Animal based jobs

[lauraECFan]

I am hoping to work with animals in the future as it has been my lifelong dream anybody else that love animals and want to work with them or already do work with them

[foundit]

You might also be interested in working with small children. They are so forgiving most of the time. I work with special needs children and really enjoy my work. The parents give me good feedback, they say I am patient, see them as people not disabilities, and really care.

I have found that goats, chickens, some horses, and other barnyard animals are easier to work with than dogs and cats. Much more soothing unless you get a high spirited or injured one. Maybe consider applying at a horse stable for starters.

[lauraECFan]

I mainly want to work with exotic animals e.g giraffes, snakes and such

[AlleyCat]

Laura- if you want to work with exotic animals, then it would be a good idea to see if you can do some voluntary work at a zoo, wildlife park or safari park. Probably the only way to get into this kind of work is to do that. However, it might not be that easy getting to do this depending on where you live and the availability of transport.

Foundit- I agree with you that working with children (particularly special needs) ought to be a good option for people with dyspraxia. I still want to work with children, but have had huge problems with some of the other adults in different places I've worked, as they seem to form prejudices about me very early on because of things like the motor issues I have when I speak (which I can't do much about, or I wouldn't have dyspraxia). One of my strengths is supposed to be that I am patient, but the head of the last school I worked at (which ironically was a special school) scoffed at me for saying that during a slagging-off session in her office at which she had demanded to know if I thought I had any good qualities! I'm sure I could have a fulfilling career working with children if I found the right place, but if there's any member of staff who early on decides to gossip and bitch about me behind my back, it's really difficult for me to get past that.

[foundit]

AlleyCat- that's awful that you had to work with awful adults! I'm so sorry. It's sometimes difficult to find a positive work environment. It has taken me awhile to find a place where people not only accept me as I am, but embrace what I bring to the work setting. People can be so cruel. I have dealt with bullying in the workplace and demanded to transfer. I know that's not an option for most though.

[lauraECFan]

I have done voluntary work in manor house wildlife park owned by Anna Rhyder Richardson for a year. Very hard job but very rewarding

[Jim]

Polictics, games and bitching seem to be a intergal part of any work place. Much of society has a fondness of it's own point of view and isn't often good at appreciating the other perspective.

I personally have little appetite for the polictics, games and bitching and I actively try to keep out of it. But unfortunately no matter how hard you try, sometimes it'll find you.

Although I've been lucky to be in continuous full time employment I do know too well what it's like to be in the recieving end of flak and other people's nonsense.

In my first full time job, an apprentice mechanic (great choice for a Dyspraxic I hear you cry) I was under massive pressure from day one. Everyone before they even met me decided that I was supposed to be clever because I had an A Level on my CV. And because I was supposed to be clever they didn't take to well to me being "slow" "cack-handed" "timid" etc. I was rarely out right bullied there, although I was subject to the usual environmental teasing and practical jokes that all junior staff get lumbered with. But I was never really supported by anyone on the shop floor, and I was aware of the gossiping and slagging off of me behind my back. Eventually the stress got to much and I had to leave to avoid mental break down. But I stuck at it for over 2 years.

My next job was at a small plastics recycling plant, got the job because my father worked for the co-owner. As a job it was as depressing as it could get... repetitive manual labour in all weathers. No prospects, no incentives nothing to enjoy. The kind of place that naturally has people who can't get work elsewhere. It was an income though, so I took it on. Unbeknown to me at the time 2 of the incumbent staff.. As entertainment to themselves had a bet between themselves to who'd be the first "to break me". So.. I'd get all the new boy stuff.. Making tea duties, all the worst jobs, all the initiation practical jokes. But I simply "plodded on" and eventually bored of "trying to break" me much of the immaturity toward me stopped and I was reluctantly accepted. One of them gave up trying to break me and turned on his "mate" instead and succeeded and really relatively quickly. As difficult to break as I was.. Eventually after over 2 years the depressingness of the work and the relentless childish behaviour of others wore me down and I could take it no further.

