Graduate Profile - Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science

Name: Nick Murray
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (Ecology) 2001
Position Gained: Biologist
Organisation: Ecosure
Commencement Date: July 2002

Ecosure is an Australian based environmental consultancy specialising in the field of wildlife management. We apply our services to airports, landfills, wind farms, urban estates and other areas where overabundant wildlife can be a hazard to safe operations or where wildlife populations can be threatened by human activities. We are internationally recognised, having completed projects at in Australia , New Zealand and in the Middle East . To our knowledge, we are the only business in Australia whose core business is managing risk arising from the presence of birds and other wildlife. Besides wildlife management we offer a range of environmental services including flora and fauna surveys, habitat restoration, water quality testing, environmental training and education, and risk assessments.

Could you give us a description of what your position involves?

Most of my time is spent working on wildlife management issues in Queensland. I have recently spent time in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and the Sunshine Coast doing formulating wildlife management plans for their airports. This generally includes designing and undertaking bird surveys, meeting with various airport staff and producing reports which are aimed at providing a strategy which airport staff are able to adopt in order to reduce the risk of bird strike to aircraft operating out of their airport. Further to this, I am involved in monitoring flying fox colonies, undertaking migratory shorebird surveys, urban ibis management and several other small jobs that we take or leave as they arrive.

With your experiences in securing employment what advice would you give to students who are in their first, second, and final year of study?

Go out and get experience. Experience is something that is not that hard to come by, but by the time you get kicked out of uni at the end of third year and start looking for work, you will wish that two years ago you went and spent two weeks of your holidays on work experience. Trust me, when I finished uni I spent a lot of time and money working for free, just to get a wide range of experience under my belt. Go out and do it now.

Many employers presenting employment information sessions have commented on the importance of students undertaking extra curricular activities during their time at university. Could you comment on this?

Extra curricular activities are can provide a source of experience, and they also develop a real interest in what you intend to do when you finish university. For me, I got into nature a lot, getting out there and going camping and visiting the deserts and so on, and from that I developed an interest in the bird life around Australia. This eventually led to me being employed as a biologist whose primary duties involve birding. More importantly, it stops you going insane at uni. If you did nothing but uni work, I guarantee you that you will go crazy by the end of your degree.

How did you go about finding graduate employment?

I applied for advertised jobs, asked what I did wrong when I didn’t get them and tried again. After a month or two it starts to be pretty tiring but I just hung in there and kept trying. To stop me going insane I kept up a lot of volunteer work to keep the experience rolling in. I found that my most successful way of finding work was by contacting companies I’d like to work for and simply asking what I can do to make a graduate like myself useful to a company like theirs. This led to meetings and networks and, finally, a great job.

Can you briefly describe the application process relevant to your position?

I asked the owner and principal biologist of Ecosure for any advice on my resume and if there was a way to get some work experience going. It just so happened that there was an unadvertised job going and I suited what they were after. Once I got my foot in the door at two days a week, it took me less than a month to weasel my way in to full time work.

What did you do to prepare for the interview? What questions were you asked?

I researched the company as much as possible in order to work out how to sell my skills to them in the interview. Further to that, I brushed up on all I know about wildlife management so that I could discuss it with confidence with professionals in the field.

In your opinion, what factors enabled you to be successful in obtaining employment?

I feel that the single most important factor in obtaining the position I am currently employed in was the fact that I was as keen as mustard. I let them know that all I needed was an opportunity to show what I could do, and they put me on for a probationary period of casual work. By the third week I was working full-time.I am sure that experience was also important, and first year uni I was always seeking ways of getting more experience, and therefore, confidence in the field I wanted to work in. Finally, I think my resume was a significant factor that helped me get my foot in the door. Application letters and resumes are the first point of contact and if these aren’t professional, easy to read and well presented then you’ll never make it into next step of the application process.

Do you have any further helpful hints for graduates?

Get as much experience as you can in the time you have got. Spend some (not all) of your holidays doing work experience (the people in the Careers and Employer Liaison Centre are great at helping out with this) and you will never regret it. Also be keen and get interested in what you want to do. If you are interested, you will produce better work, get contacts in places where you need them and end up in a job you will really enjoy waking up to.