Dr. Johnson, Entomologist at US Department of Agriculture
Published 29 Jun 2020
Tags: agriculture, biology, entomology, scienceWhy did you choose to pursue this career? What made you certain this was the right path?
In my childhood, going outdoors was a passion of mine. I loved to go outdoors and just look at whatever thing was crawling around in my backyard. Most of the time, it happened to be a bug. As such, I decided to pursue such a passion in my career.
What events, prior employment, or educational experiences led you to your current job?
Working with other members of the USDA while being an army entomologist lead to me working here later on.
What schooling, education, and/or certifications did you complete to prepare you for this career?
I completed a PhD for this career.
How did you make the best use of your time in both your education and career?
In my education, I studied hard. Also, I worked through the military.
What advice would you give to a high school or college student interested in pursuing this field of work?
This is a fairly broad field of work, so my advice would be to look at the variations within this field. Additionally, be prepared to hold positions that will give you field experience.
What opportunities would you suggest high school students participate in?
For this field of work, definitely outdoors activities. Activities such as scouting, various outdoor based clubs, and just general hobbies such as hiking and biking.
What opportunities did you take as a student that helped advance your career (research, internships, etc.)
I took on jobs at nature day camps during my summers.
What does a typical day at your job look like?
Looking at what pests get into American agriculture and finding out origins, preferred crop and how we reduce its prevalence.
What was a surprising aspect of your job?
I was surprised at how much I loved doing it.
What qualities are necessary to be successful in your field of work, and why?
As the job largely involves bugs which is a fear of many people, you must be okay with seeing and touching bugs.
Do you have any additional advice?
Be open to opportunities, be willing to take jobs that will give you a lot of experience with maybe not too much pay and be enthusiastic about what you do.