I then got a job where I am now, in a mental health hospital, my mother works for the same trust and she brought home a mock interview paper and talked me through it. My first interview was in front of the managers of three different wards, and apparently they had an argument about who was going to offer me the job because they all wanted me, but in the meantime I had a second interview with a neighbouring ward and got offered the job on the spot. I've never been bullied there.. Yet the red tape and beauracy is amazing. The petty gossiping, bitching, politics is forever rife. Although in 8 years I've done well to avoid most of it.. I do have to conclude that I've been indirectly inconvenienced by nearly off of it to the point that I'm unfairly discriminated against. Not by way of design.. But simply to shut others up who persist in pushing the boundaries to their own favour. I'd end up with unfavourable shift patterns, overtime would be given to others or simply assumed I'll do it, without first asking me, development opportunities would pass me by.. All the kind of things that should not happen in a organisation that claims to be an equal opportunities employer. The stress of it is taking it's toll though and I've decided that enough is enough and the main players of these politics will have their wings clipped.

I've decided that I'm no longer going to the proverbial doormat for others to wipe their feet on.

[AlleyCat]

I've decided that I'm no longer going to the proverbial doormat for others to wipe their feet on.

Good for you, Jim. I'm not sure what it is you're going to do to stop them doing this, but I hope it works out well for you whatever it is. I agree with most of what you said about how we can be treated at work, even when it's an employer who wants to be seen as 'accepting' of people with disabilities. What you said about being passed over for development opportunities is what's happened to me, both when I've disclosed dyspraxia and when I haven't. It's as if people's prejudices lead them to automatically assume that we're less capable. It's also possible that people become blinkered to seeing what we are actually good at once they know we've got dyspraxia.

[Jim]

What I'm going to do is to stop automatically covering other people's inconsiderateness (or incompetence) and concentrate on my own tasks instead of worrying about other people not doing theirs. If they can't be bothered to work then they can explain to the boss why it's not done. Furthermore I plan to be less flexible and stand up for my rights to fair and equal treatment more.

Those who wish to play political games will find the buck passed back into their direction and these people will soon learn that an employers "reasonable adjustment" in being flexible towards staff must not be at the expense of equality for others. The amount of times in the past I found myself on long stints of the worst shifts, simply because others refused to do their fair share. If that happens in the future I'll complain to HR and point out their obligations in equality.

I am working together with my boss to increase the onus on personal responsibility more at work, because we're sick of the few carrying the many. I've helped to implement auditing systems which identify work not done (or not done properly) and by who. We intend to use this as a tool to get the lesser productive members of staff to up their game.

The reason being that you can't expect slackers to improve when they're covered by people taking on their work load for them.

Those with genuine difficulties will be supported in meeting the core standards, with training etc. Those who simply can not be bothered will find themselves being taken down the disciplinary routes.

[lauraECFan]

There is always at least one person who has it in for you when you have a job. If I know of someone who doesn't like me I just say to myself let them think what they want and then just get on with it

[PhilB]

I'm hearing you there Jim...

That sounds very much like a typical healthcare environment to me! I've never worked in the field, but my wife is (or rather was) a doctor - so I've heard it all from the perspective of the spouse. To me it beggars belief that the NHS, an organisation set up to look after the health of the nation, is so oblivious to the health needs of its own staff. It really is appauling so much of the time.

I have heard from the wife that the politics/culture at ground level varies from hospital to hospital and in many cases from ward to ward. Some places are brilliantly and hugely supportive, others intimidating with bullying rife. However, the higher level administration has almost universally been appauling. Everytime she started a new job it took them a couple of months to get the pay right, and when she had periods of poor health she was treated as an inconvenience and pushed to take a career break (as that would have been easier for them than providing any kind of support as they were legally obliged to do - and I don't mean ambiguously either, she was openly told she should take time out).

I think that in many respects the frontline staff are far too obliging as well. If the staff drew a line in terms of the treatment they would tolerate, and basically refused to work beyond those limits, the higher level management would be in for a shock.

[LuluBoo]

try kennels or there are plenty of apprentiships in animal care available
depending on your experience with horses I would steer clear of being a stable hand (i tried and it was a disaster )

[Tim G]

I would try and see if you can do some volentory work with zoos, stables, dog or cat boarding etc. As I am sure your aware a lot of animal jobs is more about mucking out and cleaning but just starting on a volentery level can at least show your interested and could help towards a job.
Have you tryed doing dog walking and sitting as there can be a demand for dog walkers its ad-hoc but something to do with animals and some money.

Have you thought about doing some training in the sector you want to go in - e.g. vocational collage courses, apprenticeships etc

regarding work politics, unfortunately you will get it in all places and some are worse then others (office for example) and some more harassing and forward (i.e. manual based jobs). I have learn't the thing to do is just get your head down, graft, stand up for yourself and try to ignore it, as long as your working hard then no one can knock you for that and that alone is more lickly to get you accepted.