The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is accepting applications for summer internships through Sunday. These internships, funded by sales of Game and Fish conservation license plates, let students gain hands-on training and experience needed to compete for a career in conservation.
Many recent college graduates in conservation fields often find themselves at a loss when applying for their first job because competition for careers in the field.
Ericka Maness, assistant chief of the Game and Fish human resources division, heads up the internship program.She said not only can students receive college credit for internships at Game and Fish, but they also can make very valuable contacts in the agency and partnering agencies while on the job for their future career search.
"It's also beneficial to see exactly what that future career in conservation looks like in the real world," Maness said. "And we're even paying you a salary while you're interning with us."
Maness said all interns will work for eight weeks, with specific working hours dependent on the division and location where they work.
"Every internship coordinator at Game and Fish is required to give the intern work similar to the job functions of other employees in their field," she said. "That may mean working on fish habitat projects, assisting with prescribed fire, helping monitor wildlife populations, giving presentations to visitors at nature centers or a variety of other meaningful and memorable experiences."
Prospective interns must:
Have a declared degree in a conservation or related field;
Have earned 60 hours of college credit by the time the internship begins;
Be enrolled as a college student, have graduated within the previous 12 months, or be enrolled in a post-graduate program.
Have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Selected interns will be responsible to coordinate with their college or university to obtain course credit for their work.
Applications should include a current resume, a one-page cover letter, a copy of college transcripts and a completed application form.
Visit https://jobs.agfc.com for more information on the internship program and a list of openings. Applications must be submitted by midnight Sunday.