Fist Full Of Fish

Read, learn, sit down with a friend and some cake. Click the categories to find organized lists of my posts. ° About the Author ° An Aspiring Trainer's Guide ° A Pod, A Raft, A School ° Post Intern Checklist

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to... Getting People to Do What You Want

How do you get people to do what you want? By this point you probably know how to get an animal to do what you want. You train it! That’s obvious. You might even be aware of how animals get us to do what they want (That’s another blog for another day).

(Snakes are deviously adorable hypnotists.) But you can’t follow people around with a whistle or a clicker and toss them a cookie every time they do what you want. I mean you could, but they’re likely to avoid you after a while. So what do you do? Well grab the minivan and kick off your shoes, kiddos! It’s time for a lesson in Verbal Judo!

Verbal Judo

For those of you that aren’t familiar with Verbal Judo let’s start from the beginning. Verbal Judo is NOT a form of martial arts practiced through the mouth. I repeat, it is not this:

(This will not persuade anyone to do anything other than call a doctor... and maybe the CIA genetics mutations division.) Verbal Judo is a method of communication first described in a book written by George J. Thompson, Ph. D. and Jerry B. Jenkins.

(Available on Amazon!) This book teaches a nonaggressive, persuasive and assertive approach to communication. This methodology of talking through conflicts is often used in police officer training. The book goes into length about many parts but we are going to focus on the 5 Universal Truths. And later I’ll touch on how you can pair these with “I Need” Statements to be even more successful. If you can remember these you’ll be well on your way to successfully interacting with co-workers, supervisors, interns, and one step closer to ruling the world! (Results may vary)

The 5 Universal Truths

1. All people want to be treated with dignity and respect.

When you want something from Mom and Dad, what do you do? Clean the house? Compliment dinner? Most of us are going to try to butter them up. We know that we are most likely to get something from our parents if we make them feel good. Put them in a good mood. When you treat people well you receive well results. What motivation would someone have to help you our if they don’t feel respected or even liked?

2. All people want to be asked rather than being told to do something.

Out of all the truths this one probably needs the least amount of explaining. Would you rather be told to clean the bathroom or asked? Would you rather be asked to eat 30 lbs of french fries or told to? People like to have their feelings considered. If you ask them you’re showing that you considered that they may not want to do whatever the task is. You’ve shown them that you care about them and they will be more likely to return that kindness because of it.

3. All people want to be told why they are being asked to do something.

A simple explanation of your motives and needs can help avoid these types of scenarios:

People wanna know the reason you want them to do something. It’s pretty fair when you think about it. “I need you to get ice.” “Why?” “We need it for the enrichment session at 1:00.” Perfect. No room for confusion. You don’t need to spend a lot of time on it but if you give someone a little more information they’re going to feel more comfortable helping you since they wont be wandering through the dark.

4. All people want to be given options rather than threats.

Everyone likes options! Make people feel like they have a choice and they’ll feel at ease. Allow people to do things in their own way or lay out several ideas for them to choose from. If you want someone to do something for you give them the opportunity to make it their own and do it their way. Yes some situations only have one way to be done but there are other ways to give options. Time is a great one. “You can do this now, or in 15 minutes.” A small variable, but options provide choice and comfort. Just ask anyone taking a multiple choice test they didn’t study for.

5. All people want a second chance.

How many times has that extra life helped you win a video game? How many times did your grade point average stay the same because of extra credit or redo test questions? Life does not offer second chances for everything. If it did we’d have far fewer reasons for time travel movies. If you really want someone to follow through with your desires you need to give them more than one chance to do it. Yes there are times when that wont work, but when you can, give them the opportunity to try, fail, and come back for more information and try again. It’s the same with training animals. If we ask for a behavior and they don’t meet criteria we’re gonna give them a second chance. We give them the benefit of the doubt that something out of their control happened. People deserve the same opportunity.

These five truths all relate to how you frame your conversations with people. If you cater your presentation with these in mind you can drastically increase someone’s desire to want to help you. Help you to help them to help you, so to speak. These are the ways people want to be treated. You got that. Now you need to know how to put it into words.

“I Need” Statements

People and animals are driven by a series of wants and needs. In the training world we often describe them and primary and secondary reinforcers. Primary being anything the animal needs to live: Food, water, shelter, opportunity for reproduction. Most commonly this take the form of food or “treats.” Secondary reinforcers are, well, everything else the animal might want (Or more accurately to say, find reinforcing). This might me rub downs, gelatin, balls, rings, high energy behaviors, etc. etc. The animal doesn’t need these things to survive but they’re nice to have when you can get them. Same thing applies to humans. Any young adult knows well the struggle between purchasing needs vs wants. “I need to buy groceries, but I really want to get my nails done.” Obviously the wants have more appeal to them in the moment but they’re usually far less practical.

When you want someone to do something for you don’t tell them you want it.

I know, I know. Stay with me here. As I just said, wants are not practical. They’re not necessary. Some, dare I say, are downright frivolous. Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, people know this.

This brings us to the point: “I need” statements. Regardless if what you want to ask is a need or not, presenting it as such can provide two main benefits: 1) People will feel a greater importance to your task if it is perceived as a need. 2) People will have the power to provide or deny you with a need. While people appreciate you catering to their feelings (Remember the 5 truths?) if you give them power it feels less like a chore and more like a mission. People like power. Ask any super villain. If you tell people you need something they’re going to feel like instead of you putting pressure on them to succeed you’ve given them power over you. Kind of twisted, I know, but really, it’s true. Look at these blatantly unreasonable examples and tell me which ones sound better.

“I need you to go sweep the entire stadium for 40 hours.”

“I want you to organize all 700 files in the office by name and color.”

“I need your keys so I can drive your car to work from here on out.”

“I want to change you to the night shift and for half the pay.”

Each of these examples is completely ridiculous and nobody would expect you to comply. But don’t the “need” ones seem somewhat more tolerable? It’s almost as if the person asking for these demands is doing so because of something out of their control. They can’t help that they need your car or that the stadium is dirty. You almost want to say yes because you know they can’t help their needs. It’s innate and natural. That’s the point. Even if it’s not a true need (When would you ever need to sweep for almost 2 days?), by framing it that way you trigger an empathetic response in someone and increase your likelihood to get the desired response.

It’s not always easy to get what you want. Especially from people. Free will is a thing after all. But action is based heavily on motivation. We see it everyday with the animals that would rather make googly eyes at the females or lie in the shade instead of work in the sun. If you work with positive reinforcement you know that primary reinforcers, the needs, are some of the strongest motivators. Remember that people are animals too and are motivated by needs and a desire for comfort. Remember the 5 Truths and use your “I need” statements to provide both emotional comfort and perceived power of needs. And if all else fails, you could always take up hypnosis.

You will read all my post.... all of them..... Sleepyyyyy....

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to… Types of Food Preppers

Food/Diet/Fish Prep! Every animal facility does this in some form. Whether you’re prepping in the AM or the PM all the animals gotta eat. Some facilities have a designated person or team (often called commissary keepers) that are in charge of making sure that all the animals get the diets they need each day. Many others, however, do not and instead the team that feeds the animals must also prepare the food. Regardless of how the facility is run, there are certain types of Food Preppers that seem to make their way into every kitchen. You may not recognize it right away but most people seem to fall into one or two of eight categories that I’ve identified (and created nifty little profiles for). Let’s see if you can match up yourself or some of your co-workers!

The Rookie:  Everyone starts out as this one. Ready to learn about animal diets and how the food goes from fridge or bag to bowl or bucket and into the mouths/paws/hands of the animals you love. Rookies tend to be very nervous at first. You often see them coming into the kitchen with that crooked sort of half smile. They’re new and don’t want to make any mistakes.  Understandable and because of this the Rookie becomes very thorough. This is great for the animals. No seeds or bad fish make their way into the diets the Rookie makes. The major drawback is that because they’re still learning and are triple checking their work they tend to drag behind. They mean well but don’t have the experience yet to get the speed necessary most days. Rookies benefit from lots of guidance and patience. Teach them the little-known shortcuts to help them pick up the pace.

The Veteran: These guys have been around the block a few times. They’re seasoned and very knowledgeable. These are usually the ones that train you to make diets. They know what it takes to get the job done and readily pass it on to others. The downside is that this can result in a lot of “Do as I say, not as I do” moments. They are usually stuck in their ways and their confidence can backfire on them causing them to miss things. Veterans are highly successful on their own but when paired with someone who will respect them and double check their work the Veterans’ product is perfection. 

The Artist: True to form the Artist takes food and makes a masterpiece. The diets from their kitchen are often elaborate and exciting. These are the ones cutting apples into stars, making feeders out of watermelon, and adding jello eggs to fish buckets. They provide great variety and enriching diets for the animals. These art pieces often cause the Artist to become consumed in the details which can result in a waste of time. Does the meat really need to be cut into the shape of the number 3? Not if it’s 15 minutes to feeding time. Allow the Artists to flourish and produce great work, but be there to help nudge them or pick up the slack while they work on their creation.

