If you have more than a passing interest in sharks and are obsessed with learning a ton of information about sharks, you may want to consider a career working with sharks. There are some really amazing job opportunities for people who work with sharks. So if you are interested in turning your passion for sharks into an amazing career, here are some of the different avenues you can explore.
Consider Becoming a Shark Biologist
Shark biologists have amazing careers. They study everything from shark biology to shark behavior to shark ecology. Shark biology is the most relevant career for people interested in sharks. Shark biologists are also becoming more important because shark species are being threatened worldwide. They are vital for conservation efforts worldwide to protect sharks.
However, before just diving into the all the work and education it takes to become a shark biologist, you should learn what shark biologists actually do as work. There’s a broad diversity of different areas shark biologists can work in. Shark biologists can be field researchers observing sharks in their natural habitat, tagging sharks to track their behaviors, and swimming directly with sharks. Field researchers have an amazing job, however they often have to spend long periods at sea, need to be strong swimmers, and have to be fearless when dealing with sharks. So field research is not for everyone.
Luckily, if field research isn’t for you, there are plenty of other types of work you can do as a shark biologist. You can work in education at a university and teach or research shark biology. You can also work for a shark conservation group and study shark data and fight for protective legislation. Finally, you can work in zoos and aquariums directly with the captive sharks doing research and ensuring they are healthy and happy. So there are a lot of avenues you can explore as a shark biologist.
Decide What You Want To Do
When assessing the vast variety of careers available for shark biologists, you should think about what you really want to do. From there you can begin mapping out your education and career path. It’s better to decide early what field you want to work in that way you can set goals to work toward. However, if you are progressing toward one aspect of shark biology but find you like another, you can always switch gears and focus on what you love. No matter what you decide to do, you will then have to get an education to work as a shark biologist.
Get The Education
Shark biology is very complex and science heavy, so it will require a lot of education. If you are interested in becoming a shark biologist, you will need to plan on getting at least a Masters’ degree, if not a PhD. There are a couple of different degrees that can apply including zoology, marine biology, biology, marine sciences, ecology, and animal behavior and ethology. Depending on your particular interest area, you will focus on one or more of these subject areas.
What If You Don’t Like Science?
Fortunately, if you don’t like science there are still some shark-related careers that you can pursue. Specifically, in the area of conservation, there is a wide diversity of jobs. There are plenty of administrative, marketing jobs, and legal jobs available with shark conservation groups. If you instead like information technology, there are also plenty of jobs in shark research that requires IT skills. You can help create software systems to support and monitor the efforts of shark biologists. There are also plenty of opportunities for people interested in engineering. Engineers work with shark biologists to create devices to help study sharks like tracking devices, sonar equipment, and other crucial pieces of hardware.
What If You Don’t Want To Go To School?
If you aren’t interested in going to school or do not have the time, you can still work with sharks. There is a lot of opportunity for people to work in shark tourism that don’t have specific degrees. You can do everything from setting appointments, working as a boat mechanic, or even taking people out on shark dives. Shark tourism is also a growth industry as it becomes more popular as a way to attract tourists while also promoting shark conservation. Therefore, there are a lot of opportunities to work with sharks in shark tourism.
What If You Just Want To Try It Out?
You may love sharks, but what if you aren’t ready to commit to a full career in sharks. Don’t worry, there are some great ways to get some experience working with sharks. The best way is to look into volunteer programs. There’s a huge variety of volunteer programs to work with sharks that range from support shark biologists in field research, to helping shark conservation groups raise money or promote awareness, to even helping environmental cleanup of shark waters after a disaster. So look into some shark nonprofits and university programs, see what opportunities are out there. Then you can try out working with sharks before you commit fully to a career with sharks.
For many people, working with sharks is a dream come true. There are some really great careers out there, no matter what your skills or interests. So if you love sharks and can’t get enough information about sharks, why not consider working with them? There’s nothing better than turning your biggest passion into a fun and fulfilling career.
