9 Networking Mistakes Aspiring Wildlife Professionals Need to Avoid

Networking is super important. As someone who has been in the wildlife field for over 20 years and has attended countless scientific conferences since 2006, I know firsthand how networking can influence your career success. Experience is most important, but at times, who you know can even trump this. Networking can lead to jobs you didn’t know about, or maybe didn’t even exist in addition to other helpful career-building impacts like publication and volunteer opportunities. And if you want to study charismatic species like big cats, marine mammals, or carnivores, you simply have to network. But I also know for a lot of us, networking can feel daunting and intimidating, so we avoid it. In fear of making a mistake, we don’t do anything or only limit networking to opportunities where others take the lead - such as our boss or advisor introducing you to their colleagues. But in this era of incredibly high competition for wildlife jobs, this is unfortunately, not enough.  In this episode of the Fancy Scientist podcast, I delve into the networking mistakes often made by aspiring and early career wildlife professionals. I know these because I myself have made many of these and see a lot of the same things happening in my students and members of my Facebook community group Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology. Drawing from my extensive experience, I emphasize how perspective and hindsight has allowed me to now see what I should have been doing, now what others are doing when they reach out to me, and how these actions are perceived from as a mid-level wildlife career professional. The discussion also includes real-life success stories from my students, highlighting the transformative power of active engagement, specific intentions, and preparation. I outline nine key mistakes to avoid common pitfalls, such as being too casual or coming off as self-centered, so you can improve your networking skills and boost your career!Lastly, platforms like LinkedIn can be incredibly powerful, even if you can't attend in-person events. So, I’ll also underscore the value of online networking. You'll learn about the importance of proactive follow-up and building genuine relationships, expand your professional network, and open doors to exciting career opportunities.Specifically, I go over:The importance of networking The 9 biggest and common networking mistakes to avoidHow to network intentionally with a purposeTips for making genuine connections without being self-centeredThe art of following up and maintaining relationshipsNavigating networking as an introvertRemember, in wildlife careers, networking isn't just a tool—it's a vital strategy for advancement.I’m Dr. Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler), a wildlife biologist of nearly 20 yrs with 20+ peer-reviewed scientific publications, author of the book Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology: What It’s Like and What You Need to Know (https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Job-Wildlife-Biology-What/dp/B08JDYXS4G/) and founder of Fancy Scientist. My channel and the Fancy Scientist LLC is dedicated to connecting people to science and nature, breaking stereotypes of, and empowering scientists. I help aspiring and struggling wildlife biologists get the right training so they can get jobs, live out their life’s purpose and make a difference in this world.Sign up for my next free job training: https://stephanieschuttler.com/trainingwaitlist/ Want to learn about cool animals, conservation, and get tips about careers in wildlife biology, science, and more? Subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/StephanieSchuttler and join my email list: https://stephanieschuttler.com/ I’d love to meet you. Connect with me on social media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/FancyScientistInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fancy_scientist/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fancyscientist/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fancyscientist/pins/Join the “Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology” Facebook group to connect with other aspiring wildlife biologists, post your questions and get free advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingajobinwildlifebiologyListen to the Fancy Scientist Podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fancy-scientist-material-girl-living-in-sustainable/id1509587394 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/29swiuHG4TWKbS9gRZrORW#wildlifebiology #wildlifebiologist #wildlife #conservation #wildlifemanagement #wildlifeconservation #zoology #zoologist #ecology #ecologist #scientist #animals #science #graduatestudent #graduateschool #wildliferesearch #animalcareers #animaljobs