Becoming Qualified
Graduate high school with good grades in most subjects. To become a paleontologist, you need to first graduate high school before you go to college. In high school, you should try to do well in math and science, because a strong background in these subjects will set you up for better success as a student in college. To get accepted to a college with a decent science program, you need to maintain good grades throughout your years in high school.
Earn a bachelor’s degree in biology or geology. Many of the major sciences will work, but geology, biology, geography, and environmental studies are what paleontologists mainly work in. It’s important to have a strong background in the sciences, and therefore concentrate in both geology and biology. Ideally, a student should double-major in geology and biology. Another option is to major in one and take a minor in another. Take a balance of liberal arts, foreign language, chemistry, physics, and math courses. Calculus is required to enter most paleontology graduate programs, and it should be taken as early as possible in your undergraduate years. Courses that are most important to paleontology are mineralogy, stratigraphy/sedimentation, sedimentary petrology, invertebrate paleontology, ecology, invertebrate and vertebrate zoology, evolutionary biology, and genetics. You can find these at 4-year colleges.
Take classes to hone your computer skills. You can take basic computer courses in college to learn how to use word processors, learn coding, perform research, and use databases. Scientists use computers as tools for research, data collection, and communication. You’ll also need to communicate with colleagues, employers, and paleontological organizations through email. You need to know how to use satellite-based geographic information systems (GIS). This is used in managing databases for fossils and collections data. You’ll have to take classes in college to learn digital mapping.
Choose a sub-discipline in paleontology. Within paleontology, there are sub-disciplines for students to choose from. Review what courses the graduate program offers to decide on a sub-discipline. You should decide what to specialize in prior to entering graduate school. Take a variety of courses that reflect your specialization. For example, invertebrate paleontology requires a combination of biology, botany, environmental science, paleontology, and zoology courses. If you choose to specialize in vertebrate paleontology, you will take biology, marine biology, paleontology, and zoology courses. Another specialization to choose is bio-stratigraphy, the study of vertical distribution of fossils in rocks. You may choose paleo-botany, which is the study of plant fossils, especially algae, fungi, and land plants. You can also study proto-human and prehistoric human fossils in paleoanthropology.
Earn a graduate degree in paleontology. To pursue a graduate degree in paleontology, you need to take classes with an emphasis on paleontology such as integrative biology, earth and planetary sciences, and geography. Many universities do not have paleontology departments. Graduate students work with their faculty guidance committee to receive the training they need for their specialization. Individual universities have their own requirements for people seeking graduate degrees in paleontology. Searching a university’s website for the graduate programs is your best bet. One example is UC Berkeley’s program. They offer masters degrees in paleontology through their integrative biology and geography departments. For example, to qualify for an advanced degree in paleontology, you need to take courses from the geography, geology, and biology departments. These courses may include mineral sciences, zoology, evolutionary paleo-biology, structural geology, vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology, and so on. You can also study abroad through a variety of programs such as Geophysicists in Brazil, Geologists in Columbia, Petroleum Engineers in Bolivia, Petroleum Engineers in Romania, and Petroleum Engineers in Spain.
Gaining Experience
Participate in internships to gain field experience. After high school, apply for internships through paleontology organizations, universities, and museums. You can learn about internship opportunities through your university and through local natural history museums. Many paleontology organizations offer internships in paleontology, as well as nonprofit-oriented work. Keep up on searching for internships all year, because companies and organizations often post opportunities online. You can do a simple online search for internships in the field of your interest to start finding opportunities. For example, the Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute offers internships in fossil preparation, digitizing collections, education, grant writing, marketing and promotion, web development, and nonprofit management. It could be helpful to speak to a paleontologist at a local museum to tell you how to start collecting fossils on your own.
Join mentorship programs to train for a career. The Paleontological Society lists mentorship programs that are hosted by the Geological Society of America. These programs offer travel scholarships and grants, as well as a luncheon for undergrads and grads to meet faculty mentors. During the Paleontological Society Mentors in Paleontology Career Luncheon, grads and undergrads can listen to and speak to a panel of professionals about careers in paleontology.
