Internships, volunteering, or research programs—how did you gain hands-on experience and what would you recommend?
I got my first field days by emailing the PI of a local NOAA-funded seagrass project and offering to run dawn water-quality casts for a month; showing up at 5 a.m. turned that “volunteering” into a paid tech slot. If unpaid time’s a hurdle, pitch a two-week microtask with a clear deliverable (e.g., QA/QC CTD casts) so it doesn’t drag on. What coast are you on?