I wasn't too impressed with my coworkers back in those days.
Among the things that, ill-advisedly or not, I volunteered for back in those days was to go to a high school for their career day. I had a half-hour segment blocked off, with the topic of "So You Want To Be a Zookeeper?" I put a PowerPoint presentation on a flashdrive, tossed a ball python into a pillow case (it had absolutely no relevancy to the talk, but I feel like when you go to something like this, you're expected to have an animal), and put on a clean uniform. Or, at least a uniform that started the day as clean. The talk wasn't until 1PM, after all.
I gave my standard talk about what it's like to be a zookeeper. The kids seem to enjoy it. They laughed, plenty of times - both with me and at me. They asked good questions. The snake was a hit, as it always was and always will be. Afterwards, I was chatting with the teacher while waiting for the next session to come in, when she hit me with a question that I hadn't been expected. "Was I trying to discourage the kids from applying?" She wasn't even a little angry or upset - more that she was slightly confused. So was I.
I guess that, unlike anyone else who spoke to her kids that week, I'd spent plenty of time talking about the downsides of being a keeper as I did the positives. I mentioned the fiercely competitive hiring process, the poor pay (I've generally gotten by ok, but I've also been very lucky in that I didn't start off with student debt), and missed holidays and time with friends and family. I was clear to point out the physical and emotional toll that the job can take on you. I distinctly remember highlighting the crazy turnover that I'd seen over the years.
"Zookeeping," I told the kids, "is a job that a lot of people think they want."
I guess everyone else was trying to sell their jobs, or convince the kids that they - the nurses, the bakers, the graphic design artists - were the luckiest people in the world. They weren't, I knew back then. I was. Still, none of them talked about the hardships of their job and why it might not be for everyone.
Zookeeping and aquarium jobs are not one-size-fits-all, everyone should sign up. No job is. Every job requires a trade-off, and it's a question of finding one that's in line with your passions, skills, interests, and abilities. Honestly, there are plenty of people who should not be keepers - including some who do become keepers. It wouldn't be the right fit for them - and, until they realize that, it wouldn't be the right situation for the animals under their care.
I doubt that anyone who is truly meant to be a keeper would be turned off the path by a little fussing from a grumpy old-timer at their high school career day. It might have spooked off a few kids who thought that they were going to play with animals all day. To them, I probably didn't make the job sound that fun. For anyone who was listening, though, the rewards would have still be evident.
No comments:
Post a Comment