The Monk: Silent and devout, the Monk is ever striving for peace and perfection. Monks are workhorses never stopping until the job is done. You can always count on these people to be focused on the task at hand. They’re usually so silently focused that they’re forgotten about. This is great for creating a calming work environment on a busy day, but can really hurt co-workers who don’t receive any sort of information from the Monk. Make sure you keep tabs on what the Monks are doing so you don’t do extra work. They’re not likely to tell you when they’ve finished something and will instead just move on to the next task. 

The Lieutenant: There is no greater force in the kitchen than the Lieutenant. They have a plan, a process, and a near flawless execution. Their kitchen is in ship shape from start to finish. They also tend to be the cleanest. That being said, don’t drop in any surprises to this mess hall. Changes to routine and disruptions to workflow can really set off Lieutenants. So much so it might be difficult for them to get back on track for the duration of food prep. I’d recommend keeping distractions to a minimum and doing your best to allow Lieutenants their space. You can help them be more flexible by easing them into change by presenting small different tasks in the midst of routine.

The Free Spirit: If you wanna have a good time these are the ones you call for the job. Just as their moniker would suggest the Free Spirit is a fun-loving, no-stress-having, kind of worker. They go with the flow and easily adapt to problems and adjustments. They’re great for bonding moments through story-telling and jamming to music. Free Spirits are often the ones to show you how to make food prep fun. Especially if it means eating a blueberry or two here and there. On the flip side, all this fun comes with the cost of productivity. Sometimes the Free Spirit is too busy picking a radio station or tossing grapes in the air to hurry things along. Their workstation is more often than not a complete mess and this can result in mishaps with diets. Allow the Free Spirits to play their music and have a good time but make sure you’re prepared to put the diets in the right bucket or edit mistakes.

The Sheep: If you need someone to come in and lend a hand in the kitchen then the Sheep is the one for you. These preppers are great at taking directions with precision and accuracy. They are willing to help out in any situation and take on whatever role is needed. Sheep are usually rookies for the shortest amount of time because they listen so well. Unfortunately, by taking all these directions, Sheep tend not to think for themselves. They tend to forget what to do next and ask a lot of questions. Even those questions that seem to be answered by common sense. They have the knowledge in their head but any sort of pressure to think on their own and take charge of a situation causes them to get nervous and falter. If you’re working with a Sheep the best course of action is to provide constant guidance. Tell them what to do next as soon as they finish with one step. They’re eager to help. Make sure you tell them how to do so.

The Loose Cannon: Watch out for these guys. A Loose Cannon is going to come into the kitchen with their own set of rules and charge through to victory. High energy and a drive for results creates a force to be reckoned with in the Loose Cannon. Because they have their own way of doing things they often get people thinking about why things are done the way they are and promote new ideas. Much like the Loose Cannon from every police drama these preppers are after results and aren’t interested in rules that get in their way. This can cause all kinds of problems, especially with supervisors. These preppers are also highly unpredictable. You never know what they’re going to be focusing on or where they’re going next. This keeps you on your toes and makes you a more adaptable diet maker. Stand clear of the Loose Cannons. Feed off of their energy and you’ll speed through your work. Try and reel them back to the rules when you can, but know that they’ve got their own rule book and they’re going to stick by it.

So what are you? You can be any one or more of those and you might even change a couple times. None of these types is inherently better than the others. If you didn’t notice they all balance each other out. The right combination of these food preppers can create the perfect kitchen. But in the event you catch yourself in the kitchen with someone you find... less than desirable, take a minute to think about what kind of prepper they might be and think about how you can help complement their strengths and weaknesses with your own. 

*Special thanks to Miantan Studio, creators of “FaceQ” the app I used to make the profile avatars!

[fistfulloffish]

A Post Internship Checklist - SWIM TESTS Part 2: The Tasks

So now that you’ve prepared (Because you read Part 1), it’s finally time for the test! What’re you in for? What should you expect! Well I’ll tell you! Every facility is going to run their test differently and expect different results from their applicants. And every facility is going to have a different combination of tasks. Some might have 2 some 11. It all depends on what they’re looking for. Some are going to be Pass/Fail, some will give you multiple chances, and some will break it down on a point system. Each set has their own strategy to doing well but the best thing you can do for any of them is go for gold. Try to ace all of them to the best of your ability. Keep in mind that there’s likely going to be a fair number of people there with you taking the test. Get to know them and encourage each other. Yes you’re all competing but you’re all reaching for the same goal and if you try and be friends you’ll all be much more relaxed and ready to tackle anything. That being said, here are some of the most common elements of swim tests and what you can do to help yourself out.

Freestyle Swim - Most swim tests will require some sort of timed distance swim. Usually a length or two of a show pool. Don’t swim slow. It’s not necessarily a sprint but you gotta make that time. Try and  swim pretty. Head down, arms straight, tilt to the side to breathe. Watch some Olympic swimming videos if you wanna know what that looks like. Don’t worry about being perfect. Most of the pools you’ll be swimming in will be pretty simple and you can get lost so don’t feel like you can’t look up and see where you are. 

Underwater Breath Hold - This is the HARDEST part. This is the one that’ll make or break a swimmer. And it is entirely, completely, and utterly mental. When you hear that voice in your head say “ABORT! ABORT! WE NEED AIR IMMEDIATELY!” you ignore it and you KEEP GOING. 

Your body will be just fine without air for the however many feet you need to go. You really will. You’re not gonna die. Trust me. Just take a deep breath before you go and you’ll do fine.

When you dip your head underwater immediately go deep. You’re going to want to swim in sort of a “U” shape. Yes it seems like will waste a lot of energy by not going in s straight line but you get a couple strong benefits by doing the U. 1) When you go deep your lungs compress from the pressure slightly and when you rise up they expand. By curving up at the end what little breath you have less will feel like more as your lungs expand. 2) You remove the risk of being caught at the surface. Many facilities will automatically flunk you if you break the surface so by going deep you can’t possibly run into that problem. 

Lastly, you’re going to need a distraction from the, well, lack of oxygen in your body. I highly recommend singing a song in your head. What song you ask? It’s up to you, but I suggest the following: “Stayin’ Alive” ~ Bee Gees, “No Air” ~ Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown, “Breath of Life” ~ Florence + the Machine, “Every Breath You Take” ~ The Police, and/or “I Need Air” ~ Magnetic Man 

Tread Water (Without Hands) - Another mental one. If you’ve done proper practice than all you have to worry about is finding a distraction. And lucky for you there will be a whole bunch in the water with you! You’re most likely going to be doing this one in a group. TALK TO EACH OTHER! This is a great time to bond, make friends, and also show your potential employers that you can be social and have a good time. If you just go around the circle and share an interesting fact about yourselves or sing a quick camp song or two it’ll be over before you know it.

Surface Dive & Weight Retrieval - This one can be tough dependent upon how deep you have to go. This task ranges anywhere from 10 to 30 feet in depth. If you can make the breath hold then the lack of air isn’t going to be the trouble. It’s equalizing as you descend and being aware that you’re more buoyant in saltwater than in fresh. Do whatever you have to to equalize the pressure (plug your nose and blow, swallow, etc.) so that you can make it down and up safely and not blow an ear drum. This is also tricky since most people don’t have a 30 ft well to practice free diving  in. It’s not that much more difficult than diving the 9 or 12 feet you practiced with. If you equalize and keep moving you’ll find it totally doable. When you get ready to retrieve the weight make sure you’re about a foot or so offset from where it is. Don’t start right over top of it. When we descend we tend to go at an angle and if you’re right on top of it you’ll end up diving away from it and waste precious time trying to find it. Make sure you try and look graceful when you go down. Legs up and pointed nice and streamline. When you finally make it down to the bottom if you’re allowed, PUSH UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL! Don’t waste energy trying to swim back up to the surface on your own. Get your bonus momentum and save that energy for another task.

Platform Dive - Just dive pretty! Nothing fancy required. Arms up, toes pointed, legs together, butt clenched (I swear this is legitimate advise from a SeaWorld trainer. I’m not just making a joke). Just make it into the water like an arrow and pop back up. One of the easier test components if you practice. Just think pretty and you’ll have nothing to worry about.

Haul Out - Upper arm strength! They want to see if you can get yourself out of the pool in one piece, preferably to a foot and gracefully. You’re going to need to be delicate, but strong. Somewhere in between a water strider...

and Wolverine...

My advice to you is that if it’s not REQUIRED for you to come up to a foot and you’re not sure you can make it TAKE A KNEE! You’re gonna be better off taking the hit for making it to the knee than falling back in the water trying to make it to a foot. Seriously, this part isn’t easy. Train to the best you can but make your number one goal getting out, not doing it prettily. 

Push Ups - Military style. Sorry ladies (and gents like me with poor upper body strength) no “Girl Push Ups” allowed. Be prepared to do anywhere from 10 to 20 of these. They wanna see a straight back and a clean descent. Another way to check to see if you have the necessary arm strength to do the job. 

Bucket Carry - Pretty straightforward. Carry some buckets filled with ice water for a certain distance and maybe up some stairs. Try to keep the water in the buckets as best you can. Use your muscles and show that you can carry the standard 50lbs. all job postings mention. *Enchanted brooms are not permitted. 

