By Ambar Maldonado Rodriguez, PhD student at McGill University

Last year, I had the opportunity to participate in offshore Arctic fieldwork for the first time as part of the sample collection portion of my research project, with the goal of collecting skin and blubber biopsies of free-ranging sperm whales and northern bottlenose whales. This was an incredible opportunity that not only motivated me but also taught me a lot about Arctic marine fieldwork and fieldwork seasons in general. As a graduate student in ecology, field work is often a very relevant portion of our projects, so I wanted to share some of my experience and any tips I could give to future students engaging in field work soon. 

1. Be prepared to work long and inconsistent hours

Unlike work in an office or lab, where you may have an established work routine with set hours, working in the field is often longer and more intensive, as you’re trying to maximize the work you get done in a short amount of time. Often, you will have time constraints relating to sunlight hours or adequate weather conditions. This also means you might get longer breaks than you are used to on other days, which should give you a good chance to recover and be ready for the next workday.

2. Know that plans might change and allow for some flexibility

While field work usually involves a lot of planning and scheduling ahead of time, the nature of this work is unpredictable, which can lead to changes ranging from minor adjustments to the plan to a full rescheduling of dates. I would recommend having a few buffer days after your field work is supposed to end where you don’t make any big plans, just in case things get pushed back for whatever reason. 

3. Ask questions!

Whether the people you are working with are doing similar work to you or not, field work is always a great opportunity to expand your network, meet amazing people with shared interests, and learn about other interesting research going on. As students, we’re often still figuring out what path we want to take after grad school, and hearing about the work other people are carrying out is a great way to get motivation and expand your interests. 

4. Offer help and show initiative

Often times when working in the field, people have assigned duties and responsibilities. This doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t offer a helping hand to others once your tasks are done. As I mentioned earlier, the field can be a tiring environment, and feeling support from your peers is important for keeping up morale in the team. Sometimes you will be the one offering help, and other times you will be the one receiving it. If you see that something needs to be done and you can do it, then do it! This will help finish all tasks faster and also show that you’re a valuable person to have in the field, which can help out when seeking opportunities in the future. 

5. Be tolerant and respectful of others

Field work can be quite tiring and under certain circumstances, the pressure of the work could make people around you a bit stressed and tired. Always remember to be respectful of other people’s space and be tolerant in certain high-stress situations. 

6. Talk to people that have done similar work before

While most of these tips/experiences should be applicable to different types of fieldwork, it’s always best to discuss with your supervisor and fellow students who have engaged in similar work and ask them about their experiences. This should give you a good idea of what to expect and allow you to prepare for the specific environment you will work in. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions on this, most people love sharing their field work experiences and will be happy to help out. 

7. Enjoy it!

A classic piece of advice but so true! Field work offers amazing opportunities to work with your study species/environment and visit wonderful places. For a lot of us students, it will comprise only a fraction of our degrees and so it’s a good chance to explore as much as you can and get some motivation on the amazing work we get to do, make the most of it!