Marine conservation expeditions are a great way to gain hands-on practical skills in the field and add valuable experience to your CV. Despite this, many of us have doubts about joining these projects and feel lost about whether it is the best way for conservationists to gain experience. Feeling unsure is understandable! The cost, the planning, and stepping into the unknown can all make you pause before committing to a project.
If you’re considering taking the plunge into an expedition but feel a little adrift, we’ve gathered some essential things to consider feeling confident when approaching an expedition!
1. Career direction:
One big benefit from completing an expedition is its ability to help shape your career direction. Maybe you are a student or someone looking for a change in career, either way, make sure to think about whether you know what direction you wish to take. If you are not sure what direction you hope to take your career in, then it is worth looking at broader scope expeditions, where you can try lots of different things! In comparison, maybe you have a clear idea and could look at more specific projects within your interest.
Just as an example – maybe you want to gain experience in order to work with sea turtles, however this could take many forms, such as:
- Sea turtle rehabilitation
- Wild population tagging or data collection
- Sea turtle nesting monitoring and protection
- Outreach and education about impacts to sea turtles
Make sure the expedition will offer the experience you require or a broad enough project for you to try multiple areas of the field.
And hey – there is no such thing as bad experience as long as you put the effort into it! Even if you decide to take a different direction after the expedition, you can still show to employers that you have taken the time to invest in your skill set.
2. Networking opportunities:
Just like the well-known saying ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. Networking is a big part of working in marine conservation. If you show your commitment during an expedition, then it could open up different routes for you to continue to gain experience or break into your career. The team running the expedition will get to know you on a deeper level and should be more than willing to give recommendations should you need them for future applications.
Alternatively, you might meet other like-minded individuals who you can learn from or collaborate with.
Make sure to consider:
- Staff member to intern / volunteer ratio – whilst it’s good to meet new people, you also want to be able to get as much time as possible to get practical experience which could be limited with larger group sizes.
- Staff member background and expertise – make sure that the team will be able to cover what you want to learn, whether it’s specific knowledge or survey technique, make sure this is something they are familiar with before committing.
3. Certifications or licences:
Most expeditions will revolve around being in the ocean. This can be a great chance to get scuba diving / freediving certifications or boating licences. Whilst these are not always necessary to become a marine biologist, some jobs do require certain certifications when hiring. Being able to complete your licences during your expedition means not only can you obtain the qualifications but also put your new skills into practise in a conservation scenario. Maybe you get your scuba diving qualification and can then complete coral surveys whilst diving – double the experience!
If this is something you would love to achieve during an expedition, then keep in mind:
- Costs – with most certifications, there is a fee necessary to complete the course. There is also the cost of the equipment, transport and insurance to cover, so make sure to check what is included. This could make the expedition costs higher, however if this is your interest then it would be worthwhile.
- Top tip: have a look at the costs of diving in the location you wish to do your expedition in. You will likely find that your expedition will give you multiple dives a day and equipment as part of the fee for a cheaper price than if you were diving in that area on a holiday – plus you are getting all the extra experience and knowledge as well!
Of course, if you do not wish to obtain any qualifications during your expedition, then make sure to look at options on land or snorkel based.
4. Testimonials:
A final way to get a better understanding of whether an expedition is right for you is to find out from others who have completed it themselves. Most expeditions will share testimonials on their websites or social media. However, if you can’t see any, try to contact them and find out if you can hear from someone who has been through the experience before.
In particular, try to find out about:
- What they gained from the experience
- If they would recommend it
- Whether the expedition has led to any further opportunities
- Anything they wish they had known before they went
Most expeditions should be more than happy to put you in touch with previous interns but be wary if they do not wish to share any testimonials.
Overall, the decision about whether you should do an expedition comes from you, however we hope that these have helped you think a bit more about what you would like to gain should you decide to join an expedition.
To find out about some of the WiseOceans team experience with expeditions, read our previous blog highlighting their personal experience:
We hope this guide gives you an insight to the advantages of undertaking a fee based expedition. For more tips on building a career in the marine sector, check out the other posts in our WiseOceans Autumn Blog Series.