Narration on Microphone - Now this isn’t always a part of the swim test and it can range in complexity tremendously. Some facilities will simply have you read a short statement to an empty stadium, some will expect you to have come having memorized a script they sent you, and other will want you to talk about whatever you want. Regardless of which version you get you want to speak as if you are captivating 5,000 people. Speak excitedly with inflection. Use your body. LOOK AROUND THE STADIUM. The judges will be sitting in one location but if you’re pretending you’re giving a presentation to the entire stadium you better acknowledge the imaginary guests on the far left and the nosebleeds. Do your best to sound natural and not that you’re reading anything. Act like you really believe in what you’re saying and be excited about it. Some facilities will even go so far as to assign different challenges to your read/recitation. Such things as “speak with an accent” or “hop on one foot and do it.” These are intended to see how you handle pressure, adapt, and handle a situation where you need to improvise. Have fun with it. Even if you mess up the words because you’re trying to talk like a pirate, keep going and persevere. They want to know that if you were responsible for that script you could knock it out of the park for every show.

Swim testing is not easy. Even the ones who have been in the biz for a while will acknowledge that. When you arrive for your swim test talk to the people there. There’s always someone who has taken the test before whether it’s a fellow applicant or a trainer on staff that day. They can help you. And talk to the people assessing you. They want you to succeed because they want strong applicants. They can help tell you what to look for underwater or where to place your feet so you don’t slip. Most importantly, have fun. Don’t make yourself nervous or psych yourself over it. It’s just a job. Even if you fail you’ve had a great experience and are already better set for the next one.

[fistfulloffish]

A Post Internship Checklist - SWIM TESTS Part 1: Preparing

Cue the dramatic music!  

One of the most difficult parts of entering the marine animal training field is the dreaded facility swim test. Not every facility requires one, and those that do, do not create them equally. But needless to say, if you really wanna make it in the biz, you better prepare yourself to get wet.

There are many different components that facilities may require. Each with different requirements in terms of distance, length of time, etc. But in general these tests are designed to see if you have the endurance and capability to perform the necessary tasks to complete the job. Rarely are these things you‘ll be doing everyday (especially if you’re just starting out in the field) but they are generally all possible scenarios you may encounter during your work day. So what should you prepare for? What should you expect? Well lucky for you I’ve broken this up into two easy parts. Let’s get started :)

Before we even talk about the components you may face we’re gonna go over some of the basics that are, in general, pretty standard and can be applied to the preparation of any test.

The Gear. What kind of tools will you have at your disposal during this examination of your physical prowess? Very little. You’re pretty much only gonna be allowed a swim suit, some footwear, and a towel. Yes this means that you may very well be getting into 60 degree salt water with no goggles or wet suit. So when you’re prepping for this make sure you have the right kind of gear to make yourself comfortable and efficient. And it’s also important to wear something professional. The concept of a “professional swim suit” may be a little hard to wrap your head around. Think simple, sleek, and monochromatic. Girls you’re gonna want to go for a simple black one piece and guys you’re gonna go for a similar look in the board shorts department. Something like this: 

These are simple and clean and show that you’re here to get the job done (Swim Outlet is a great place to look for this kind of gear). Are they a requirement? No, of course not. But why not look your best if you can? I’d also recommend (guys or girls) a rash guard. This will help especially if you are going to be swimming in some colder water. Plus it helps make you look like a trainer. What better way to encourage your reviewers to pick you than by looking the part.

Having a water bottle nearby is also a good idea to help keep you cooled and hydrated. And never underestimate the power of having a towel nearby. It’s a wonderful comfort and no one is going to look down on you if you wipe your eyes or warm up in between events. 

The Work Out. Even if you don’t have an offer for a swim test you should being trying to get yourself some regular pool or gym time to keep yourself in some sort of fit condition. You can usually find somewhere on the IMATA board or on a Facebook page the requirements for a swim test somewhere. When you find something, regardless of how vigorous or comparable to other tests it might be, this’ll give you a starting point to reach for. After you know the exact requirements you need to make it’s time to start “Over Training.” Now I’m not suggesting that you work out until you drop. That’s not really healthy. What I mean by Over Training is that you should train yourself to meet a level beyond the requirements of the test. For example, if the test requires you to tread water with no hands for 5 minutes, practice treading with no hands for 6 or 7 minutes. It’ll feel like torture when you’re doing it knowing full well you’ll never be asked to go that long, but by stretching your endurance further than required you’ll have an easier time of meeting the level needed during the test. If the facility wants you to stretch to the moon you practice as if your goal was on another planet. Say it with me. Where’s your goal?

The Mentality. You gotta own it. This will be one of the most nerve-wracking things you’ll do on your journey. You’ve gotta get yourself to a place where you know you can do it. Without a doubt. Part of the reason you Over Train is so that you know even if you have a rough day you can still pull off the necessary requirements. You’re gonna hear it over and over again “The test is all mental.” It really is. Don’t psych yourself out. Every time you step up to that pool, practice or real deal, take a deep breath and tell yourself “I got this.” 

The prep work is of the utmost importance. You can’t just go into this sort of thing blind. Because the tests are as mentally strenuous as they are physically you need to have a strong base to stand on. Do your homework, study, and practice. Once you’ve done that. You’re ready to take the plunge with Part 2. 

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to... The Seven Deadly Sins of Animal Care

.So you guys are probably familiar with the Seven Deadly Sins, right? These are widely believed to be the most damning crimes that one could commit.They’re so ingrained in our culture they’ve taken endless forms. From our Netlfix programming: 

 (Believe it or not, the pig isn’t for Gluttony) 

To our America’s Next Top Model Challenges: 

And even our desserts: 

(I’d happily commit each of these sins). They remain an everlasting reminder of what dangerous actions and emotions we humans can experience. But we all know that we aren’t perfect so every once in a while these sins might pop up in our lives. Say when it’s our weekend and we don’t feel like getting off the couch. Or maybe you’re driving home from a long day of work and someone cuts you off. Road rage is undeniably a normal condition of the human experience. Whether you’re a believer in the religious nature of these ideas, or not, there are still some dangers in the animal care field that you should be aware of. Note: The following sins are defined using a general cross-cultural understanding of the terms and not their original biblical and/or religious use.

1. Pride - Absence of humility...

Let’s start from the top! Pride is often considered the chief and original sin seeing as it often manifests side by side with the others. And as such this sin can take countless forms. The danger lies in Huberistic Pride, or pride that turns foolish. There is going to be a time(s) in your career when you feel like you know what’s going on and that you know everything. It’s great to have confidence but I’m sorry to break it to you, you’re wrong.There is always someone better at something and nobody is perfect. Just because you’ve done something “for 7 summers straight” does not mean that it’s the absolutely end-all-be-all way to do it. You need to be adaptable to change and understanding of your limits. Don’t be too proud to ask for help when you need it. Whether it be fish prep, training, or carrying a heavy box. Pride can be a powerful fire but if you don’t control it you can easily get burned. 

2. Envy - Resentful covetousness towards the traits or possessions of others...

Now lot’s of people get this one confused with jealousy, and while they are very similar my Social Psychology professor would want me to inform you of what envy truly is. Jealousy is feeling threatened that someone might take what you have. Envy is wanting something someone else has. To give some examples: “I’m jealous that the new trainer got to work with my favorite animal.” - Fear that the new trainer might take your favorite from you. “I’m envious of the new trainer’s whistle. - Desire to have the whistle. Envy is far more sinful than jealously because it often comes with the desire to take something from someone else. This can certainly rear it’s ugly head when co-workers achieve or receive something rather than you. It could be a promotion, a new animal to work with or behavior to train, or even a new responsibility. If you let your envy of others consume you you’ll never be able to achieve anything yourself. You should strive to obtain your own possessions rather than those of others. Now I’m not saying you should go out and try to make people jealous, mainly because it wouldn’t make any sense given the definition. But I am saying that you should go out and get something for yourself to feel jealous about. Go get something you’ll worry about someone else taking! (I know that doesn’t seem like the best life advice but when you really think about it, it’s encouraging and inspiring, okay?)

3. Gluttony - Overindulgence and consumption to the point of waste...

I’m sure many of you assumed this was going to be talking about all the snacks and treats we animal care professionals often find ourselves consuming. Well you’re wrong! WE EARNED THOSE! Plus we are in a constant need of energy so those carbs definitely don’t go to waste. What DOES tend to go to waste are our resources. Latex gloves, trash bags, paints, paper towels, etc. Lots of times we don’t really think about these sorts of things until we’re running out. This is especially true if it’s involved with anything fun. Do you really need to use half the bottle of blue for ONE dolphin painting? Probably not. Those who pursue this career work very hard and as a result are more than often excited to do their work. This excitement can result in us overindulging a little bit and this doesn’t set a great example for our guests. The same guests we try and educate about conservation and the powers of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Take a moment to think about maximizing the utility of your resources and if you reeeeally need as much as you take. 

4. Lust - Intense longing...

Now this is a tricky one. (If I’m being honest, this one was the most difficult to come up with. When I started this I had an idea for pretty much all of them except this one...) Most people think of lust in a... well... sexual manner and this isn’t the place to talk about the problems with workplace relationships. Intense longing doesn’t have to apply to people you want to be with. It can apply to anything really. The most dangerous thing you aspiring trainers can be lusting over is something you probably already are. The job. Not just any job. THE job. The one at THE facility or with THE species or in THE city. We all know that one. Even if you can’t identify it right now, trust me, it’ll start to rear it’s beautiful head as you start making your way through the field. It’s great to have a dream job. It’s great to have goals. It’s not so great to let these dreams cloud your judgement. Don’t turn down a golden opportunity because it’s not THE job. You’ll have plenty of time to reach it. Get what you need so that when you have your chance to really get it you don’t miss it. And here’s a bonus secret: THE job will change every time you have a new experience. Sometimes a little, and sometimes a lot, but it’ll always change as you do.