Speak with professionals in your area to find new opportunities. Your college or university may have a paleontologist for you to pursue independent research with. There are also volunteer opportunities at local museums. You should speak with a professional in your field to answer your questions about what paleontologists do.
Take paleontology field courses for hands-on experience. The Paleontological Society co-sponsors a fieldwork course at the University of Georgia. Students who join the course can learn how to analyze the fossil record. Graduate students may also go to the Bahamas to research environments on San Salvador Island. This is offered by the University of the Bahamas Gerace Research Center.
Participate in paleontological digs whenever possible. Fieldwork looks good on college and scholarship applications. You may consider joining private digs through museums in states such as Utah, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. You can also join projects such as Passport in Time offered through the United States Forest Service (USFS) In high school, students should go to science summer camps based on paleontology. There’s a camp called Paleontology Research Team offered through the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Volunteer to help with paleontological research. The Center for Health Sciences offers a vertebrate paleontology volunteer program. You’ll learn how to collect data about ecosystems and climate change. Volunteers also learn about sampling techniques. Volunteers will learn how to make casts of bone and teeth and view them with an electron microscope. You’ll be taught how to install facilities for fossil preparation and learn to clean fossil bones.
Finding Job Opportunities
Look for industry jobs to survey and salvage fossils. A lot of work for paleontologists nowadays is in industries such as environmental consulting, highway construction, gas and oil pipelines, electric and phone lines, and oil and gas drilling. These jobs have high demand for paleontologists to survey and salvage fossils on federal, state, and tribal land construction projects. Environmental companies often take on these jobs and hire people with the training in fossil collection and preparation. A likely candidate for this type of work would have a master’s in geology or biology with paleontology fieldwork experience. When you apply for these jobs, emphasize your fieldwork experience in surveying fossils.
Search governmental paleontologist job postings on the Internet. Agencies that hire paleontologists include the Bureau of Land Management, the National Forest, and the National Parks and Monuments. While these jobs are outside of academia, you’ll still be utilizing your skills in paleontology, geology, and fieldwork It’s also a great path for anyone who is passionate about promoting preservation of public resources, such as fossils.
Find work managing museum collections as a curator. As a curator, you would be responsible for managing large collections of fossils, identifying new specimens, and using their database for cataloging fossils. Be prepared to write instructional materials and diagrams for museum displays. You may also need to be able to lift up to 30 pounds (14 kg). You’ll be required to assist in research, update computer systems, lead public tours, and train docents and volunteers. A Master of Science may be required, but they also accept PhD’s with the possibility of a higher salary.
Applying for Paleontology Work
Read job postings carefully to understand all requirements. Tailor your resume and cover letter to the job posting by paying attention to specific skills it lists and make note of them. Out of those skills decide the 3 most important based on your reading of the job description. For example, write a list of the job requirements that are in the job description, go over them, and pull out 3 that you believe are the most important to the job. Organize your resume based on those 3 important requirements. List those qualities first on your resume and explain how you have fulfilled those tasks in past jobs.
Write a clear objective statement on your resume. In the objective statement, state what your intentions are for the job you’re applying for. For example, “To discover, document, prepare, restore, and display some of the best fossils in the world for the best people in the world (my clients),” clearly and concisely states why this paleontologist does their job.
Organize your skills so that they match those listed in the job ad. Organize your resume into sections for education, research and field experience, teaching experience, computer skills, and awards and honors. For example, if the job calls for collections management experience, put that in a section that describes your research and field experience. For instance, an employer at a gas company may be interested in your fossil survey and salvage experience. Special skills may involve computer, paleontology and geology, and desktop publishing and graphics.
Discuss your fieldwork experience when you apply for a job. When applying and being interviewed by an employer, you should talk about digs you participated in, preservation work you’ve done, study abroad programs, and research you assisted or initiated. If applying for an industry job, reference any geology experience you have. For instance, if you’re applying as a museum curator, talk about anything you’ve done pertaining to managing databases and collections of fossils. If you have design experience, you discuss that, as you may need to create diagrams for museum displays. Be specific about research you’ve done if it pertains to the job. Emphasize your ability to interact with the public, because that may be a job requirement depending on the position you’re applying for.
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