Real world experience here, some may not want to hear it but here it goes: I have a BS in Forestry with a Minor in Admin of Justice, and a MS in Forest Mgmt. I graduated with my BS in 08 and my MS in 09. Terrible time to be fresh out of college and looking for work. I worked for the IL DNR, and enjoyed it but I knew it was a temporary thing. I was fortunate enough to be a head sawyer at a saw mill, then a TSI Forester for a forestry consulting firm. There was lots of work but hardly any money and long hot hours. And at the time, Obamacare wasn't a thing, so I didn't have many if any benefits. The feds did a lot of Full time-term or temporary forestry positions, but there was very few Full time permanent postings country wide.
I saw a chance to get hired on with the Feds (DOJ), and haven't looked back. I cut my teeth on the "killing grounds" of a US Penitentiary but I had to move to get into the fed system. It took a couple years and 3 moves to get home, but I finally got here. Now that I'm in the federal system, I qualify for all sorts of federal forestry jobs, but they don't pay much. I've nearly doubled my salary in 6 years where I'm at. I think I'll stay right where I'm at and get out with an early retirement as a LEO (at age 50) then go do something forestry related IF I FEEL LIKE IT.
When I transferred back home, one of my professors contacted me and asked me to come talk to his college class about life after grad school. I told him what I would say, and he said the kids need to hear real world experience. I told them a few things me and my brother (who the same degrees, but works for the state now) had learned:
1) Grad school is over rated. It makes you over qualified for darn near everything when employers are looking to get the cheapest man for the job. You are far better off to get a job then go back to school for a graduate degree.
2) If you like to work long hours for little pay in bad weather then stay in forestry.
3) Be sure to get a minor degree. Its not much, but its something to fall back on. I was a LEO before I went into college, but having a minor in Admin of Justice has helped me out.
4) If you can get a part time or term job with the feds, go for it. But always be on the lookout for other jobs. Term jobs can be for 2 years but they run out of money in 6 months (I've seen it happen more than once).
5) If you want to stay in forestry, you may have to leave for a while before you can get back home (or where ever you want to end up). The experience is what matters, not where. Fire fighting is a good foot in the door!
6) I've been all over the country working or training. You meet people in all professions, and I was surprised to see so many with forestry degrees but not surprised to see them working in some other field.
7) goes off #6, always remember your professional contacts! You never know when they can be of use.
Seems like most of you experience is with the govt. side of forestry. Someone already mentioned to me that that is not the best place to look for well paying forestry jobs.
I am not interested in law enforcement. I know and have talked to plenty, and I don’t think it’s for me.
My idea was to major in forestry and minor in wildlife biology. Look for an entry level forestry job and do that for a few years. Then look into a better paying job like a consultant or work with a lumber company.
I am planning to live in NY Adirondacks, I think there should be some good job opportunity there.