Interview with a Kentucky Forester

ForesterBlog.com

Interview with a Kentucky Forester, from LatPro.com

Considered working as a Forester? This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story as told to LatPro.com for its “What They Don’t Teach” series – a collection of interviews with Hispanic and bilingual professionals from a Key Accounts Manager to a Senior Events Planner, and everything in between.

I have worked in Kentucky as a consulting forester for the past five years. The primary job of a consulting forester is to work with landowners and advise them on the best forestry practices for their land. The daily life of a forester changes throughout the year since different jobs need to be done in different seasons. Believe it or not, a great deal of the work takes place in the winter. This is mostly because it is easier to walk through a forest when the underbrush is leafless. In the winter, a forester will typically be "cruising timber." This is the jargon term for taking inventories of a forest to determine what species are present and how much timber is available. Other parts of my job involve writing contracts for timber harvests, submitting forms to the government, and trying to improve the forests I manage.

I am a white male, and we make up the vast majority of foresters. Plenty of women and minority foresters exist, though, so anyone who is interested in the field should not be discouraged. Knowing a foreign language is not required to be a successful forester, but knowing other languages can be a huge benefit. For example, Spanish is a plus when working in Texas or Arizona, and knowing basic French is often a requirement to work in Maine or Canada.

Overall, I would rate my job satisfaction a 7 out 10. Being a consulting forester means that I am self-employed, so keeping a steady stream of clients is crucial to running a successful business. Increasing my job satisfaction would mean being able to find more clients and grow my business.

Even though I graduated college prepared to be a forester, one of the hardest parts of the job was learning how to be self-employed. It takes a great deal of responsibility to properly manage your finances, and this isn't a topic that is taught in a forestry curriculum. If I had a second chance, I would try to take one or two finance and entrepreneurship courses in college.

I think that the driving factor in me becoming a forester was my love of the outdoors. Even when I was young, I loved science and knew it was what I wanted to pursue. During my first year of college, however, I studied molecular biology. I soon discovered that I wasn't made to work in a lab every day, and I wanted to have a chance to work outdoors. That was the point when I discovered forestry and began to understand how exciting it was. In terms of my education, I can't say that I would change anything. I feel I made the right choices, and I love the job I have today.

Working in the forest means every day is another opportunity for a unique experience. I wouldn't call any of my experiences strange, but I have had the chance to see several rare plant and animal species. One of the best parts of my job is that, since I often work on private land, I am able to see beautiful scenery that few people will ever experience. While I deal with relatively few problems, being a forester involves working in all types of weather and dealing with unpleasant plants and animals. I dislike spiders the most. Successful foresters must be able to put their love of the outdoors over the less enjoyable aspects of the job.

The greatest part of being a consulting forester is the ability to set your own hours and, to a certain extent, your income. The salary of a forester ranges depending on workload and location. As a forester in the southeast, I earn approximately $45,000 per year. Considering my freedom and responsibility, I am happy with my income.

The most rewarding part of my job comes from interacting with landowners. All of my clients own forest land, but very few are familiar with the forest. I love having the opportunity to discuss my clients' land and teach them what I can about it. In my experience, forest owners love to learn more about the trees in their forest and how the ecosystem works as a whole. I have also had the chance to speak at workshops and teach short courses in different aspects of forestry.

Two options exist for individuals interested in forestry as a career -- technical colleges and universities. Earning a degree from a technical college will take two years, and the student will be prepared for all aspects of forest management. Most states have at least one four-year university that offers a forestry curriculum. These programs require more courses in math and science, and the graduate will be prepared for higher level forestry positions. When choosing a forestry school, it is important that it be accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Each year, the Society of American Foresters publishes a list of accredited programs.

For a friend or anyone considering forestry, I would suggest thinking about the educational requirements and whether working outdoors during all weather conditions is the right choice. From the educational standpoint, many people struggle in forestry programs because they do not expect to be challenged; however, learning tree species and understanding forests can be extremely difficult at times. There is also a fair amount of math, statistics, and chemistry involved.

I'm incredibly happy with the job I get to perform on a daily basis. I have always loved being outdoors, and now I get to explore nature for a living. If I were to choose my own destiny, then in five years from now I would be able to expand my business and work over a larger region. I would love to be able to hire more employees so that I could take a more managerial role. Managing my own company has always been one of my life goals. Overall, though, I love what I do, and I hope I get to do it for many more years.

-----