Success through networking
This forester stresses the importance of networking for career development.

Maggie Grosenick enjoys the responsibilities surrounding her first permanent position with the U.S. Forest Service. Networking was key to her success in landing the job.

Maggie Grosenick (B.S. 2005) enjoys the diversity of experiences provided by her position as a forester on the Rogue River- Siskiyou National Forest in southwest Oregon. Her duties include planning, designing, and laying out timber sales, as well as "a lot" of GIS and GPS work to delineate boundaries and map sale areas. She also works in the areas of reforestation, timber stand improvement, stand data collection, and wildland firefighting.

Maggie tells us, "I'm enjoying the diversity of tasks that I undertake working for the Forest Service. I've received training in everything from database management to fire suppression to insects and disease damage. On a day-to-day basis I perform any number of different tasks." Foresters in her unit work on new timber sales, complete stand restoration projects, and participate in stewardship projects. When her workload permits, Maggie also enjoys working with wildlife biologists and fuels specialists to broaden her knowledge in these areas.

A challenging aspect of her job involves dealing with controversial timber sales such as the Mike's Gulch timber sale, the first proposed "salvage logging" in a roadless area, located in her zone. Despite the controversy surrounding such logging, Maggie says, "I feel good that I can be directly responsible for ensuring that all of the highest environmental standards are met throughout the whole process."

As a recent graduate, Maggie recalls how important networking was in her career development and for landing a job with the Forest Service. She says she attended three Society of American Foresters (SAF) national conventions where she was able to meet potential future employers. At her third convention in Fort Worth, Texas, Maggie provided her resume to the Regional Forester from Oregon and was eventually offered a permanent position. She also suggests that students stay in touch with classmates. They are a great resource for helping one another locate and land jobs and summer internships. Says Maggie, "Everything is about networking. While I was still in school I was sometimes hesitant to admit it, but I have no doubt in my mind that networking is the fastest and best way to start a great career."