Ecologist to conservation scientist
An ecologist already meets 70% of what the conservation scientist role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.
47.4/ 100
1 How much of what a conservation scientist is expected to do is already part of an ecologist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the conservation scientist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A conservation scientist role treats 40 of its required skills as things an ecologist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply for research funding
- apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities
- biology
- business management principles
- communicate with a non-scientific audience
- conduct research across disciplines
What stands in the way is 12 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 45 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A conservation scientist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an ecologist background worth leading with.
- already held measure trees information skills
- already held identify plants characteristics handling and moving
- already held educate people about nature communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held ecosystem management business, administration and law
- already held forest ecology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held develop environmental policy management skills
All 45 carried skills, including the 40 the conservation scientist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 29 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn advise on nature conservation required
- still to learn conduct educational activities required
- still to learn educate the public about wildlife required
- still to learn manage contracts required
- optional, not held advise on tree issues optional
- optional, not held liaise with cultural partners optional
- optional, not held negotiate land access optional
- optional, not held present exhibition optional
- optional, not held support volunteers optional
- still to learn reforestation required
- still to learn sustainable forest management required
- optional, not held agroforestry optional
- optional, not held climate smart agriculture optional
- optional, not held conservation agriculture optional
- optional, not held forestry regulations optional
- still to learn geographic information systems required
- still to learn animal species required
- optional, not held geography optional
- still to learn coordinate educational programmes required
- optional, not held conduct sediment control optional
- optional, not held direct an artistic team optional
- optional, not held manage forests optional
- optional, not held supervise forestry workers optional
- still to learn estimate duration of work required
- optional, not held manage forest fires optional
- optional, not held inspect trees optional
- still to learn respond to enquiries required
- optional, not held conduct erosion control optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a conservation scientist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 advise on nature conservation practise this
- 02 conduct educational activities practise this
- 03 geographic information systems study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 45 skills that carry over
- already held apply for research funding skill
- already held apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities skill
- already held biology knowledge
- already held business management principles knowledge
- already held communicate with a non-scientific audience skill
- already held conduct research across disciplines skill
- already held demonstrate disciplinary expertise skill
- already held develop environmental policy skill
- already held develop professional network with researchers and scientists skill
- already held disseminate results to the scientific community skill
- already held draft scientific or academic papers and technical documentation skill
- already held ecology knowledge
- already held ecosystem management knowledge
- already held educate people about nature skill
- already held environmental legislation knowledge
- already held evaluate research activities skill
- already held habitat restoration knowledge
- already held identify plants characteristics skill
- already held increase the impact of science on policy and society skill
- already held integrate gender dimension in research skill
- already held interact professionally in research and professional environments skill
- already held manage findable accessible interoperable and reusable data skill
- already held manage intellectual property rights skill
- already held manage open publications skill
- already held manage personal professional development skill
- already held manage research data skill
- already held measure trees skill
- already held mentor individuals skill
- already held operate open source software skill
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held promote open innovation in research skill
- already held promote the participation of citizens in scientific and research activities skill
- already held promote the transfer of knowledge skill
- already held publish academic research skill
- already held scientific literature knowledge
- already held speak different languages skill
- already held synthesise information skill
- already held think abstractly skill
- already held write scientific publications skill
- already held write work-related reports skill
- already held apply blended learning skill
- already held chemistry knowledge
- already held forest ecology knowledge
- already held perform project management skill
- already held teach in academic or vocational contexts skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- still to learn use ICT resources to solve work related tasks required
17 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held advise on tree issues optional
- optional, not held agroforestry optional
- optional, not held climate smart agriculture optional
- optional, not held conduct erosion control optional
- optional, not held conduct sediment control optional
- optional, not held conservation agriculture optional
- optional, not held direct an artistic team optional
- optional, not held forestry regulations optional
- optional, not held liaise with cultural partners optional
- optional, not held manage forest fires optional
- optional, not held manage forests optional
- optional, not held negotiate land access optional
- optional, not held present exhibition optional
- optional, not held supervise forestry workers optional
- optional, not held geography optional
- optional, not held inspect trees optional
- optional, not held support volunteers optional
47 held skills the conservation scientist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on environmental risk management systems skill
- not needed by the target role agroecology knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse ecological data skill
- not needed by the target role analyse environmental data skill
- not needed by the target role animal biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role apply conflict management skill
- not needed by the target role aquatic ecology knowledge
- not needed by the target role assess contamination skill
- not needed by the target role assess environmental impact skill
- not needed by the target role assess environmental impact in aquaculture operations skill
- not needed by the target role biosecurity knowledge
- not needed by the target role botany knowledge
- not needed by the target role carry out training in environmental matters skill
- not needed by the target role conduct ecological research skill
- not needed by the target role conduct ecological surveys skill
- not needed by the target role conduct environmental surveys skill
- not needed by the target role conduct fish mortality studies skill
- not needed by the target role conserve natural resources skill
- not needed by the target role control aquatic production environment skill
- not needed by the target role create training materials skill
- not needed by the target role deliver online training skill
- not needed by the target role develop aquaculture strategies skill
- not needed by the target role develop management plans to reduce risks in aquaculture skill
- not needed by the target role develop outreach training plans skill
- not needed by the target role develop strategy to solve problems skill
- not needed by the target role employ habitat survey techniques skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
- not needed by the target role ensure the safety of endangered species and protected areas skill
- not needed by the target role environmental policy knowledge
- not needed by the target role fish anatomy knowledge
- not needed by the target role fish biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role hydrology knowledge
- not needed by the target role identify training needs skill
- not needed by the target role manage aquatic habitat skill
- not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
- not needed by the target role manage environmental impact of operations skill
- not needed by the target role manage environmental management system skill
- not needed by the target role manage habitats skill
- not needed by the target role manage land resources permits skill
- not needed by the target role molecular biology knowledge
7 further entries not listed here
9 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn geographic information systems required
- still to learn reforestation required
- still to learn sustainable forest management required
- still to learn animal species required
- optional, not held agroforestry optional
- optional, not held climate smart agriculture optional
- optional, not held conservation agriculture optional
- optional, not held forestry regulations optional
- optional, not held geography optional
Common questions about this move
Can an ecologist become a conservation scientist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An ecologist already covers 70% of what a conservation scientist is expected to do: 45 skills carry over, 40 of which the conservation scientist role treats as required.
What skills does an ecologist need to become a conservation scientist?
12 required skills are missing, plus 17 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is advise on nature conservation.
How hard is the move from ecologist to conservation scientist?
Its learning distance is 47.4 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.