Nut Seeking Job

When people in this town see my résumé, they must be thinking:

“What an absolute nut job!

What kind of person spends a decade traipsing about after birds, sleeping on the ground, camping out in desert washes and rainforest clearcuts? Surveying for extinct species on active volcanoes? Moving from job to job every few months - 12 states in 9 years? Federally certified to use rifles and chainsaws?

I can't let this person work in my office. She probably smells."

In the past, I could proudly present my scientific achievements, like authorship on a cutting-edge paper entitled: Monophyly of terrestrial adephagan beetles as indicated by three nuclear genes (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Trachypachidae). And that's not all - I have a whole list of fascinating published works and professional presentations that my colleagues would drool over. Okay, so I didn't exactly receive a standing ovation when I presented "Quantifying broadleaf management targets for songbird conservation in timber plantations" last year, but I do recall a solid round of applause.

And then there's my graduate degree. I mean, who wouldn't be thrilled to hire a "MASTER OF SCIENCE" !

But I can't help but feel something has been lost in translation. I'm used to wooing employers who need me; employers who find my unique fusion of skills highly alluring and impressive.

Around here, this kind of résumé apparently gets special treatment: fast-tracking to the "round file."

And honestly, I get it. For my entire working life, I've been focused on one ambition. I've become a specialist. If you're looking for a bird bander, here I am! Need scat and feather samples from the owl nest in that burrow? No problem! Wondering about the abundance and species composition of waterfowl in that wetland unit? Stand aside, I've got my scope right here!

I've got a serious case of "the specialist's dilemma":

"Animal species reside on a scale with “generalist” on one end and “specialist” on the other. Specialists thrive when conditions are just right. They fulfill a niche and are very effective at competing with other organisms. They have good mechanisms for coping with “known” risks. But when the specific conditions change, they are much more likely to go extinct. "  http://www.futureblind.com/2011/07/generalists-vs-specialists-and-the-specialists-dilemma/

I faintly hear the death knell of my specialization. Or is that a ferry arriving in port? But never mind that. I CAN do other things! I'm intelligent, capable, and not afraid to get my hands dirty! I’m ready for a new challenge... really, I am. I'm not into making a name for myself, I just want to earn a decent wage contributing to the community in a meaningful and fulfilling way. Let's see what's in the Jobs section of the weekly town paper, the Petersburg Pilot... I'll find the perfect job and these employers are going to LOVE ME! I know it!

Four jobs advertised this week:

Hmmm... I already submitted applications for some of these last week, and never heard back...

Well, I hear they'll hire just about anyone at the fish cannery. That should take care of my smell issue.