5. Wrath - Uncontrolled feelings or anger...

People are stupid. You’re going to run into all manners of misunderstanding and ignorance about what you do and the animals you care for. Sometimes someone is gonna throw something into an exhibit and an animal is going to eat it. You’re going to be angry. Sometimes your supervisor is going to get onto you about something you did wrong. You’re gonna be mad. Sometimes an animal you’re working with is going to ignore you or make your job more difficult. You’re going to get frustrated. These things are going to happen. Don’t take it out on your co-workers or your guests. And don’t EVER take it out on the animals. Your anger at something or someone should never affect the high level of animal care you provide on a daily basis. If you think by not cleaning a pool or leaving some trash lying around you will “Show them!” you are wrong. Don’t make the animals, or any innocent bystander, suffer because you’re feeling angry.

6. Greed - Rapacious desire and pursuit of material possessions...

The biggest danger of greed that I’ve come across in the animal care field is for two things: Tools & Enrichment. We ALWAYS want more of these. Squeegees, rakes, trashcans, there’s never enough of them and we will do anything to get our hands on them. This can become especially dangerous when tools are shared between areas. I’ve done my fair share of tool hoarding and labeling. Did I reaaally need all three wire brushes? No, BUT THEY’RE MINE AND YOU CAN’T TAKE THEM FROM ME!!! *ahem* Excuse me, I don’t know what came over me (Don’t take my stuff). Enrichment is where the real danger lies. I’ve seen keepers nearly get into a fist fight over a cardboard box. Now this sin is tricky because it USUALLY comes from a very good place. We all want to give our animals the best care and that often involves the best maintenance and the best enrichment we can come up with. It’s natural to want all the ice cubes, boxes, and bird toys, but don’t hoard them to the point that you are preventing someone else from doing their job. And odds are you can’t possibly use 4 power drills, 19 sacks of newspaper, and an entire spool of string in one day. 

7. Sloth - Absence of interest or habitual disinclination to exertion...

This is a rough one. I think everyone gets hit with this one at least once in their career. This is when you lose your fire. You’re burnt out. You just don’t have the same passion filled energy anymore. You stop putting as much time into your work, don’t think things through as much, don’t challenge yourself. You’re generally disinterested in the work you do. I understand that sometimes you’re gonna feel like you’ve reached a wall or that you’re not progressing, but if you lose your interest and your passion then you won’t move forward. It’s our passion for the job and the animals that springs forth our greatest ideas and betters the level of care we can provide. If old interests aren’t doing it for you try something new. Try and invest in the interests of others and let their passion reignite yours. 

Everyone makes mistakes and to sin is to be human. Just try and be aware of the potential dangers in this amazing field. If you can successfully navigate through these perils you’ll avoid career hell and make your way into the promised land (the analogies are getting rougher and rougher). Remember that we’re all in this together and if you keep your focus on excellent animal care and team work and not on your ego, you’ll be just fine.

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to… Work Day Time Fillers

So any good intern, apprentice, assistant, whatever needs to show that they can be productive and show initiative. One of the best ways to do that is to stay busy. But how can you stay busy all day when you are still learning? Time fillers! These are the little things that often get forgotten or overlooked. Things that if you take ownership over will help you stand out and show that you really do care about your job. 

Now these are all going to vary by facility so make sure you talk to your co-workers/mentors/supervisors before you jump on them. So here you go!

Cleaning - There a lots of things that can always use some more TLC. Some might be more reasonable than others, but if you can grab a scrubbie and start knocking these things out, people will notice.

Handles, knobs, and locks (These are ALWAYS gross)

Used enrichment items

Target poles

Food buckets

Take out the trash

Trash cans (Yes clean the actual cans)

Break room

Microwaves

Tables

Bathrooms (It’s gross but you will earn sooooo many brownie points for volunteering to do this)

Sinks

Shelves

Locker rooms

In park trash

Dust (Grab a swiffer duster and go nuts)

Enrichment - Most facilities are going to encourage you to provide daily environmental enrichment for the animals. It’s a great skill to develop and practice.

Build new items

Give some to the animals 

Prepare enrichment for the staff to take with them (Put bird toys together, set things out with buckets, anything to make it easy on the staff)

Make dietary items (ice, frozen treats, gelatin, etc.)

Organizing - One thing you’ll learn is that NOBODY has enough time and it becomes unfortunately evident with the organization of certain things. Take the time to put these things in order and your staff will be immensely grateful. 

Tool sheds

Storage closets

Enrichment items (this is a great one because lots of times the staff has items they forgot about)

Records (The papers/files themselves and also helping fill out session times and such)

Maintenance - These might be a bit more tricky dependent upon how for facility is run so make sure you’re going through the proper channels. But these are the forgotten things that keep facilities running.

Refill soap/hand sanitizer dispensers

Tighten screws (I dunno where, but there’s always one somewhere that needs some quick screw driver attention)

WD-40 locks, hinges, bolts, etc.

Replace light bulbs and batteries

Touch-up paint

Customer Service - Go help the guests! Yes you’re there to help out your fellow staffers but the guests are SUPER important! Plus if you can impress a guest so much that they tell one of your superiors you are golden.

Crowd control

Ask for questions (Seriously, just go up to guests by an exhibit and ask if they have any questions about the animals)

Welcome guests to shows, the park, etc. 

Anticipate guest needs (If you see a guest who looks lost, go help them)

Learning - Never forget that learning is important. If you have some downtime you can certainly show initiative by taking control of your learning.

Checkout the department library (Most facilities have books, articles, and other resources for the staff to refer to and learn from. You can too!)

Watch training sessions (Made better by asking questions with the trainers after)

Sit down with staff and ask questions

Do some research 

This is just a SHORT list of possible things you can do at your facility to really show that you can take initiative and get things done. Talk to your co-workers to find out what really needs some attention and what you can take ownership over. During my internship I knew that nobody else really went and cleaned the old bird toys and put together new ones so whenever I needed something to do I always went and did that. It helped to set me apart from the other interns and showed that I was paying attention to the needs of the facility. Take time to note when staffers are getting frustrated over things getting forgotten or neglected and take it upon yourself to get them done!

[fistfulloffish]

The Fragility of Training - How I Broke My First Dolphin

When I participated in my first show I was a nervous and excited mess. This opportunity was a reward for having been cleared on all of my intern responsibilities and the team I worked with made me feel like I had really earned this. I was getting a first hand look at what it took to be a trainer working an animal in a public show in the dead of summer. Wearing my black board shorts and rash guard I nervously waited with the other trainers to head to the dock and start the show. My mentor was gone but scheduled this treat for me with one of our supervisors. I thought working with someone I greatly admired would make me feel at ease but it only made me more nervous. I felt that this woman held my future career in her hand and if I screwed this up she could squash it as easily as bug beneath her foot. With a joke and a smile she informed me what dolphin we’d be working with and handed me a bucket. My heart jumped at the news that I’d be in water with one of my favorite dolphins. A young male only 3 years old. This really was a treat. Not just anyone got to work with this little guy and here I was about to get into the water with him free contact. If you had hooked me up with wires my nervous-excited energy could’ve powered a small city. With a few instructions and encouragement I went down the stairs to the floating dock with the other trainers and my supervisor. I heard the audience cheer, the narrator on the speakers, and a trainer’s voice telling me “Wave!” Down the ladder and into the water I stood next to my supervisor already welcoming her young companion to her side. “You wanna wave hello?” she asked me. I waved and the young dolphin waved his pectoral flipper back at me. It had officially begun.

The majority of the show was a blur of contained excitement. Refusing to move unless instructed I tried to take in all the advice, comments, sights, and sounds, swirling around me. I heard bits of “You want to pay attention to the narrator and the others around you” and “Make sure you look at B-point before you send an animal there” mixed in among applause and vocalizations from the dolphins. I asked for a few simple behaviors along with my supervisor. Vocals, targets, waves, and bows. Standards that all the dolphins knew and were asked countless times in a day by trainers and encounter guests alike. During a layout I watched as my supervisor examined our partner. She told me to go and give him a rub down since he was doing so well. With two fingers I felt along the side of his body and tail. My supervisor looked at me in confusion and said “Get in there! You’re not gonna break him.” She demonstrated with an open palm how to really provide the tactile sensation the dolphin enjoyed. I did my best to follow her lead but my nerves prevented me from truly committing. After some additional reinforcement it was time for the portion of the show that involved a lot of high energy behaviors. Fluke splashes, flips, and “dolphin style cannonballs.” The little guy in front of us was in the beginning stages of learning a back flip and was currently showing much success at breaching the surface and diving back into the water in a backwards motion. This back bow was a great behavior that this particular animal was heavily reinforced for. After learning the SD for the behavior it was my time to ask for it. I gave my signal. Nothing. The young male dolphin simply tilted it’s head at me. “Ask again,” I was told. I gave my signal again, this time slightly more dramatic. Nothing. Only that familiar head tilt you’d expect from the family dog. “That’s odd. Let’s try a few other things real quick and I’ll come back to it.” At hearing this I can only think “Great! I broke him.” I’d seen this behavior countless times in the past couple months and never once seen a refusal. 

