Biologists are interested in all the aspects of plant and animal life, including their origin, their development, their life processes, their function and structure, and how they interact, relate to, and affect their surroundings, and the earth in general.  They study life in its natural habitat, in controlled environments, and in research labs.

Biologists work in research laboratories, in nurseries, zoos, wildlife sanctuary, in the wild, in food and drug operations, in colleges and universities, and in government agencies.  Biologists work in environments all over the world in an attempt to understand, and then make use of their findings.  Some of these environments are clean and comfortable, and others may be untidy, uncomfortable, unclean, and even unsafe.

If you want to get a job as a Biologists, you must be curious, patient, and attentive to detail.  You must have an analytical mind, a passion for learning, and be able to work either in isolation or as part of a team.  You must be a good problem solver and have good communication skills.  It also pays to be able to speak well and persuasively.

Biologists may choose to specialize in on or more of many areas.  There are plant biologists, forensic biologists, marine biologists, evolutionary biologists, molecular biologists and microbiologists, and well as many others.  Some Biologists concentrate on research, while others may devote their lives to environmental issues or writing or teaching.

If you become a Biologist, your duties will vary, depending on where you work and your area of specialization.  All Biologists are involved in some degree with research and the analysis of research material.  You will write reports on your findings and may be involved in passing this information along to the public as it relates to potential extinction of species, or potential problems and dangers.  You will constantly pass on your knowledge to the rest of the scientific community.  You may take part in fundraisers, prepare budgets, and supervise junior staff members.  You may care for wildlife in captivity or be involved in its preservation in the wild.  You may study hereditary traits and help develop new disease resistant species of poultry or cattle.  You will always be observing, evaluating, recording, and working to understand existing situations and solve problems.  Biologists must continue learning throughout their careers.

Education

If you are still in high school and are interested in eventually getting a job as a Biologist, you should take all the course you can in biology, zoology, chemistry, physics,and mathematics including statistics, as well as English, and computers.

It would be wise to get all the experience you can out in nature.  Get a summer job, or volunteer in a zoo, wildlife sanctuary, game farm, greenhouse, veterinary office, laboratory, or anywhere that you can learn more about the science of biology.

All Biologist have at least a Bachelors’ degree.  If you combine this with an internship in the summer months, there will be entry level positions available to you.  For some research positions at least a Masters’ degree is required while for higher research positions and University teaching positions, a Phd is needed.  If you are serious about making Biology your career, get the best education you can.  Combine a good education with sufficient experience and you will be able to advance to the highest positions in research, management, and administration, as well as full professorships.