A surprising number of paid jobs in wildlife and conservation are never advertised.

Some evolve through volunteer posts, while most existing vacancies are filled by personal contact or word of mouth. And to be the person they contact requires networking.

For example, if you are interested in a career with whales and dolphins, join both the European Cetacean Society, based in several countries in Europe, and the Marine Mammal Society, based in the United States. Both organisations hold regular conferences, open to all members, and this is the perfect way to find out what is going on in the marine mammal world and to meet many of the active professionals in this highly-competitive field. Many students attend such conferences primarily to find voluntary or paid, short-term or long-term employment – and there’s no doubt that more than a few succeed.