Toward the end of the show my supervisor returned to the back bow behavior. She offered the SD this time and to her surprise, and my horror, the dolphin floated in the water in front of her unmoving. It was at this that my supervisor decided to move on with the session and have me move over with a different trainer and spend some time with another dolphin, an 18 year old male and father of the 3 year old. I stood with the trainer and noticeably larger dolphin in the water worrying about what had happened. The seasoned dolphin in front of me responded to every cue thrown at him with rapid and precise motions. Breaches, splashes, and examinations all flawlessly executed at my request. With the session over I made my way out of the water, off the dock, and out of the stadium ready to crawl into a hole.

The following morning during our team meeting my supervisor spoke about the young dolphin I had spent time with the day before. “Nobody ask for his back bow,” she said. “It’s broken.” Broken. The possibility I had most feared had been realized. I had broken an animal. In less than twenty minutes I had taken a reliable behavior and shattered it into nothing. I sat in torment as I heard the questions fly about. “When did this happen?” “Who was working him?” Everyone knew in a matter of minutes that I was the one to ask for the behavior and receive the first and second refusals. Refusals that were noted to be similar to as if he had never known the behavior before. It was decided that the supervisory team would work to see if they could get the behavior back. Training it from square one if they needed to. The meeting concluded I slumped down onto a bench to assist with planning the intern schedule for the day. Interns a buzz with further questions I did my best to defend myself with the greatest tool in my arsenal at the time: “I don’t know.”

My supervisor, who came to my defense during the meeting, came over again and spoke with me. She said “These things happen. Sometimes animals just forget! It happens to everyone, people and animals a like. We just have to remind him of what we’re asking and do our best to identify and patch where the holes in communication have broken down. It’s not your fault. If we have to retrain it, so what. That’s our job and it’ll go by faster than the first time I’m sure.” I halfheartedly agreed with her statement as she walked away. In two days the behavior was back under stimulus control and everyone had forgotten it had ever been forgotten. 

Sometimes behaviors breakdown for seemingly no reason. It’s not a matter of putting the blame somewhere. While it can be helpful to identify the source of the degradation it’s more important to start looking forward. How will we retrain this? What can I do to make it more clear what I want? The brain is often talked about in terms of “plasticity” or the ability of the brain to change and adapt to new situations. Plastic can forever be reshaped and molded into new things. Even when pieces are broken they can still be put back together with the right method. The brain of animals and humans is similarly ever morphing as new experiences are encountered. In the case of the young dolphin it is possible that my presence or the way we interacted altered his brain. This new situation changed his response to a familiar stimulus. As evident by the return of the behavior in a short time, the information for the behavior was not lost. The pathway to it simply changed slightly. Training is communication, communication occurs between living things, and living things always change. Sometimes these changes will result in breaks in communication, but in the end, if you keep trying, you wont break anything for good. 

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to… Coping with Excellence Part 3: The Anti-Midas

Welcome back my golden, symptomatic, readers! I hope you’re ready for some more ill-advised recommendations!

I am in no way a medical doctor and any attempts to file legal charges against myself and/or any other parties involved with the creation, solution, or representation of a syndrome me, myself, and I may or may not have made up for the sake of explaining a point and the recommended treatment options would be silly and fruitless as me, myself and I are terribly broke, just, like, you...

Anywaaaaays... I bet you’ve been hitting your head up against a wall trying to figure out how to treat your Golden Child Syndrome. Because I’m sure for some of you the whole Chaos Theory thing left you a little... worse for the wear. For those of you that didn’t get the last part I bet you were hoping for something a little less realistic and a bit more funny when it came to a cure for Golden Child Syndrome. Lucky for you I’ve hardly thought about it at all and am just going to wing it! (That’s not entirely true because I went back and edited this, but it’s not entirely NOT true.) So here are my recommended treatment options for GCS:

Medications

Don’t do drugs gang. Unless they’re prescribed by an ACTUAL doctor. BUT I will say you can “treat” yourself with a few things here and there. 

 Aw yes. The face of childhood addiction. Every time you have a thought about doing your best regardless of outcome or you take a step to advance your career and DON’T expect an automatic success pop one of these bad boys in your mouth and enjoy the slightly flavored, delicious, chalky sugar high. *Please use responsibly. 

Home Remedies

I’ve always thought of home remedies as hit or miss, but this one I’ve come across for GCS is totally spot on. What’s the opposite of gold? Onyx, I think, but that’s harder to come by. So we’re gonna go with silver! If you wanna get that gold out of your head start treating yourself like you’re second best. The runner up doesn’t get passed up for jobs for no reason. Second place was close but they will do better next time. No one expects constant perfection out of the silver medal holder. You can cure yourself with this method if you just SURROUND YOURSELF IN SILVER! Silver earrings, silver rings, silver shoes, silver forks, silver door knobs, silver paint, silver cars, silver undies, silver bullets........... I may have confused this for a cure for werewolfism. 

Diet

A healthy diet can DEFINTELY change how your GCS manifests. There are two routes to take with this. The Reward Route and the Base Route. The Reward Route is where you reward (obviously) yourself for having healthy thoughts that don’t involve your GCS. Like ponies, the Walking Dead, or how many fish a dolphin could hold in its mouth at once. For the Reward Route I recommend food like this: 

Beautiful and delicious, it will totally reinforce you for your good thoughts. Pro: You get to practice your positive reinforcement skills. Con: You eat enough of this food and you’ll get very very fat...

The Base Route is all about having a good healthy diet. This will help clear your mind and keep you alert and open to new ideas and positive thoughts. For this route I recommend food like this: 

Healthy and nutritious, you’ll be healthy and detoxed of negative thoughts. Pro: You’ll be physically healthy and feel great. Con: You have to eat a lot of kale...

Psychological 

Every shrink that I contacted told me that Golden Child Syndrome is not a “recognized medical condition” but we’ll see who’s laughing when the DSM 7 comes out. But that’s fine. I have a Bachelor’s in Psychology so I’m more than qualified to give you counsel. So! Your first step is to keep a Golden Journal. Every time you feel put out by not getting something you thought you deserved write it down. Last scoop of caramel sea salt ice cream went to the person who cut? Write it. Didn’t get offered a full time position at a facility with no availability? Write it. Then when your journal is full BURN IT! Release those ill feelings to the wind and forget them. And if that doesn’t work you can always try shock therapy. But I wouldn’t recommend it considering the possible presence of aquatic creatures. 

Physical Therapy

Ummmm... Exercise. Do it? I don’t have much for this because I don’t do that... Maybe get a massage to relax? 

Combine any or all of these and you should, in my expert opinion, be cured in 6 to 27 weeks! And if none of that works than you either are 2% of people who have the incurable condition, don’t have GCS, or you would benefit from some serious self reflection and counsel with someone who has made it in the field and give you suggestions on new things to focus on.

But who knows? I’m not a doctor. 

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to… Coping with Excellence Part 2: Comfort in Chaos

So. I bet you’ve been wondering how to handle your Golden Child Syndrome. I take that bet because I know you’ve all been self diagnosing yourself. Well stop that! This is not something that EVERYONE has. Granted everyone has the potential for GCS it’s really a matter of thinking that affects these individuals. So to tackle this I’ve decided to take two different approaches. 1) because I want to appeal to everyone and they’re diverse ways of processing information and 2) because like the last post I started typing this and it started to get unreasonably long so I decided to break it up. And oh yeah, you guessed it. THERE’S GONNA BE A PART 3! (I’m exhausted just thinking about it.) But before we get to that, let’s focus on the task at hand. How do you cope with your own excellence? Well to explain this I’m going to (attempt) to explain a theory that I think will help you suffering from GCS put things in your professional career into a new perspective. And to do it... 

*gasp* Okay not really, but kind of. The theory I’m talking about is Chaos Theory. (insert image of Jeff Goldblum here) YES YOU NERDS! I’m talking about the end all be all favored answer stated time and again by Jurassic Park’s Ian Malcolm. Chaos Theory is a study in mathematics that weighs heavily on initial conditions. It’s also known as the Butterfly Effect. This theory essentially states that it is impossible to know all starting conditions within a complex system so therefor it is impossible to predict the outcome. Linear equations (the basics in math) are very straight forward and predictable. A square will be a square because it is a square. Chaos Theory is used to explain why systems that appear simple do not in fact behave simply. Some examples (Yes I took these from the book, sue me.) (Please don’t sue me Michael Chrichton!) include the weather, water coming from a faucet, and attempting to build a facility housing genetically modified prehistoric creatures. Scientists have tried for years to accurately predict the weather and are, in general, unsuccessful. As much as they know (temperature, air pressure, humidity, etc.) they can never account for every minute condition (speck of dust, leaf in the breeze, baby laugh) that is present at the moment they try to capture. These starting conditions are not random, but because of their presence the results are unpredictable and you have... chaos. (To further understand this theory check out this video and the many more on YouTube I was too impatient to sit through.)

