A career in the industry.

[Ian Hall]

I have always been interested in exotic pets (Tarantulas mainly) and I want nothing more then to become apart of the industry, whether it been breeding, sales, or even enclosure construction.

If anyone can give me some advice I will be truly grateful.

I am serious and looking for a career with exotic animals.

All advice welcome!

[James Box]

unfortunately...as much as we'd all love to live and breathe the animals we care about (not literally...urticating hairs!) but sadly i doubt there is much money in this hobby! most of us if i'm not wrong use our day jobs to fuel our habits, and for those of us who breed...it's a nice bonus to get some dosh for the slings that can be sold, but it's not constant enough and not frequent enough to pay the bills.

PLEASE somebody contradict me, i also want a career like Ian says!

[Steve McIntyre]

Hi Ian and James, an obvious place to start would be a College or Uni course in animal care / husbandry (can't think of the proper name!) or a Degree in Zoology. 3 or 4 years of hard work but then you'll be able to get a job in most areas concerning animals and you can always specialise in T's, etc. You'll have letters after your name too! You can also do an Open Uni zoology course...Matt Baines is starting one later in the year, I believe. As for breeding/ selling T's, when you do it full time, it could stop the fun / interest that you obviously have now and become 'just another job' !

[James Box]

thanks Steve, i may just look into that!
good point about the "just another job" aspect as well, doubtless some fulltime traders feel that way at times!

[Clinton Hogben]

You can also do an Open Uni zoology course...Matt Baines is starting one later in the year, I believe.

Hi Steve would love to know which one?
I have been with the Open University for a few years now working towards a BSc (Honours) Information and Communication Technologies and have never found anything like that yet
the nearest is probably the BSc (Honours) Natural Sciences or the diploma in natural sciences but they do not realy go into insects/arachnids or creepy crawlies of any kind. But the OU has hundreds of courses so I may well have missed it along the way

Ian any recognised qualification would be good to have for a career in animal husbandry http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/ will give a run down of whats available at the moment with the OU. The other good thing about the OU is that it is that it offers loads of funding help for anyone on a limited income, in theory if you are on any income based state benefit of council tax benefit you can complete a whole degree course free of charge even if you are in work you can still get loads of funding to help with costs

[Ian Hall]

A zoology course sounds like a great idea, but I'm not having any luck with courses like that i leeds!

[Matthew Baines]

Funny you should bring this up as I am just getting all my documents together for my course to start in October. I am doing a degree in Natural science then hopefully move onto do a masters in something more arachnid related. Its all getting paid for me too as I am unemployed and a mature student. Plus i get all my stuff i need for my course for free too.
It is worth looking into if you are unemployed as it is getting harder and harder to find work and is better than sitting on your backside doing nothing and getting fat.

[lynn mawdesley]

Funny you should bring this up as I am just getting all my documents together for my course to start in October. I am doing a degree in Natural science then hopefully move onto do a masters in something more arachnid related. Its all getting paid for me too as I am unemployed and a mature student. Plus i get all my stuff i need for my course for free too.
It is worth looking into if you are unemployed as it is getting harder and harder to find work and is better than sitting on your backside doing nothing and getting fat.

Matt would you mind sending me the links to that course your doing please ...wouldnt mind having a bash at it myself

Cheers
Lynn

[Clinton Hogben]

Matt would you mind sending me the links to that course your doing please ...wouldnt mind having a bash at it myself

Cheers
Lynn

Hi Lynn
Its http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?Q02B16
BSc (Honours) Natural Sciences Code: B16

if you cant access it from that link go via http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/index.htm for all undergrad subjects then select environmental science and it will list options for certificates,diplomas and degrees in natural science

good luck with it the OU is a great community

[lynn mawdesley]

Hi Lynn
Its http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?Q02B16
BSc (Honours) Natural Sciences Code: B16

if you cant access it from that link go via http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/index.htm for all undergrad subjects then select environmental science and it will list options for certificates,diplomas and degrees in natural science

good luck with it the OU is a great community

Hi Clinton,

Matt had PM'd me it yesterday but thankyou anyway its defo something worth doing!

Lynn

[James Box]

cheers for posting the link, Clinton!

[Nicola Dolby]

Great one Matt. I'm doing 'Life Sciences' myself and having great fun! Start on Darwin next month. Go for it Lynn, you'll love it!

[Lisa Baines]

I'm doing photography at the OU this year but plan to do the natural sciences next year, hopefully branching out into something scorpion related.

need to do something, 6 years of bringing up the kids has turned my brain to mush lmao!

[Clinton Hogben]

Start on Darwin next month.

Hey great one Nicola, starting S170 Darwin myself in May as part of Cert in cont sci that I,m doing alongside my degree will catch you on the forums for that one it should be good