Do something you like. My son grew up seeing me work as a wildlife technician. He knows it doesn't pay much, and he knows there aren't many jobs in the field, but he has decided this is what he wants to do. He'll be graduating from college and looking for a job soon. Since there's so much competition for wildlife technician jobs, I recommended that he try for an internship rather than take an earlier graduation. That's what anyone interested in these jobs ought to do--volunteer with a vet, help with nuisance animal removal, spend time with farmers and learn about agriculture--all of that looks good on your resume. From Tri-County to Clemson, I use everything I've ever learned to do my job.

When I was in school, I didn't know you could get a degree in natural resource management. Now, I tell students to talk to their guidance counselors, to figure out what they want to do after high school or where they want to go to college.