So why do I bring up Chaos Theory? Because in order to begin treating and moving beyond GCS you have to understand that some things will go wrong despite your best planning and predicting. In NO WAY can you predict the outcome of this field (I mean just look at how everyone has reacted to SeaWorld announcing their last generation of Orcas. You think anyone saw that coming?). And trying to get a job is just as unpredictable. It may seem simple. You make a resume, get an internship, volunteer, and then BAM you got yourself a job. ERRRR Wrong again class. 

There are countless factors you are unaware of from the second you hit submit on that job application. Anything from the time of day you applied to the amount of ink in the printer can (and sometimes will) effect your results. Again, I don’t mean to try and scare you off from the big bad world of animal training.  

(I regret googling for this...) I just want to help you explain those moments you thought were a sure thing. At the end of the day things aren’t always going to go the way you planned. There are more factors into every action and decision anyone will make or will happen in your career that you could possibly understand or foresee. SO DON’T SWEAT IT! Focus on doing the best you can do (and probably already are doing). Stop expecting things to go your way. Chaos Theory explains complex systems. And what is more complicated than trying to get a job training animals. Just ask anyone who does it. All those past moments (like high school) were pretty simple. Real life linear equations so to speak. This field is hard to get into. It SUCKS. But don’t get frustrated trying to predict what is going to happen or get disappointed when what you expected to happen did not. Eventually, if you keep at it, IT WILL HAPPEN. 

PHEW! Alright. That’s done. Now I know this post wasn’t the usual funny and satirical advice like I usually provide. That one is next. For those of you who want a non-mathematical (and less practical) approach to dealing with Golden Child Syndrome you’ll have to head over to Part 3. 

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to... Coping with Excellence Part 1: Golden Child Syndrome

“It’s not easy being the golden child.”

I want you take a moment to ponder that. Think about how that makes you feel. What it means to you. Go ahead and noodle it for a minute. I’ll wait.... 

Alright ya good? We’ll come back to that, but for now let’s continue.

I’m sure some of you are wondering “Why would I need to cope with excellence?” Well I’m going to tell you (It’s kinda the reason for the title). But before I do that please count the number of items below that you can relate to or you feel currently or at some point applied to you:

You made pretty good grades your entire academic career

You never really studied too hard but you always did okay

Your parents generally thought of you as responsible

You usually got what you wanted for Christmas

You got the first job you applied for

You got into your number one school and/or had several options to choose from

You got multiple interviews for your first interning summer

You’ve gotten multiple position offers at the same time

When you asked for things your parents usually gave them to you or you had an opportunity to earn/receive them later

You rarely/never get rejected when you ask someone out on a date

How many did you get? If you got 1 or more of these then you just might be a victim for Golden Child Syndrome. What is GCS? It’s not a measure of your societal privileged (although by the list I gave you it very well could be). It’s a signifier that means, in general, things tend to go your way. Usually, through fate or luck or preference when you set your mind to something, it almost always works out for you. Now in no way am I suggesting you’re perfect. You can certainly have been rejected from every play you auditioned for and still have GCS. And in no way am I suggesting you’re lazy. If you really were you probably wouldn’t be interested in animal training or care and you certainly wouldn’t be reading what I’m sure will end up being a lengthy blog post (It did, hence “Part 1″). But here you are.

If you haven’t worked at a lot of facilities yet you may not realize that people who choose and succeed in this career are incredibly hard working, devoted, and all around kick-ass people. With the field being so competitive it ensures that only the best of the best prevail and get the jobs. There is no room for laziness and mediocrity. So where does GCS fall into this? If you have GCS does that mean you’re magically going to join the ranks of those kick-ass people I mentioned? No. Not at all. Time for a whack from the reality stick. 

GCS creates an unrealistic feeling within an aspiring trainer that all they need to do is do what they think they would do and it will just happen to them. “Oh well I got this internship and I did pretty well so all I have to do is drop off my resume and then they’ll hire me as a seasonal and then after that they’ll ask me to stay and then I’ll get a job and I’ll get a house and a puppy and a yacht and sail into the sunset. Cake.” WRONG WRONG WRONG OH SO VERY WRONG. Find me one trainer that that has actually happened to (You can’t because none of them can afford a yacht). One of the worst things about this field is that you can do everything right, everything you think you should, and still not get what you want.

Sooooooo... I bet some of you read this and feel kinda... 

And the rest of you feel a little... 

And I’m sorry for that. That was only a portion of my intent with this guide. I needed to expose your condition in order to help you treat the symptoms I know that sounds mean, but remember that quote at the beginning? “It’s not easy being the golden child.” When I heard this from an old supervisor of mine I was rather shocked. I instantly took offense to it. I thought she was saying that I was undeserving of success or that I was too proud of myself or that I was being too much of a brat when something didn’t go my way. And now looking back... she’s right. I had gone so much of my young life just getting what I wanted. I asked for a summer job, got it. Applied to my top choice school, got it. I asked for a cheesecake for no reason, and I got it (thanks mom!). I had gone my entire life putting in some effort and getting equal and excellent turn out. No less than what I asked for because I had done the necessary steps. But once I made it past that I started to get very frustrated. “How could I not get that job?!” Because I was grossly unqualified. “I got my resume reviewed by 4 people!” Hiring manager didn’t like the format. “I spoke with them personally!” Something came up. In this field, things just happen and sometimes you don’t get back what you put into it.

People with GCS are very excellent people, don’t get me wrong. They’re high achievers, usually have good work ethics, and reach the goals they set for themselves. But GCS is a very dangerous condition that can lay hidden for years. It can take over at any moment no matter what stage in your life or career you’re in. It’s something that, to my medical knowledge, has no cure. However, with time and patience (and a little training) you can learn to identify it’s symptoms and cope with it. How? Well... I’d say all you have to do is ask but that would only encourage your GCS sooooooo..... On to Part 2!

[fistfulloffish]

A Post Internship Checklist - RESEARCH

Bet you thought you were done with homework after graduation, right? WRONG! 

If you really wanna land your dream job you’re gonna have to learn how to do your research. This isn’t for a history paper or anything but it will help you make the grade. I’m gonna help you out by building the skeleton of what you need and where to find it. Let’s start with...

What You’re Looking For: When it comes to resumes, cover letters, and interviews there are three main things you need to know about the potential facility. It all comes down to the basics, their mission, and their buzz words. We’re also gonna talk a little bit about the bonus features.

The Basics: These are the things you need to know mainly so you don’t make a fool of yourself. The basics include things like, location, position title, animals (if you can’t find the ones specifically applicable to the position familiarize yourself with the general collection), contact person (not always available), and the general requirements and responsibilities of the position you’re applying for. This kind of stuff will pop up in applications and also in interviews. Try and know this stuff ahead of time so you can answer any applicable questions.

Their Mission: This is HUGE. Every facility has one and you can bet your fish bucket that whoever is reviewing your application knows it. The mission statement tells you what the facility is all about, what they focus on, and what their message to the public is. If you know what that is then you can help show them how you’ll fit in with them. Anything you can do to cater your presentation to the mission will help you stand out and be a more competitive applicant.

Their Buzz Words: Teamwork, leadership, knowledge. These are three pretty common words you’ll see in job descriptions. These are your hints into what prospective viewers of your application are looking for. These are going to be a big help in telling you what to feature in your cover letters and highlight on your resume. Any adjective mentioned more than twice is probably one of their buzzwords. For example you might find something like: “Looking for a candidate to join animal care team. Will complete many group projects as assigned by supervisor. Successful candidates will work well on a team.” This is taken from a post I’ve actually applied for. It may seem like their being redundant but they’re basically handing you a guide to what their looking for. In this case I would highlight any major projects I’d worked on a team with. Mention that I work well on a team and what role I usually fulfill on said teams. Take what the facility has offered you and cater your documents to feature those buzzwords.

Bonus Features: This includes aaaaall the extras. Stuff that’s not found on the job posting. Such things as, recent events at the facility, people you know there, inner workings of the department, structure of the professional hierarchy, etc. These are little things that will help you have an edge over your competitor and are a bit beyond the basics. These are the things you’ll save for the interview to show off your dedication. It’s a little creepy and unprofessional if you name drop in your resume or cover letter (unless it’s in your references section in which case NAME DROP).

Where to Find It: Most of these answers are going to be found in the job postings on AZA, IMATA, AAZK etc. or on the facility website. Definitely read them in full. You’ll want as much information as possible to give yourself the best chance. 

But some stuff isn’t going to be laid out right in the job description. But with a little digging you can usually find all you need and then some.

Facility Website: This should be your first stop. Most sites are gonna have sections like “Our Mission”, “Join the Team”, “About Us”. These are gonna help you find more of those buzz words and, obviously, that oh so important mission statement. Sections that talk about the employees, whether it be profiles or general information about those that work there will be a great help in telling you what they’re looking for in prospective employees. 

Social Media: Believe it or not, Facebook can actually be a big help in finding some of those details and bonus features. Groups like ZooKreepers and Marine Mammal Trainers can help shed some light on facilities and what they’re like. Employees post things all the times, job postings, videos, questions, etc. These can help you learn more about the facilities you’re applying to and also help network within the community.

