekly

03/23/2007 RABIES TECHNICIAN - ANIMAL CARE Natural Resources Codrington $19.72 - $21.31 hourly

03/23/2007 PROJECT ENGINEER Natural Resources South Porcupine (Hwy 101) $58,870.00 - $70,926.00 annually

03/23/2007 REGIONAL AQUATIC SCIENCE ANALYSTS Natural Resources Sutton West and Lindsay $973.70 - $1,265.30 weekly

03/23/2007 AREA FORESTER (RPF) Natural Resources Ignace (Hwy 17 & Hwy 599) $1,056.04 - $1,265.30 weekly

03/16/2007 AVIONICS TECHNICIAN Natural Resources Sault Ste. Marie (475 Airport Rd) $911.83 - $1,073.39 weekly

[Sherriff]

I agree with Tony on the Government jobs and avoiding some Fleming courses. I too took F & W and after seeing the job prospects, I quit. During the common semester, I found I really enjoyed the computer courses and switched over to Cartography which was starting to lean more towards digital mapping and GIS, rather than traditional mapping. I did my three years and have never had trouble finding good paying work in my field.

 

Couple things, be prepared to move anywhere and everywhere during the summers off in order to work in your field no matter what the pay is. Coming out of school with zero work experience really hurt many of my friends that took the same course.

 

Also, after grad, go anywhere you can to get work/experience. I took a job in B.C. right after grad and stayed for my 6 month contract and then was talked into staying for 6 more. Great experience. I left that job to take a job back here with Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans. Great place and stayed there for 3 years. Cut backs were killing government programs so I left there too. Again, lots of job in GIS in every municipality, town and still in government.

 

You can make it work but as mentioned above, I would avoid the CO, Fisheries type of careers....

 

Sherriff

[Entropy]

There are about 60 grads a year from that college program alone, your odds are not good. Much of the work in the Provincal Parks is contract or private contract.... if your looking for a stabile career ... not a good one. My wife has been there and done that for 7 years, had fun, but had to change ...

Edited April 4, 2007 by Entropy

[Big Cliff]

You have a PM. Hope it helps.

[Corey]

My best advice is to go to the Ontario Gov't website and lookup the latest Sunshine List... have a go through that, find something interesting and give er... As much as we would all like that perfect job, the majority of people don't get them, or don't get payed enough doing them.

 

Why not take a job where the pay is huge, benefits are plentiful and the opportunity for advancement exists. If I was smart when I was younger, I would have become an Accountant... I shunned the thought when I was in college, but they make good bucks and the future opportunities are incredible.

 

Fortunately I have fallen into a career based on stuff I have always enjoyed doing, but I have to re-educate myself on a daily basis to keep current. Being an IT guy seems like a gravytrain type job, but in order to progress you have to put in your 8 hours and then a few more every night keeping up with the trends. It's a lot of work. With accounting, the principles and methods stay the same for the most part.

 

cd.

[tjsa]

shoreman, becoming a CO nowadays can take years, you have to put your time in with the MNR, and have a great record to be even considered. That's what my CO bud says anyways. Minimum is probably 10-15 yrs. right now, full time employment, not contracts.

[fishing n autograph]

I was just in Training with an OPP recruit who graduated from Fish and Wildlife from Flemming

[tjsa]

Yup, an OPP recruit lol, we recently had a deputy CO up here, who scored the highest test score of ANY CO recruit, in Ontario, and, that person was snapped up by the OPP. Go figger, lol.

[John Bacon]

hate to say it bud

 

but we are living in the world of Gov. downsizing..and I would think that getting into that field at this time will be more then just a little difficult ...check out he chances of getting a job in that field and let see what other guys here have to say about it

but good luck

 

 

The upside is that with few hirings in recent years the MNR will be staffed with an aging workforce with generous pension benefits who are all going to retire at the same time. When this happens, there will be a suplus of jobs available. I am not sure that it will be soon enough for the current crop of students though.

[brandon]

I graduated last april from the fish and wildlife program and today, a year later I finally got news that I got a job in Orillia as a Wildlife and Pest Control Technician. This is the first job that college has actually played a factor in. If your looking at gov't work you better hope you know some people because thats what it takes.

[tonyb]

The upside is that with few hirings in recent years the MNR will be staffed with an aging workforce with generous pension benefits who are all going to retire at the same time. When this happens, there will be a suplus of jobs available. I am not sure that it will be soon enough for the current crop of students though.

That is the exact statement the folks at Fleming state for those interested in the Natural Resources Law Enforcement program

 

Seriously, you better know someone, because there are a lot of people vying for very few jobs in that field (And the pay isn't very good to boot)

 

Just ask yourself what you are comfortable making for a living and where you are willing to work/live, and if it realistically aligns with the career you are about to pursue.

 

Tony

Edited April 5, 2007 by tonyb

[brandon]

i also forgot to mention that in order to become a CO most guys work contract jobs for 5-10 years before they can even be looked at for a job as a CO. Also most contracts are from may-sept meaning for the first 5-10 years you'll have a seasonal career. Just a few more things to keep in mind

[Jon]

Have you ever considered a Conservation Authority? While the enforcement duties are not the same, there is still a role for biologists, ecologists, enforcement staff, planners and number of other positions.

 

Check out Conservation Ontario for jobs:

 

Conservation Ontario Jobs

 

Jon

[Hespelerboy]

thanx all for all help it has got me thinking alot u guys are great

[boatman]

I have a lot to say about Fleming and the Fish and Wildlife Program. I first considered going to Fleming in 1996 and taking that same program. However, with the major government downsizing that was happening then plus the dozens of grads that program pumps out there just were not many jobs in that particular field. The Fish and Wildlife program is just too specialised. Instead, I chose to take the Terrain and Water Resources program (its since been renamed Environmental Technology or something like that) and I picked up the core Fish and Wildlife and Ecosystem Management classes over the summer. Following graduation from Fleming I completed an applied degree in Environmental Management in Alberta. Since then, I have been employed in the environmental field.

 

Its a tough business to break into unless you are flexible and can live on very little money. Of course, some people get great jobs right out of school, but most people in the industry had to cut their teeth in high responsibility/low paying jobs. I started as an environmental consultant with an engineering firm in 2000 making $11.25/hr. Now I have a different job and I make substantially more. My situation is not unique. It is pretty standard for the industry. After 3-5 years you become your most employable. Most of the people I know in this industry make more than $50,000/year, but few of them work for the MNR or CA's.

 

The problem with pursuing MNR and Conservation Authority (CA) jobs is that most are part time or casual positions. They may pay $20+/hr, but you only work 6-8 months a year in many cases and/or you never know if they will renew your contract. It is like a purpetual state of financial limbo. I know or have known many people that work for both the MNR and CA's and many have no security. One guy in particular was with the MNR for 20 years before they made him full time. For much of that time he was the Assistant Park Superintendent of a Provincial Park. That's a big job. Its not the gravy train people think. Also, you have hundreds of people applying for only a few positions. It makes securing a position that much more difficult. Especially if you want to be a CO. Those jobs are almost impossible to get. I know a CO and I'll tell you its scary how big his field area is and of which he is the soul officer. Now that's not to say that there aren't any good secure jobs that relate to the Fish and Wildlife program because there are. There just aren't many and you'll have to compete against hundreds in most cases. If you really want to be with the MNR or a CA the best thing you can do (after having been rejected for the good jobs) is to take a "crappy" low paying or short term job with them. Once you are in you have a better chance of securing another or better position with them. It can be a long and frustrating climb, but you can get there. It takes time, perseverance and a love of the work.

 

I hope this gives you something to think about.

[brandon]

well put boatman