Foresters
O*NET files this work under Foresters: people who manage public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes. The skills rated most useful are speaking, reading comprehension, and monitoring. You may also need to establish short- and long-term plans for management of forest lands and forest resources. Its interest code is RIC. Realistic leads at 5.3 out of 7, so expect hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, with Investigative next at 4.5. Getting in usually takes a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience, a level O*NET calls considerable preparation. People who want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world usually fit better here than those who need creative work with room for original expression.
What they do
Manage public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes. May inventory the type, amount, and location of standing timber, appraise the timber's worth, negotiate the purchase, and draw up contracts for procurement. May determine how to conserve wildlife habitats, creek beds, water quality, and soil stability, and how best to comply with environmental regulations. May devise plans for planting and growing new trees, monitor trees for healthy growth, and determine optimal harvesting schedules.
Main tasks
- Establish short- and long-term plans for management of forest lands and forest resources.
- Plan cutting programs and manage timber sales from harvested areas, assisting companies to achieve production goals.
- Determine methods of cutting and removing timber with minimum waste and environmental damage.
- Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands.
- Perform inspections of forests or forest nurseries.
- Monitor contract compliance and results of forestry activities to assure adherence to government regulations.
Skills
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Complex Problem Solving
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
- You are comfortable relying on speaking and reading comprehension.
May not suit you if
- You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
- You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.3 out of 7 here.
- You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RIC takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.
Preparation
Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.
Also called
- Area Forester
- District Forester
- Environmental Protection Forester
- Fire Prevention Forester
- Forest Silviculturist
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.