The essential guide for anyone planning a career in wildlife management and conservation.

Working with wildlife can be a thrilling adventure steeped in the wonders of the natural world, but entering the field demands a strong personal commitment. With proper training and guidance, students can transform themselves into competitive applicants and forge successful careers. This book reveals the best way to become a wildlife management professional.

Becoming a Wildlife Professional is the first comprehensive book to describe the entry-level jobs available for the next generation of wildlife biologists and conservationists. Scott E. Henke and Paul R. Krausman include detailed chapters on how students should prepare for a vocation in the wildlife profession while offering pragmatic advice about applying for and obtaining a job. The core of the book presents more than 100 diverse career options that are available to aspiring wildlife workers, including work in biological field research, forestry, rehabilitation, ranching, photography, and refuge management. It also details each position's educational and technical requirements, challenges, salaries, and opportunities for advancement.

Bringing together useful advice from a range of seasoned experts who actually hold these jobs and have used these techniques to secure employment, Becoming a Wildlife Professional conveys important philosophical messages about the responsibilities and challenges of a career in wildlife conservation and management. This how-to manual is an essential text for wildlife science students interested in making themselves marketable for employers across a wide spectrum of wildlife jobs.

Chapter Author Contributors: Rick Baydack, Jessica L. Blickley, Monika Burchette, Shawn Cleveland, Kristy Deiner, Kelly Garbach, Ashley R. Gramza, Jim Heffelfinger, Scott E. Henke, Fidel Hernández, Serra J. Hoagland, Jessica A. Homyack, Winifred B. Kessler, Holley Kline, Lianne Koczur, Michel T. Kohl, John L. Koprowski, Blaise Korzekwa, Paul R. Krausman, Iara Lacher, Mariah H. Meek, Kelly F. Millenbah, Karen E. Munroe, Kerry L. Nicholson, John P. O'Loughlin, Lindsey Phillips, Lauren M. Porensky, William F. Porter, Terra Rentz, Nova J. Silvy, Kelley M. Stewart, Marit L. Wilkerson, Eric Winford. An additional 52 wildlife professionals describe the work of the profession. Published in association with The Wildlife Society.

Scott E. Henke is a research scientist and Regents Professor at Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and Texas A&M University–Kingsville, where he is the chair of the Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences. Paul R. Krausman is an emeritus professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona. The past president of The Wildlife Society and the recipient of the 2006 Aldo Leopold Memorial Award, he is the coeditor of Wildlife Management and Conservation: Contemporary Principles and Practices and Essential Readings in Wildlife Management and Conservation.