Overcoming a fear of commitment

Today is my first anniversary working for the Panda, more commonly referred to as WWF.  This may come as a shock to a lot of my co-workers who for some reason think I’ve been around for a lot longer than I have, but today does indeed mark one year since I first walked into WWF-Canada’s Toronto office.
Since I have been a student for the majority of my life, this is the longest I have ever had the same job. Up until now, it’s been a whirlwind of summer fieldwork, counting insects in labs, taking samples from lakes, cleaning up after various species of Ontario wildlife, cleaning up after various species of pets, cleaning up after various species of zoo animals – are you seeing a trend? I’ve loved it all and I must say I do miss those summer jobs.  However, I grew up with a WWF Panda sticker on my window and a burning passion for wildlife and conservation, and I can truly say that it is a dream come true working for this organization.

Photo Credit: Azza Taha

So much so that I’ve retired my grungiest fieldwork jeans (at least for now) and decided to stay a while.  People, especially friends from University, often ask me how I landed this job. So I’d like to give you my top three pieces of advice:
#3: Take the internship – You want to start making real money.  Trust me, I know. But there is no shame in an internship or volunteer position. My first two months here were unpaid as part of a Science Communication Graduate Diploma. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn and prove that you deserve that ‘real money’ job.
#2: Smile and be positive – Show enthusiasm and genuine interest in the work you’re doing and people you’re doing it with– they will notice.
#1: Don’t be shy – If I hadn’t picked so many brains during my internship here, there’s no way I would have found the opportunity that lead me to a permanent position. I was pleasantly surprised by the loads of advice, friendly encouragement, and growing list of contacts I received by knocking on the doors of people whose jobs I eventually want to steal…(uh oh, secret’s out!)
I have managed to surround myself with incredible, passionate people who care about conserving this planet as much as I do. To be perfectly honest, I did have to overcome a slight fear of commitment when I took this job because I love being outdoors, and a desk job is tough for me. However, I believe so strongly and deeply in this cause that there is nowhere I’d rather be. I hope to one day get back out there in the field (maybe still for the Panda!), but the amount I’m learning here and now is invaluable and absolutely inspiring. Thank you WWF.