Information on careers in Life Sciences is available from many sources, including the WU Career Center in Umrath Hall. Many specific resources are listed here; in addition many professional societies can provide specific career information. Consult science journals published by professional societies for the addresses of the societies. The internet is also an interesting source of information, especially from governmental agencies and universities (see http://www.furman.edu/~snyder/careers/careers.html). Also note that information from most of the sources listed in this handbook is available in the Natural Sciences Learning Center.
The most abundant employment opportunities (both locally and nationally) for an individual with an A.B. degree in the life sciences are provided by university and industrial biomedical research laboratories. Several hundred entry-level positions in such laboratories are open each year in the St. Louis area alone, and experience of Biology Department faculty members who have sought to fill such positions in recent years suggests that the demand for well-prepared research assistants frequently exceeds the supply. In addition to the many Biology Department graduates who have established long-term, satisfying, and rewarding careers as research assistants in the St. Louis area or elsewhere, there are a number each year who use such positions as a way of 'taking a breather' for a few years after college, to reassess their career goals, and decide whether they wish to undertake more advanced studies in graduate or professional schools.
The level of responsibility, independence and salary that one enjoys as a research technician depend strongly on one's training and experience, of course; but they also vary with the type of laboratory. A position in a large medical research lab, or an industrial research lab, frequently will provide a significantly higher starting salary than one in a small basic research lab. But the latter may provide more opportunity for rapid advancement in responsibility and independence--let us say, from starting technician, to senior technician, to 'lab manager.' (One should not expect, however, that in any of these situations one will be free to work on projects of one's own choosing that are unrelated to the interests and goals of the director of the laboratory; but one can expect that with time and demonstrated ability there will come increasing opportunities to plan, execute and interpret experiments designed to achieve the director's research objectives, and perhaps to supervise the work of others within the research group.)
If you think that you might be interested in such a position in the future, probably the most important single thing that you can do now in preparation is to get some experience in a research lab - either through a part-time job during the academic year, a summer job or internship, or by enrolling in Bio 200 or 500. The first reason that this experience is important is self-assessment: does a research lab really provide the kind of environment in which you think you could be happy spending a significant portion of your life? The second reason for seeking such experience is to improve your competitiveness: few things would weigh more heavily in your favor as an applicant for an entry-level research position than a letter from a former supervisor stating that during your college years you have already demonstrated your ability to function effectively and responsibly in a research lab.
In addition, however, if you wish to keep this option a viable one, you should seriously consider selecting courses that will help you develop 'marketable' skills and knowledge. As just one example among many, the Laboratory on DNA Manipulation (Bio 437) provides practical experience with recombinant DNA techniques that many potential employers would consider extremely valuable. Among the many advanced courses that the Biology Department offers, ones that provide particularly good theoretical and/or practical background for various areas of biomedical research include (not in order of importance, but in the order listed in the catalog, and with those that provide relevant kinds of laboratory instruction underlined): Vertebrate Structure (311), Vertebrate Development (312), Endocrinology (3151), Molecular Mechanisms in Development (3191), Intro. to Cell Biology (334), Principles of the Nervous System (3411), Intro. to Neuroethology (3421), Microbiology (349), Comparative Vertebrate Physiology (4011), Lab. of Neurophysiology (404), Immunology (424), The Cell Nucleus (434), Lab. on DNA Manipulation (437), General Biochemistry (451), and Lab. in Protein Biochemistry (4522). In addition, training in the use of computers and/or laboratory work in the Department of Chemistry beyond that required for the Biology degree would be highly regarded by many potential employers
When ready to seek employment you should visit the Personnel Offices of the major industries, universities and medical schools in the city where you wish to be employed. Check newspaper ads and bulletin boards as well. Identify labs that interest you (graduate school announcements are useful here) and write asking the professor for an interview, even if there is no immediate opening - one thing may lead to another. If this option is of interest, start establishing contacts and put your resume on file during the Christmas and/or spring breaks of your senior year.
For a current listing of research positions at Washington University Medical School, check http://medinfo.wustl.edu/~wumshr/
There is no specific agency that serves as an outlet for positions in ecologically-related areas, so the job seeker must consider a wide variety of approaches. An A.B. in Biology, strengthened with some ability in programming, chemistry, artistic capabilities, business background, etc., does have a relatively wide range of job opportunities, which will vary seasonally and geographically. On the local level, commercial enterprises such as specialized gardening outlets, pet shops and exterminators should be investigated for beginning-level management positions. Environmental consulting firms can be a prime target for graduates with experience not only in biology, but in geology and environmental studies. Other local institutions, such as zoos, botanical gardens, museums, parks and ecological preserves, can offer opportunities leading to advancement. Research universities and industries producing products that have ecological consequences hire persons as research assistants or higher. Both federal and state agencies devoted to ecological issues (U.S. Fish & Wildlife, Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior [National Parks], Department of Agriculture [Forestry Service], State Conservation Departments, etc.) hire trained personnel to fit their specific needs. There are internships, particularly federal, which give the appointee an opportunity to become familiar with the interaction of government with environmental issues. Many recent graduates in this area have entered the Peace Corps (http://www.peacecorps.gov).
Applicants will have to use their ingenuity to locate the positions outlined above. The local telephone directory should be consulted to obtain phone numbers and addresses of federal and state agencies located in the applicant's community. Other potential employers probably will be more dispersed, so the applicant will need to canvass his/her local possibilities through telephone directories or intimate knowledge of local organizations.