Young Conservationists Have To Wait Tables To Make Ends Meet

In a sector where volunteering and long stints of unpaid internships are the norm, highly trained young conservationists struggle to make ends meet. They often take up jobs such as waiting or babysitting to pay their bills.

Nika Levikov, who holds a master’s degree in conservation science from the prestigious Imperial College London, is in over $100,000 debt and still works a “casual” job at a small NGO whilst also waiting tables.

“The reality many of us face is that we will have to babysit, clean toilets, and serve drinks as we try to gain the experience we need in conservation to finally get that dream job,” said Levikov, a former intern at Mongabay, who just turned 30.

Serial unpaid internships, debt, short-term work for little or no pay, dismissive attitudes, and entry-level job requirements that include expectations of considerable field time and experience are a reality for thousands of graduates like Levikov.

“I’m not blaming anyone for my current situation in which I am utterly broke and still crossing my fingers that in the near future my career will finally take off,” she told Mongabay. “Indeed I was wrong in thinking that all my hard, unpaid work would lead to something or that having a degree from a … highly-respected university would give me a leg-up.”

As the world is going through a vast ecological change, the lack of professional jobs and proper salaries in the sector also plagues the global conservation efforts.