I have no idea what to do...

[Getafuckinggripman]

Absolutely fucking sick of my job, stuck in an office all day doing the same shit talking to the same people day in day out. I want to leave the office admin world altogether but there's only one problem... I have absolutely no idea what to do or where to go! I love animals and would love to work with them but I've no skills or qualifications. I'm 36 so hopefully still young enough to retrain in something. I'm an introvert, like a quiet life and I'm friendly but not really a people person... I like being outdoors around nature and water etc. What kind of job would suit someone like that?! Really feel like I'm at a crossroad but unfortunately I don't have a particular calling! I don't live a high maintenance life and I have a small mortgage and some savings put away so if I earned no more than £25/30k it really wouldn't be an issue for me, I just want to love my job.

Countryside ranger/ warden....could you start volunteering with a local wildlife trust, RSPB, Nature England etc. Do a course to reskill...

I don't know where to start :-(

Ecologist here. I’ve been a consultant for nearly 2 decades and trained plenty of new starters.

I have a PhD, most colleagues have at least a masters in ecology / environmental studies / something similar so see what courses are feasible.

Whilst you’re studying, you’ll need to gain practical habitat and species survey skills. The best way is to join your county’s local wildlife group and volunteer.

For habitat surveys, you’ll need good botanical skills. The Field Study Council does excellent courses and sells identification keys so you can practice in your spare time.

For protected species surveys (like dormice, bats, great crested newts) you’ll need a licence, which you can attain by building your volunteering hours and being trained.

It will take a lot of time and effort but it’s possible to accrue a good foundation of skills that you’d need whichever career route you take in this field. Most new starters (who you’d be competing with for jobs - and it is highly competitive) will have a CV like this.

The relationships you nurture with wildlife groups are invaluable because you’ll never stop training and it’s a good way to build a network, which is really hard when you change career path.

(I wish someone had told me all this when I started out!)

It’s not a soft option as a career. But you get to work with amazing people and see some incredible things.

Good luck!

Veterinary Nurse? It's inside but working with animals and must be quite varied? A quick Google tells me you need a diploma and it takes 2-3 years to train.

The Wildlife Trusts have a vacancies page, there might be something near you. They also run loads of short courses that might be of interest.

Setting up as a professional dog walker could easily earn you £25k a year. You'd have to give yourself time to establish and build up a client base and spend some money on advertising and networking.

I am a professional dog Walker. I absolutely love my job, but it's way harder and more stressful than I initially expected. This is mainly because I work in a safe, ethical way where my focus in on the dogs rather than making money.

Do PM me, or ask questions here if it's something you'd like to consider.

Yes sorry Freckles I didn't mean professional dog walking is easy in a dismissive way. I meant it could pull in over £25K especially if Op loves dogs and being outside. There has also been a huge increase in dog ownership over the last year.

I'm sure it is hard work and also very physically tiring.

Do you mean hard as in having to do so much walking every day? Do you walk several dogs together or one at a time? I imagine there's probably a bit more to it than one would think, dealing with health issues or medicine etc...

@SmileyClare no no sorry- I didn't mean to imply that you'd been dismissive. I was trying to say that dog walking can look wonderful to people who like animals, walking and the outdoors. But, as with so many other jobs, there is quite a lot more to it!

Yes agreed I think it's a big step to go sole trader.

Nothing to do with animals at all but I took the leap and set up as self employed a few years ago. There are pros and cons to going it alone and it's worth having some savings to help you set up and tide you over until you get established Op.

@Getafuckinggripman. Hmm yes, where to start! I love it, and have a background which means I know about dogs and modern training methods. Some things to consider:

The responsibility- you are dealing with people's precious pets. It's a huge responsibility, especially as each has a mind and personality all of their own. The responsibility weighs heavily for me- I love all the dogs I walk and take their welfare very seriously.

Insurance

Vehicle (needs to safely transport dogs in separate crates, be air conditioned etc)

Weather: you need to be able to be out for most of the day in all weathers. There aren't that many jobs that continue in freezing cold or driving rain- but dogs need to be walked regardless. The only time I dont walk is when it's very hot (garden visits only). Winter can be brutal.

Training: you need a good understanding of dogs including their body language, exercise needs and limitations, a solid understanding of training techniques etc.

Groups: I walk solos and small groups of up to 4. Walking a group of dogs takes experience. They need to be matched and managed carefully. All need to be happy, and play needs to be calm and safe. It is easy to walk large numbers of dogs together and let them be unruly- this is a recipe for disaster.

Solos: solos often tend to have some behavioural challenges. This can be fulfilling work, but also needs skill, and can be physically and mentally challenging eg a strong reactive dog.

Boundaries: too many people employ a dog walker when they need a trainer or a behaviouralist. You have to be careful to know what you can and can't take on, and be confident enough to say no where required.

I could go on and on. It's a fantastic job. But not as easy as some people think.