WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been applying for a weekend position in the zoo's education department. I've applied twice over the past year, and got interviews both times. This past time was a couple months ago, and she told me that the ONLY reason I wasn't hired was because the other candidate was a volunteer in their department, so she had the animal care experience in the department (so she wouldn't need much training...not to mention when you volunteer in a department and qualify for a position, you do get priority, for good reason!). She said I ought to volunteer and get the experience, and apply again when the position comes open this winter.
Well, my car broke down then so I never got around to volunteering. I will still volunteer when I get a car, I just don't know what department I want to volunteer in now.
Well, a couple weeks ago I was having a rotten morning, then I checked my email and saw that I had a flipping JOB OFFER in it! For the same position, just their person who was going to leave in the winter is leaving earlier than expected, so they need someone now.
Anyway, weekend before last I had a working interview that went well and I had a blast, and today I filled out paperwork. I should start training next weekend!
It's a perfect position. It's every other weekend so I can keep my current job (though I'd still like a different "day job"). It has animal care, office work, and education work, so it's a good mix of things so I can get experience in a variety of areas. I'm seriously considering going into zoo education instead of plain zookeeping, so it's good experience in the department so I can learn if I really like it or not. And I get to do keeper chats, which I LOVE! I did a mock keeper chat in class last year (interestingly, my teacher then is my boss in this position) and I had so much fun with it, and everyone loved it.
I have missed the zoo SOOOOOOOOOOo much, I'm so thrilled to be back! I worked there in high school for a summer doing a research project and volunteered for 4 years in the African Veldt area, but other than classes and a couple weeks volunteering "off the books" last year, I haven't had much involvement since late 2009. Last fall when I started the Zoo Science program at university, my now-boss and the volunteer coordinator pretty much said "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!" :rofl1:
So, yeah, I have a major happy. And I just got my student aid refund, so I can get a car as soon as I find one!
I've been applying for a weekend position in the zoo's education department. I've applied twice over the past year, and got interviews both times. This past time was a couple months ago, and she told me that the ONLY reason I wasn't hired was because the other candidate was a volunteer in their department, so she had the animal care experience in the department (so she wouldn't need much training...not to mention when you volunteer in a department and qualify for a position, you do get priority, for good reason!). She said I ought to volunteer and get the experience, and apply again when the position comes open this winter.
Well, my car broke down then so I never got around to volunteering. I will still volunteer when I get a car, I just don't know what department I want to volunteer in now.
Well, a couple weeks ago I was having a rotten morning, then I checked my email and saw that I had a flipping JOB OFFER in it! For the same position, just their person who was going to leave in the winter is leaving earlier than expected, so they need someone now.
Anyway, weekend before last I had a working interview that went well and I had a blast, and today I filled out paperwork. I should start training next weekend!
It's a perfect position. It's every other weekend so I can keep my current job (though I'd still like a different "day job"). It has animal care, office work, and education work, so it's a good mix of things so I can get experience in a variety of areas. I'm seriously considering going into zoo education instead of plain zookeeping, so it's good experience in the department so I can learn if I really like it or not. And I get to do keeper chats, which I LOVE! I did a mock keeper chat in class last year (interestingly, my teacher then is my boss in this position) and I had so much fun with it, and everyone loved it.
I have missed the zoo SOOOOOOOOOOo much, I'm so thrilled to be back! I worked there in high school for a summer doing a research project and volunteered for 4 years in the African Veldt area, but other than classes and a couple weeks volunteering "off the books" last year, I haven't had much involvement since late 2009. Last fall when I started the Zoo Science program at university, my now-boss and the volunteer coordinator pretty much said "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!" :rofl1:
So, yeah, I have a major happy. And I just got my student aid refund, so I can get a car as soon as I find one!
