Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment
School of Natural and Built Environments
School of Natural and Built Environments
Year of Graduation: 1999 (Graduated from Honours in 2000)
Current Employer: National Parks and Wildlife Service
Northern Territory
Current Job Title: Senior Park Ranger
Honours: Yes
Most memorable experience on the degree program: Travelling
around outback South Australia interviewing pastoral station
managers for my Honours thesis
How has your degree helped you in your current job?
My degree has given me a broad understanding of the many different
facets of land, natural, cultural and human resource management. I
have not necessarily retained all of the knowledge that I was
exposed to during my studies but I understand concepts involved in
park and natural resource management. I am able to converse with a
wide variety of specialists and experts in many different fields and
participate in many different exciting resource management
activities e.g. scientific research studies on flora and fauna.
Broadly, the ability to undertake research and prepare well written
reports and documents is one of the most valuable skills developed
through a university degree.
What do you do on a daily basis?
This is one of the hardest questions a Park Ranger is ever asked. My
job is very diverse and changes everyday. Daily, I have to manage
the hundreds of visitors that visit the Park. This ranges from
monitoring visitor numbers through various traffic counters,
undertaking patrols of the Park, conducting surveys, preparing and
delivering interpretation programs, maintaining the campground and
picnic area, sign maintenance, law enforcement, walking track
maintenance and patrols and emergency responses such as search and
rescues. On a broader scale, I am responsible for managing minor and
capital work projects and repair and maintenance programs and
budgets, ensuring the development and maintenance of suitable
visitor infrastructure and services are provided for visitors.
I also assist in the organisation of and participate in a number of
natural resource management programs including feral animal and weed
control programs, regular freshwater crocodile surveys and
monitoring of species of conservation significance such as the
Gouldian Finch.
Fire management is an important task in park management and I assist
in the development of action plans as well as carry out controlled
ground and aerial burning to strategically protect the conservation
values of the Park as well built infrastructure and assets.
Cultural management is also an important. This ranges from liaising
with the traditional owners of the Park to maintaining rock art and
other significant sites.
Much of my work managing visitors and natural and cultural resources
involves planning, mapping and database development and maintenance.
As a Senior Park Ranger, I am also responsible for liaising with
stakeholders and preparing numerous reports on projects and work
undertaken on the Park, managing finances and budgets, as well as
managing staff and assisting in their training and development.
What is most challenging about your role?
One of the most challenging things about being a Park Ranger is
working in a political environment. As a Ranger, I am passionate
about my role in protecting natural and cultural resources and
providing quality visitor experiences. However, it can be
frustrating trying to deliver these services to best practice
standards when we rely on government funding that is constantly
being reduced, as well as have to cope with decisions made by people
who have different agendas and priorities.
What do you enjoy most?
Location, location, location. Working as a Park Ranger has allowed
me to travel to and live in some amazing corners of Australia, from
the semi-urban parks of the stunning Dandenong Ranges and the
Adelaide Hills to the wild west coast of South Australia and now I
live on park at a remote site in the Northern Territory (Leliyn,
Nitmiluk National Park). As a Ranger, I get to visit and experience
places that most people will never see.
What helped you get this position?
I only ever wanted to be a Park Ranger so I began working towards
achieving this goal when I was still in high school. Participating
in work experience and volunteer work is crucial to gaining
experience and skills that are sought by park management agencies.
Volunteering and work experience also demonstrated the level of
passion and commitment that I had about being a Ranger to
prospective employees. It also allowed me to develop networks and
contacts that exposed me to opportunities that I would otherwise not
be aware of. These networks and contacts also made it easier and
more enjoyable when I started full time employment as I already had
friends and support in National Parks and Wildlife. But at the end
of the day, it is the people with the qualifications, skills and
experience that will get the job.
Do you have any advice for students about career progression?
Be prepared to start at the bottom and to go to the places where no
one else will go. If you only want to work in a capital city, give
up now. Most Park Ranger positions and many other natural resource
management jobs are based in regional areas and sometimes very
remote areas. And the more you are prepared to move around and show
that you have different experiences from different places, the
further your career will go.
Can you describe your first recruitment process?
My first formal recruitment as a full time Park Ranger was for
National Parks and Wildlife South Australia. I was required to send
a CV as well as a written response to a job and person
specification. Applying for positions with any government agency is
a notoriously long process and it took nearly six months before I
was told I had an interview. Interview panels for most Park Ranger
positions are made up of a panel of three people and always have
both men and women. It is common for interviewees to be asked to
arrive up to an hour before the interview so that they can be given
the questions and have some time to prepare responses. It is also
common to be given a task or a problem and be asked to present a
solution demonstrating their own skills and experience. For example
in my first interview I was asked what things would need to be
considered in the preparation of a recovery plan for the Southern
Brown Bandicoot in Belair National Park. In another interview, I was
asked what issues I would need to take into consideration and what
actions need to be taken before taking volunteers to a remote work
site.
What was your first week like in your first job?
Overwhelming but exciting. I couldn't believe I had the job I had
always wanted. Starting a new job as a Park Ranger anywhere can be
scary but my experiences have always been positive. Rangers are very
friendly and supportive people and will go out of their way to help
new Park Rangers adjust. We are especially supportive of graduate
Park Rangers because we understand how overwhelming it can be to be
faced with the challenges of remote living and the acquisition of
new skills and experience.
Did you receive any positive/constructive feedback from your
recruitment process which would help other students?
It is essential in an interview that you do not just demonstrate
that you know about or understand issues but that you can include
examples from you own experiences. This is why it is essential for
graduates to have some exposure though work experience and volunteer
work before graduating. A degree on its own will not get you the
job.
How structured was your training and what did it cover?
When someone first begins work as a Park Ranger, there are areas of
training that are provided straight away as they are essential for
the job eg First Aid, 4WD training. Training continues on an as
needs basis and is often determined through a process known as
Performance Management. Performance Management usually occurs every
6 - 12 months and is a process that involves Rangers and Supervisors
reviewing the past performance of the Ranger and identifying what
skills and training are required for that Ranger to best perform
their job and progress their career.
What advice can you give to students currently studying?
There is a lot of competition out there for Park ranger and other
natural resource management jobs. When you graduate, you will not
only be competing with people from you class, but people from other
universities and possibly even graduates from previous years. Do
something extra. A university degree alone will not get you the job.
Do some volunteer work and work experience. Even consider doing
honours (you'll learn as much in that year as you did in your entire
degree). Employers are looking for the people with that little bit
extra because that little bit extra demonstrates true commitment,
dedication and passion and those people make the best Park Rangers!