Professional Network: Everyone knows someone. The animal care field is very small and most people know someone from at least 5 different facilities. If you talk to some of your co-workers or supervisors they might know someone who works at a place you’re applying to or they themselves may know some stuff to share. Curators and supervisors are usually the best at this because they’ve usually worked at several facilities and have connections with connections with connections. These people can tell you if a facility usually hires within, is looking for someone with a particular type of experience, and other little tidbits that can help you pull out in front of some of your competitors. 

And there you have it folks. The more information you can get about your potential employer the more you have to work with. While no amount of knowledge can substitute experience and skills it can definitely help you stand out and give you an edge. Happy researching :)

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to... “You know all about that, right?” - Aquarium Style

Assumptions. They make a jack-”ass” penguin out of “u” and “me.” 

(Please don’t stop reading because I opened with this horrible joke). Many people make assumptions when they hear I’ve worked with marine animals or that I’ve worked at an aquarium. Some are understandable, some I clearly support the notion behind them, and SOME are outright ridiculous. I dunno if any of you guys have had these experiences (it’s been most common at my zoo job), but for you other aspiring trainers, prepare yourself.

1. Filtration Systems.

“You know all about that, right? How they work, turning them on, backwashing, chemicals, repair, maintenance, right? I can just leave you here to work on it, right?”

“No. I do not. The person you’re thinking of works on the Life Support System (LSS) team.” Not always do the people taking care of the animals also take care of the water they swim in. The systems that move, treat, and maintain the water at an aquarium are so complex that it takes all of someone’s (or a team’s) attention. That’s not to say that there isn’t some overlap, especially among aquarists. But I think it’s safe to say that most trainers couldn’t successfully backwash, maintain ozone, add bromine, test for pH, and divert 2 plus million gallons of water to a different pool at the drop of a hat.

2. Fish Identification.

“You know all about that, right? What’s that one? What kind are we feeding the otters? I saw this one, one time and it looked like this, with this stuff on the side, you know what I’m talking about right? How many different species are there?”

“Well no, but kind of. I know some.” Do you have any idea how many fish species there are in the world?! There are over 30,000 known fish species in the world. To expect anyone to know what fish you’re talking about based off of a oversimplified description is crazy. Now we’ll probably know the fish that are typically fed out such as herring, capelin, and smelt, and of course basics like catfish, salmon, sharks, and maybe a trout or two. Anything beyond that is going to be case specific. Like I know how to identify some broad terms of fish like cichlids, surgeon fish, and anthias but that’s because I’ve been trained on it. Now it wouldn’t hurt to bone up on your fish knowledge but if you can at least identify a few broad groups you’ll impress the average Joe.

3. Swimming.

“You know all about that, right? You’ve swam with dolphins like all the time, right? And you must be super good at it. How long can you hold your breath? I bet swim tests are super easy for you.”

“Yes. But definitely no.” Most aspiring and current marine animal trainers are good swimmers. It’s basically a requirement. But even among the professionals there are some stark differences in ability. Some have been swimming since they were born and others have honed their skills to level of their job and that’s good enough for them. And no aspiring trainer out there has “gone swimming with the dolphins all the time” regardless of their skill level. Trainers work for years to get to the level of free swimming with the animals and they’re rarely  gonna let some young twenty something just have at it. Speaking of hard work, SWIM TESTS ARE NOT EASY! For anyone. Period. Well, I mean, they’re not all created equal, and some might be easier than others, but they are generally difficult and difficult for a reason. They are there so you can prove you have what it takes physically to do all the things a trainer does (granted you probably wont be diving down to the bottom of a 30 ft show pool your first day/week/month/year on the job, but they like to know you’ll be able to if they need you to one day).

4. Hard Work.

“You know aaaaaall about that, right? Cleaning, lifting, getting your hands dirty. You’re suuuuuper tough.”

“Ummm... excuse me?” Yeah this assumption is a little sarcastic in nature. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who think that trainers (and even animal care workers in general) are above hard work. That they just show up, feed the animal, do a little dance, and then go sit on their butt. I know that that’s not true. And I hope that YOU know that’s not true. But, as I said, there are lots of people who don’t know that. The best thing you can do in this case is just prove them wrong. Don’t waste your time trying to argue it, shut them up with your actions (I’m not suggesting you punch them). 

5. Blackfish

“You know all about that, right? You know how bad it is, right? How dangerous? I’m worried about you.”

“Yes I know. No I’m not afraid. Yes I still want to pursue this career.” Oh dear. Blackfish. We’re STILL talking about this. I’m not gonna tell you my thoughts on the.... film, because I think you should educate yourself. I will say that it’s gonna come up and you need to be prepared to answer. Just be sure that you stick to the facts. Your facts and the facts you know about the field. 

6. Cold Weather.

“You know nothing about that, right? You must be freezing! The dolphins like warm water right? Wasn’t that place you worked in Florida?”

“You know there are more dolphin places than in Florida, right?” This one is tough because some people really can’t take the cold, and others (crazies) wear shorts while shoveling snow. You’d be amazed how many people aren’t aware that there are dolphins, seals, sea lions, etc. all over the country (let alone the world). And let’s not forget how many warm weather penguins are out there in zoos and aquariums. Which means if you work with them, you yourself can be warm. Usually. But then we also have those animals like belugas and orcas. Cold water. Very cold water. I dunno where this assumption comes from other than the Florida, and sometimes California, thing. Just... dress to your comfort I guess?

These are just a few of the many assumptions you might face as you progress in your career. Don’t take them personally. The best thing you can do is educate people and help remove the assumptions. And if you ever worry that they might be developing a new assumption that makes absolutely no sense ask them about it, quiz them on the truth, and then give them your seal of approval (I am so sorry). 

Author’s Note: Marine animal trainers are not known for making horrible animal based puns. That’s all animal caretakers. 

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to... Working with Animals that Hate You

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Not everyone is going to like you.” In case you hadn’t heard, the same applies to animals. Most animals in a training program, if well trained, are going to respond to most people and most people pretty well, but with each individual animal comes individual preferences and unfortunately you might run into one of those preferences that is so strong, in fact, you’ll swear that individual looks at you and says... 

 So what can you do about it? Try the following methods:

Ask for help. Simple enough. If there is someone else who has a good relationship with the “Hate Giver” (herein referred to as HG) ask them how they got there. They might know a trick, or something new you could try. Often times the people with the best relationships had to overcome some difficulty and can help guide you in your struggle.

Find a term of endearment. As an esteemed professional you can’t always display your dismay in your current surrounding. I recommend coming up with a few names you use in different situations. In front of guests, to co-workers, in your diary/revenge plans. It helps relieve a little tension and keep you professional. My personal favorites include: Satan’s Baby, Lord of Crap, The Death of Me, and The Harbinger of My Nightmares. But if those don’t work for you putting a strong emphasis on the word “Friend” can also help get the point across. “Oh hello, Friend.” “I’m so happy you’re making your own choices for this session, Friend.” “I promise to always love you my Friend.” I’d say try to always keep it clean but let’s be real. When someone hates you, you probably aren’t going to refer to them by Sunshine McGain-scented Sweet Bottom.

Celebrate milestones. Any and every time you make the slightest bit of progress with this animal you better celebrate it like it’s 1995, 2006, and 3145 all rolled up into one (3145 is the year that scientists perfect an entirely cake based diet). If that means jack-potting, dancing, screaming like an idiot (trust me it works sometimes) you better do it. Not only with the animal but also with yourself on your own time. Give yourself a treat because you earned it. It’ll give you something to remember when you hit your next rough patch. You wont succeed again if you don’t make it worth it for you AND the animal. 

Ready a proxy. Now sometimes you are gonna get mad. Sooooooo very mad. You can only endure so much hate from one being before it starts to make you angry. And as an animal caretaker your first priority is animal health and safety. So when you get that sudden urge to, oh I don’t know, throw the HG in a sack, tie that sack with razor wire, stuff the sack into an electrified metal box, and throw that box off a cliff into a river that ends with a waterfall crashing into sharp pointy rocks......... Don’t. Use your proxy instead. Any inanimate object you can take out your aggression on works just fine. A pillow, a stress ball, a voodoo doll, a vase, a sand sculpture model of the HG..... whatever. It all works just fine. Let it out. Just.... not on the actual animal. Please. You’ll get fired. And possibly arrested. 

Be patient. It’s not going to happen overnight. I’m sorry, I really wish it would. But think of all the great wars in history (great as in large, not as in awesome). It took days for treaties and compromises to be reached even after the days, weeks, months, YEARS of fighting. I’m not comparing your relationship with your HG to a war, but very much like a war, the best ones (again war isn’t awesome) are concluded with compromise. Take your time, and do the work.

Don’t take it personally. I know, I know. How can you not take it personally when, clearly, the HG HATES you. What I really mean is, don’t view what’s happening as a consequence of your person. The majority of the time the reason an animal is “acting out” is because they are trying to communicate something. It could be “I don’t like the way you toss the fish so high” or “Stop locking me out of my den after you spray the water. I want to be out there for it.” And yes, it is possible that they’re saying “I don’t like you and I want you to go away forever.” That’s fine. You can work with that. That should tell you that you need to find a way to make yourself reinforcing for the animal so that they DO want to be with you. All that being said, you should also check to make sure that you’re not doing anything particularly horrible like, being unclear, being mean, or smelling bad. 

