Career Path of a Community Science Coordinator at Sonoma Ecology Center
Maria's career progression exemplifies a strategic approach to career building, "look[ing] for opportunities that aligned with what skills" needed for the next step. This proactive method, starting with an internship and progressing through various roles—camp, well site, research assistant, and outreach coordinator—demonstrates how acquiring job-specific skills systematically led to Maria's current position as a Volunteer/Community Science Coordinator.
Career Development, Job Search, Networking, Skill Development, Career Planning
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Maria Maurico
Volunteer Coordinator/Community Science Coordinator
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (Sonoma Ecology Center)
California State University - Sacramento
NA
Biology & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Climate, Environment and Sustainability
Video Highlights
1. Proactively seek experiences that build relevant skills for your future career goals.
2. Consider each job not just for income, but for the skills gained that will benefit future job applications.
3. Develop a step-by-step career path, using skills from each role to progress to the next, more advanced role
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
A big thing I did to set myself up for my career was looking for opportunities that aligned with the skills I wanted to gain from the experience and just looking one step ahead. So if you're getting a job while in college, what skills are you going to get from that job that will reflect to the next job you want to have?
It's not just a job; the skills you learn from that job will need to work for the next job you're applying for. Kind of doing a step-by-step approach, one step ahead, worked really well for me.
I started off as an intern with Camp, and then those skills helped me get a job at The Well. From The Well, those skills helped me get a job with the Bushy Lake Eco Cultural Restoration Project. Then those skills helped me work as a research assistant and go back to working for Bushy Lake as an outreach coordinator. All of those skills worked together to get the job that I have now.
I'm very new to getting into this industry, but I think a lot of people should consider always getting a job that will provide the skills you want for your next job.