Cannot get a job...

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What jobs are you applying for? There's a big difference between applying for 40 entry level positions with on the job training versus applying for 40 high level positions with an expectation of a decade or more experience in the field.

And do keep in mind that every job hunt is a string of "No"s followed by a single "Yes". In a bad economy, forty applications isn't unheard of.



I've sold on Blurb and Etsy, and can say first-hand that the online book market is insanely difficult to break into, as is the online craft market. There are typically a scant handful of truly successful sellers, thousands who move one or two pieces a month, and tens of thousands who never move anything at all. Both of these require a level of self marketing and social networking that borders on the appalling. I hope you don't judge your own success by your Lulu and online craft sales. If you do, I'll be equally crushed because my sales were abysmal.



I work in a research field. Not environmental science, but I've touched on that field enough times to see the similarities. Your success in a research field has absolutely nothing to do with people buying what you are selling. I'm doing pretty well in the research field. My Blurb and Etsy sales were horrid. They're two completely different things (thank goodness!)




Oookay...

For starters, understand "freelance" often equates to "starving" unless you're at the top of the game. Practically every book I've read about writing states very very clearly: Don't quit your day job. The same is true of most craftwork. When I was on Etsy I was selling photographic prints. You know the old joke? What's the difference between a professional photographer and a large pizza? A large pizza can feed a family of five! (Badump bump...) All joking aside, it's very very hard to make a living that way. The people who do are typically exceptional in more than one way.

But to get back to research...

Research begins in academia. If you're not there already, it's a good place to go. Get a degree in the field or it will be very very hard to get a job in that field. If not, get a degree in a related field. Some fields related to environmental science are: geography, geology, botany, agriculture, veterinary medicine, mathematics (everyone uses statistics), and computer science (everyone builds computer models.)

Another route is to look at other skill sets that researchers would need to call on. GIS and remote imaging are big ones in the environmental science field. Aerial imagery is often taken from satellites, but it can also come from various aircraft, or some other means. Holding a private pilot's license or being a good aerial photographer would make you a valuable addition to a field team.

You mentioned writing. This is one area where many fields are lacking, not just in research. Unfortunately it's also one of the most undervalued skills out there. At several jobs I've begged for one good technical writer on the team, only to be told that the people doing the job should be able to write about it. ARGH! No no no! A good writer is worth their weight in gold. Not everyone sees it that way. But try that angle, anyway. Offer to take field notes. Offer to co-author and edit papers for publication. Whatever it takes.

Research groups based at a university will typically hire from a student pool, or through the university's hiring system. Students are often hired from word of mouth because they are taking classes from someone associated with the research group. Not so good if you're not inside the university system already. But jobs posted to university employment sites are all fair game. Apply at will.

Also look at commercial companies outside of the university setting. At one point I saw a statistic that more than half the archaeologists employed in the US work for outside companies, not for universities. Pull out a phone book. Get your resume together. Give some places a call. Even if they're not hiring, express interest in getting your foot in the door. Research communities are typically really really small, and word will get around that there's someone out there looking. It's sometimes surprising to a researcher to find that their field is interesting to someone who's not already in that line of work. Ask questions of them. They can provide you with the best answers.

When it comes to putting together your resume and cover letter, mention those six blogs! Mention the science texts you've already written. Offer them a writing sample, especially if that's your angle for getting into the field. Show this time in your resume so that it's not seen as a gap in activity. An employer doesn't like to see big gaps in employment any more than they like to see long strings of jobs lasting only a few months. But if you state up front that you were making a go at being a freelance writer, and that you have the following works to your name, that sets a completely different tone. It becomes a plus.

Keep going at it.

Cashier, floor mopper, retail, you know... entry level positions.



That would be funny if I was fertile and planning on having kids... but I am not...



will do!