Animal Jobs Digest

8 Ways for Animal Lovers to Find a Dream Job

By Animal Jobs Digest December 17, 2015All articles, Featured articles, How-to succeed, Tools for success

By Paula Fitzsimmons

Ask ten different people working in the animal care field how they got their job, and you’ll likely get an assortment of replies. There are no right or wrong paths to gainful employment – what works for someone else may not necessarily be ideal for your situation.

Getting hired is sometimes simply the result of great timing, knowing someone who knows someone, and even luck. More often that not, it takes dogged determination and an awareness of which tools to use to your advantage.

A Career Raising Cash for Animal Causes . . . Is It for You?

By Animal Jobs Digest December 10, 2015All articles, Career options, Experts & interviews

By Paula Fitzsimmons with Angela Grimes

All animal protection and care jobs are important in their own right. Animal caregivers, administrators, veterinary professionals, humane officers, sanctuary operators, and others working in this field all play a vital role. Yet their important work wouldn’t be possible without incoming cash. Animal food, rent, employee salaries, vet services, and administrative costs don’t come cheaply. Yep, it’s similar to running a business.

Put Your Brilliant Ideas to Good Use . . .for the Animals

By Animal Jobs Digest December 3, 2015All articles, Career options, Featured articles

By Paula Fitzsimmons

If you’re a member of the animal or eco protection movement, you already know about the mountains of problems we face. There are no shortage of them, either – the sixth great extinction, deforestation, climate change, industrial exploitation, companion animal overpopulation, loss of coral reefs, to name a few. It’s disconcerting. . . downright overwhelming when you take time to really think about it.

Which is why news about people working towards solutions gives me a sense of hope. Take the recent Outside magazine article about marine biologist Sylvia Earle, for instance. Dr. Earle and her colleagues have been warning us for decades about the tolls pollution, overfishing, mining, and climate change have taken on marine environments.

The Best Holiday Gifts for Animal People

By Animal Jobs Digest November 28, 2015All articles, Inspiration & ideas

By Paula Fitzsimmons

Not sure what to give your favorite animal lover for the holidays? This list can help with that. These ideas are suitable for every animal lover on your list – and they come in a variety of price ranges to suit most budgets. Of course, the best gift you can give is your support and encouragement . . . but the following items are sure to please just about anyone who cares deeply for animals.

There are a myriad of businesses and organizations doing good- this list represents just a tiny portion of what’s available.

Should You Start a Home-Based Animal-themed Gift Store?

By Animal Jobs Digest November 22, 2015All articles, Career options

By Paula Fitzsimmons

Have you ever seen a darling pair of dachshund earrings, a must-have giraffe tee-shirt, or a hand-crafted cat toy, and thought, I could sell that or I could make that. Selling your wares online may seem straight-forward enough (and in some regards it is once you gain experience) but there’s much more to the process than slapping a few products on a website and hoping for sales.

It’s imperative to know what you’re doing – not just in order to succeed, but to avoid losing your money – or sanity – in the process.

Vet School Not An Option? Consider These Alternative Careers

By Animal Jobs Digest November 15, 2015All articles, Career options, Featured articles1 Comment

By Paula Fitzsimmons

If your dream of becoming an animal doc is not attainable, don’t feel too badly . . .veterinary medicine is not for everyone. Relatively few are able or willing to commit to years of post-graduate training or take on tuition debt.

Luckily, you have other options.

If you want to help heal animals, don’t let your skills and compassion go to waste. Consider these alternative careers, which require a fraction of the education, training, and tuition expense.

How Do You Measure Success?

By Animal Jobs Digest November 8, 2015All articles, Inspiration & ideas3 Comments

By Paula Fitzsimmons

Working 70 hours a week at a job that may pay well but sucks the life out of you. Securing the bottom line at any cost. Clawing your way to the top of the corporate ladder. Doing whatever it takes to achieve a certain level of “success” isn’t working out too well for us – and especially not for animals or the planet.

Noted scholar and environmental educator, David W. Orr summed it up perfectly when he wrote: “The planet does not need more successful people. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.”

The Best Scholarships to Propel Your Animal Care Career Forward: A Guide for 2016

By Animal Jobs Digest November 1, 2015All articles, Featured articles, Slider, Tools for success2 Comments

By Paula Fitzsimmons

We need more, not fewer, people willing to work in careers that promote protection for animals, the environment, and the disenfranchised. These careers often require applicants to have some level of higher education – whether via certificate, technical, or college degree. Soaring tuition prices and high interest loans have made school more inaccessible than it once was. And that’s a shame . . . I believe anyone who wants to go to school to better themselves and make a difference, should have the opportunity.

All is not lost.

More Than Just Words: 8 Powerhouse Quotes for People Who Care

By Animal Jobs Digest October 26, 2015All articles, Inspiration & ideas

By Paula Fitzsimmons

Life can’t be boiled down to a sentence or two . . . it’s too complex for that. But good quotes are more than just strings of meaningless words or “kumbaya” sentiments. At least for me. They represent bigger thoughts and ideals, can propel you forward, and act as reminders of what’s important. And who can’t use a kickstart every now and then?

I chose the following quotes for you . . .the activist, the person who wants to make a difference, whether you work in the animal protection field, are seeking a job with animals, or are a volunteer activist. I hope these words and ideas speak to you as they do for me. I’ve added some commentary, and would also love to know your thoughts on these.

Get Noticed! Animal Protection Agency Managers Speak Out

By Animal Jobs Digest October 18, 2015All articles, Experts & interviews, Featured articles

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