Work safe. Seriously. I can’t stress this enough. If your HG is at the level of aggressive behavior (a pretty clear indicator of the HG status) you need to be safe. If this means stepping back a bit, maybe taking on a supporting role instead of a lead, DO IT. Nothing is going to be gained if you or the animal gets hurt. Plus you run the risk of teaching the animal that it can get what it wants (you getting out of its face) by being aggressive. Hate can be okay. Dangerous actions that follow? Not so much. Also make sure you’re wearing the necessary protective equipment (or PPEs). Anything from gloves to closed-toe shoes are going to help keep you safe in the event something should go wrong. And most importantly, talk to your supervisors if the situation is really a danger to you, your co-workers, or other animals. Some changes to the HG’s care plan might be in order, and that’s not a bad thing. Remember, safety first (and that’s why it’s listed seventh). Suit up everyone!

Learn from your mistakes. Animal training is a conversation. You ask the animal questions and they answer. Sometimes you don’t always get the answer you’re hoping for. Learn from it. Grow, adapt, and work with your partner. Sometimes you’re straight up gonna do something wrong and when you do that you learn what not to do in the future. That helps you get one step closer to doing the right thing in the future. 

And there you have it. These are your starting points. You’re gonna have to find what works best for you and your HG. The best advice that I can really give you is to have fun and know your limitations. If you have fun the animal should be having fun, but that being said, you can’t win them all. If everyone liked everyone, the Power Rangers wouldn’t have a reason to save the day. Give it your best shot and good luck, Friends ;)

Disclaimer: The above methods are all unscientifically proven to better your relationship with the “Hate Givers” in your care. Unless that animal is a bird. In which case good luck. 

[fistfulloffish]

A Post Internship Checklist - RESUMES

I’m going to be very upfront with this one. THERE IS NO PERFECT WAY TO MAKE A RESUME!! Let me repeat. THERE IS NO PERFECT WAY TO MAKE A RESUME!! Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of wrong ways to make a resume. But every potential employer is going to have a different opinion. So the best advice I can give you is to make sure you have the following:

A Clean Layout: Make sure everything is legible. Play around with your layout using columns and bullets to make something clear and defined.

Your Accomplishments: Brag on yourself. If you took charge of a major project, mention it. If you took initiative to make a change, mention it. If you were selected for something special, mention it.

Your Current Contact Information: Don’t make them struggle to get a hold of you.

Important References: If you have a good relationship with a higher up at a facility, supervisor, curator, director, etc. make sure you ASK them and then put them on your resume. It stands out if the big wigs are willing to speak on your behalf.

Facility Relevant Information: If you’ve done your research, this step is easy. If you’ve worked with a certain species before and you’re trying to work with that same one somewhere else, mention it. Dear god mention it. An employer is much more likely to trust you to care for their animals if they know you’ve cared for similar animals before. If you know they are big on leadership, point out your leadership experience. If the position has a major education component, highlight your teaching skills or programs you’ve lead. (This means you’ll need to edit your resume for each individual position you apply for)

Opinions, Opinions, Opinions: Get some. Get lots. The more you have the more you start to learn what the really important parts of your resume are and how to make them the focus. Talk to people who have been in the biz for a while because, here’s a secret, THEY HAVE JOBS which means they probably know a thing or two about getting one. People who look at lots of resumes also can shed major light because they can tell you what would stand out to them and how you can make sure you would. In the end though your opinion matters the most. You have to decide how you want to be represented.

I could talk on and on about resumes. Most people could since there are so many ways to do it. But I can’t tell you how do it. I can offer you a bit of advice and second set of eyes if you’d like them. The rest is up to you.

[fistfulloffish]

An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to... Conquering Career Induced Depression

So if your experience pursuing a career in animal training/zoo keeping is anything like mine then you’ve probably run into many disappointments. You’re not qualified enough. You didn’t pass the swim test. You didn’t get offered an interview. Et cetera, et cetera. This can turn into a massive funk cloud that just smothers the life out of you. You feel hopeless, like a loser, probably a bit fat if we’re being really honest. So what can you do to help move forward? Well I’m gonna tell you. I’m gonna talk about what you can do to help yourself feel better. Not feel better about your resume. Not feel more comfortable about your interview last week. I’m talking about actually feeling better emotionally. You can’t take care of a dolphin’s health if you’re not taking care of your own health. Mental and emotional included. Anyways, here are my not so expert steps in how you can make yourself feel better in general: 1) Change Your Base.

You’re probably gonna feel the urge to eat a lot of junk food. Do it. Eat all of it. Eat every last chip and cookie until you recognize that it isn’t helping. Then change your base. The animals get a base diet for training, calories, etc. but we never really plan out our own diet that way. So start eating fruits and vegetables out the wazoo. Bake a chicken. Look up those “gross vegan recipes” and make something. After all that junk food you’ll be amazed at how good you feel to be eating right. How awake you are, how much energy you have, and how happy you feel. Plus if the occasional “I didn’t get an offer” pint of ice cream sneaks in you won’t feel quite as guilty. 2) Clean Your Habitat.

Let’s be honest. The only thing that smells worse than the fish covered swimsuit you aren’t wearing right now is the combination of sweat, old pizza boxes, laundry, and general funk of depression that’s filling your room. So first step to tackling this is to take a long hot shower. Actually standing up this time is suggested but not required. After you’ve thoroughly cleaned yourself you’ll have a better appreciation for just how badly your habitat is in need of cleaning and repair. Dive right in with the trash. I strongly recommend getting at least two large trash bags from the get go so you don’t lose motivation when your trash can gets full. Next you need to dust, sweep, vacuum, and/or rinse with a fire hose… I’m not here to judge, you do what you gotta do. Now I know for some of you this next step will feel impossible, but DO IT ANYWAYS! Strip down your bed, grab your hamper, and do all your laundry. All of it. Leave nothing soft, cozy, or snuggly in that room. This will help prevent you from taking a nap or just curling up in a corner and reminiscing about the first day you got your favorite teddy bear. Meanwhile go have a snack or something (If you’ve already successfully changed your base I’d recommend a banana. If you haven’t completed that step yet, I still recommend a banana). Take your mind off your clean yet barren habitat. Once the laundry is done the next step is to put your bed back together, straighten any pictures, fan out the magazines, and I suppose put the clothes in the closet. After all of that is done walk to the middle of your room and lie on the floor. Yes, get down and put your body on the freshly vacuumed carpet. Now look around and enjoy your fresh space. Notice the lack of dark clouds and the fresh scent of lavender or lemon or whatever kind of scented cleaning product you used. This is no longer a space of dreary disappointments. This is now a happy home for accomplishing goals and good nights’ sleep. 3) Get Some Enrichment. This one is very open for your own interpretation. Basically you need to go out and try something new. Old hobbies not bringing the same joy? That’s fine. Go find a new one. Go buy a hula hoop and set a new personal record. Go to Wal-Mart and count how many people you see in their pajamas. Go see a movie you’ve never seen before. Go wave to strangers. Go try and do anything new or different. Give your brain and body some stimulation, because odds are, the 6 seasons of reality TV you watched on Netflix didn’t do that for you. I personally find it very enriching to get my adrenaline pumping. I’m not really a thrill seeker so the most enriching thing to my daily schedule is being scared witless or conquering a fear. Like my fear of eagles for example. 4) Do an Interaction. Probably the most dangerous of the steps is to do an interaction with an actual human face-to-face in person. It doesn’t really matter what you do for this step; dinner, drinks, donuts, but you need to engage with the other person. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels to feed off of the energy of someone else for a while. Talk about their life instead of the troubles in yours. Now this can be dangerous because you run the risk of discussing all your career troubles. But that’s why this step is toward the end. If you’ve mastered the other steps then you should be ready to talk about anything. After you complete this interaction, book another. Plan to do one at least once a week until you’re ready for more. This will help keep your skills as a human (eating, sleeping, bathing, etc.) in working condition. 5) Learn a New Behavior. Now last and most difficult is to learn something. I know how inconceivable that sounds. Especially after you did all the other steps. But it’s time to face facts. Whatever you tried before didn’t work. What can you do to make it work next time? Maybe you need to have another set of eyes on your resume or better prepare for the interview. Maybe you need to hit the pool a bit more often or get some experience on a microphone. Maybe you did everything perfect and it was just a personality preference. In that case you need to work on accepting that. Sometimes you just never know what they’re looking for, and that’s okay. Grow from it. Learn how to market who you are so that when someone is looking for it, they see you and they want it even more than they thought they did. And once you feel that you’ve found what you’ve needed to learn and mastered it, reinforce your behavior with a slice of cake or a new shirt or something. It’s all for nothing if you don’t find a way to encourage yourself to keep doing it.

Now, if you’ve followed all these steps you should be well on your way or fully out of your Career Induced Depression. Don’t be afraid to revisit these. Odds are you’re gonna get pretty bummed more than once. That’s the nature of the beast. But more than anything, remember what it takes to train any behavior: motivation. Ground yourself in what motivates you to pursue this career and never lose sight of it.