Hi I've recently completed my Master's in Robotics and would like to work at the intersection of conservation and robotics/ai. I was wondering if anyone had any leads as I would also be interested in field work. I have also attached my CV if anyone is interested in checking it out.
Dhruv_Pandit_Resume.pdf11 October 2024 9:48pm
Hi Dhruv,
Sadly I don't have any direct leads (unless you want to move to Cananda) but some feedback.
Keep in mind that the wildlife conservation is a very tiny market in terms of total investment. There are a handful of private companies in Europe that have engineering departments, as well as various institutions that hire technical roles. You should expect some general differences compared to other fields, such as defense. Wages will generally be lower and your teams much smaller, with broader fields of individual contribution.
There can be gatekeeping in this field and it can be difficult to make that initial breakthrough, especially if you don't have background in wildlife. Be on the lookout to volunteer and spend time on field conservation if you can. Doesn't have to be months unpaid internships, but do some citizen science days with local conservation groups. Most people will want to see some demonstrated passion for wildlife. As the market is small it is worth researching places that hire and try to make connections as you can.
Best of luck.
Jared Marley
Margo Supplies - Wildlife Technology