Noob questions

Weidii

Hey guys, your local noob here to ask a few - potentially stupid - quetions regarding palaeontology.

Basically I'm studying zoology and earth & ocean science in college (and planning on doing two years of primatology after too) but I'm not sure which path to take to get the best job. I'd love to end up on the ground for whatever I do, out getting mucky and hopefully travelling too.

Do you (collectively) know if there are still any jobs becoming available in palaeontology or what areas are under research? Is a job difficult to find? I'd even get into drawing/modelling dinosaurs from fossils (even though that's not the most adventurous job)

Basically, what, in your opinions, is the best area of palaeontology to get into?

Galvasean

Well if you want to be actively working in the field you will almost certainly need to leave Ireland. With your completed degree you should have no problem being accepted into a palaeontology course in the UK or the USA.

The Natural History Museum in London have a very busy palaeontology division. They fund many expeditions around the world.
USA and Canada also have very good palaeontology divisions, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Canada widely considered to be the best.

Of course even with a degree in palaeontology you will most likely start out on the bottom helping out on digs. However, persistence, hard work and admittedly luck will be what is needed to progress further.
Bear in mind some of the most spectacular finds of recent years have been made by trainees.

Best of luck!

Canis_major

Yup, but as with any academic career its gonna take hard work and a lot of knockbacks along the way.

http://www.palass.org/modules.php?name=palaeo&sec=careers

Have a look here, some decent advice.
If a certain job is what your after the oil industry are always looking for micropalaeontologists, depends on your love of conodonts /nannoplankton if its what ya fancy. Oh and the money is very good!
TBH, vert palaeo in particular dinosaurs are a a wee bit oversubscribed. In the states its hard not to trip over dino bones in places so you have people digging up bones from the time they are kids onwards. But if thats what you really want to do then by all means go for it, Just a matter of pluggin away till things fall into place.
Theres a world of other areas of palaeo than dino's tho such as palaeobiology, palaeoecology, taxonomy, taphonomy, morphometrics and biomechanics.
Have a look at http://www.earth-pages.com/paleobiology.asp good book and free!
Anyways, find out what ya like the most and go on from there. Might be an idea to talk with some of your earth science lecturers.

Weidii

Thanks so much for all the information guys.

I did actually talk to the resident palaeontologist in the college and he said that he might be able to get me in on a dig next summer, which would be fantastic! I'm a bit worried about it though, as although he's the most qualified palaeontologist in the faculty he actually works as a geologist when he's on site.

As for micropalaeo, I'm not studying microbiology so that might be a hinderance to me. I'm doing both vert and invert Zoo at the moment, so hopefully I can get into one of those. I know it would be tricky, but I would probably end up takin the road most travelled as it would be great if I could put my art skills to use in my job! (We did a bit of drawing dinos from just their bones in first year and it really gave me a taste for it)

Again, the information is much appreciated.