Anna (8 jobs in 3 years)

Written by Anna Kenny

Last year I nearly gave up on a career in conservation. 

But now I am back at a job I love, one that is permanent. I want to write this as an encouragement to others to be persistent, keep going when it is tough, and assure you that you are not the only ones struggling in the industry. It’s unsettling to be constantly jumping around temporary jobs, jobs that were low paid or unsustainable in terms of work-life balance. I felt embarrassed when an employer looked down the long list of jobs on my CV that had only lasted 4-6 months. Now, I look back and see that every one of those jobs had a part to play in bringing me to where I am now. Each job was a stepping stone where I made connections with others in the industry, gained skills and grew as a person. 

So what had occurred to make me nearly give up on conservation work? Well, here is my story. 

After 5 years of university which included an MSc in Biological Photography and Imaging, I felt like I was all set for pursuing my dream career of environmental photojournalism and travelling the world, telling untold stories of conservation work. 

Then, the 2020 COVID lockdown happened as I was just completing my Masters and applying for jobs. Being accepted for a 2-year outdoor instructor training programme with a Christian activity centre was a dream come true. Waking up in the Scottish borders and learning various outdoor skills, I quickly decided that an outdoor career was what I wanted to pursue. As a Christian, I wanted to show others the beauty of creation and encourage people to protect nature. 

However, lockdown 2.0 arrived just in time for Christmas 2020 and the activity centre shut for an extended period of time. Not knowing when lockdown restrictions were going to lift, I decided to leave the training programme just 3 months into the 2 years I was planning to be in Scotland. I was gutted and jobless, living at my parent’s house in Northern Ireland. I applied for every conservation and outdoorsy job I could find all over the UK and kept doing sport to maintain my sanity alongside growing my photography portfolio and doing a handful of art commissions. 

Every job interview resulted in the same response: not enough experience. But how was I to get experience during lockdown when all volunteering groups had been shut down? 

After 4 months and 200 job applications, I landed an incredible job I hadn’t even considered at university. Working on the Dorset Coast as a beach ranger. Although it was temporary, the job was a foot in the door, working with an amazing team, outdoors, on the beach and I learnt so many new skills. While working here I fell in love with the Dorset coast and outdoor conservation work and I also met my husband!

As the job came to an end, I started another temporary job, followed by another. One was my dream job as a conservation ranger. I wanted it to be permanent so badly but, like many jobs with charities, they can’t always guarantee funding to make roles permanent. 

So last year, I accepted that there perhaps was no such thing as a permanent conservation job in the outdoors, located at my new home in Dorset that offered decent pay and a decent work-life balance. I felt like this wasn’t much to ask for but apparently it was. 

For 4 months I took a step into tree surgery, thinking there was more permanency and stability and that it was an opportunity to learn a new skill in an outdoor role that I would enjoy. I had my chainsaw ticket, plus, I love trees!

Unfortunately, the trainee role was lacking in support, it was intense, and I was disheartened to be told I wasn’t working hard enough after giving it my all. I missed the fulfilment of a conservation role and working alongside like-minded people who would also stop to marvel at the world around us. 

I left the tree surgeon job during an intense period of planning a wedding together with my husband in just 3 months! I am so thankful for my supportive husband, who is a gardener and understands a bit of what it is like to work in an outdoor industry. At a point, I had not only nearly given up on conservation work, but also on employers and so I decided that I would pursue the dream of doing my own photography and artwork as a business. Taking 2 part-time jobs as a seasonal engagement ranger and as a bat surveyor, I not only had time to reset my focus and start my business, but I also met tons of lovely like-minded people in the part-time conservation jobs I took. This reignited my passion for conservation work and my trust in employers.

By the end of the Summer, I was knackered to say the least, doing both late-night bat surveys and early-morning ranger shifts alongside business development. However, I’m so glad I had the opportunity to step back into the conservation sector and to reanalyse what I wanted in a job. I decided the thing I would prioritise when looking for the next job was not just the role, pay or contract type (although these things are important), but to analyse the team and organisation. I wanted to prioritize working for an organisation that was ethical, supportive of its staff and people-focused rather than just nature-focused. 

In September 2024 I found a permanent warden job with an organisation that I was seeking to work for. I work with people who are nature-focused, who collaborate well and who support each other. I no longer dread going to work like I did occasionally in the past and the job is fulfilling, varied and outdoors. As it is a stable role, I can also focus on continuing to grow my creative business which I want to use to encourage others to explore, value and protect nature. 

Looking back, I can see that all the little twists and turns in changing jobs worked together as part of a bigger plan. Without COVID, I would never have worked on the beautiful Dorset coast and I would never have met my husband either! Having stepped out of the conservation sector for a short period of time, I now appreciate the opportunity to work in conservation so much more than I did before. I have enjoyed meeting so many like-minded people along this journey, being inspired by other passionate conservationists and learning from them. I feel privileged to be in a position at work to support others in training as conservationists and volunteers and help deliver practical habitat management for unique species of wildlife.

As a Christian in conservation who has experienced many of the struggles people typically find in the industry, I can say that God can do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20) and “that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-5). If you are struggling in your career as a conservationist, take heart and persevere because there is a greater plan for you. You are part of making a difference the world that both people and animals live in.