Are you yearning for a career change – but you’re not sure which direction to take?

If you enjoy the company of all things furry and feathered, perhaps you should consider a career that involves working with animals?

photo credit: Anthony Yin / Unsplash

Having pets (exotic or not) can give you a head start in this field, as can volunteering at a safari park or zoo, but it’s not impossible to take a walk on the vocational wild side if you’re starting from scratch.

If this sounds like a good fit for your personality and passions, here are five creature careers you should consider.

1. Zookeeper

Zookeeping must be one of the most rewarding careers available anywhere – it’s a rare privilege looking after some of the world’s most interesting and exotic creatures.

But there’s a lot of responsibility too – for instance no one wants to be the person who lets a tiger escape from its cage! A lot of training is required for this niche position, but it’s worth it!

Tip: read ‘Beasts in my Belfry’ by Gerald Durrell for a fabulous account of a new zookeeper’s experience!

2. Animal impersonator

Can you walk like an animal, talk like an animal and look like one – when wearing a suitable costume?

Sounds like you’ve got everything it takes to be an animal impersonator for a company like Disney – working in a theme park and entertaining kids as a beloved character can definitely be very fulfilling.

Tip: check our jobs.disneycareers.com for openings.

3. Pet Detective

If you’ve got a natural ability to sniff out clues, mark your territory with secret messages and find your way into wild nooks and crannies by following paw prints, you’ve got everything you need to become a pet detective.

With pet kidnappings sadly on the rise, this is a job that’s definitely in demand.

Tip: check out these Career Explorer pet detective career tips.

4. Police dog handler

Becoming a dog handler with the police, armed forces or a private security company can be a very exciting and rewarding job.

You’ll protect important people as well as preventing and resolving crimes – so it’s also a very worthwhile role.

Tip: you can become a police dog handler in the UK through an apprenticeship.

5. Vet

Becoming a vet isn’t easy. In Britain, you need to take a conventional medical degree first before specialising in treating animals.

But once you’ve been through your training, you can work in lots of exciting locations caring for everything from mice to elephants. You might develop a niche in unusual animals and establish your own practice – the sky’s the limit!

Tip: partnering with an allergy specialist like Avacta can enhance your practice offering.

As you can see, working with animals is an amazing career choice with lots of different vocational dimensions.

Choose which suits you best and have a whale of a time in your dream job!