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INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS CONTINUED

TIPS FOR LANDING

A ZOO INTERNSHIP

Brookfield Zoo’s internships attract a
large number of applicants. “We only
take 10 to 15 percent of them,” said
Cory Wilcox. But applicants can bump
up their chance of being selected.

Get experience working with animals.
G e t e x p e r i e nc e w o r k in g wi t h a n im a l s .
“Volunteer somewhere and build animal-
handling skills, especially if you’re going
for a zookeeper position,” said Wilcox.
“It can be at a dog or cat shelter, a pet store,
a wildlife sanctuary, or rehab situation.”
Before being selected for an internship,
Vucsko worked as a bather at a dog-grooming
salon, at a kennel, and at a dairy farm at the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

B e fl e x ib l e .
Be flexible.
The summer internships receive the most
applications, said Wilcox. So apply for a
fall or winter position. Also, she advises,
don’t rule out an internship that isn’t
your first choice. Moeser’s educational
curatorial internship was not his first
choice, but he enjoyed it and may have
stumbled upon a new career path. Kevin Enderlen completed a certified veterinary technician (CVT) internship.
He now works as a CVT at the Zoo's Animal Hospital.
B e p er s i s t en t .
Be persistent.
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If you aren’t chosen for an internship, Certified Veterinary Technician
don’t give up. “I applied for an Many veterinarians say certified veterinary technicians (CVTs) are
internship three or four times before the backbone of a veterinary hospital. They do everything from cleaning
I got an interview,” said Vucsko. animal areas and taking radiographs of animals to running blood samples
and assisting during complicated surgical procedures.
Don’t miss the deadline.
D o n ’ t mi s s t he d e a d line . Kevin Enderlen was a student in the CVT program at Joliet Junior
Applications for summer 2024 internships College when he began an internship at the Zoo in 2019. “I was always
are due February 1, 2024. Applicants side-by-side with one of the technicians and helped out with whatever
must fill out and submit forms online I was able to do,” said Enderlen. Each day was different, he said. “One day
via the Chicago Zoological Society’s I helped with a procedure on Layla Rhinoceros and the next day I was
internship website. A résumé or doing bird exams and maybe a penguin blood draw.”
CV, two letters of recommendation, Some highlights of his internship included being guided through
and a current college transcript are the intubation of 600-pound Axhi Brown Bear by Dr. Sathya
required, as well as an interview. Chinnadurai, now senior vice president of Animal Health & Welfare.
Enderlen also monitored anesthesia and trimmed nails during a routine
physical exam of an Amur leopard. He assisted with CT scans of a polar
bear and a dolphin.
26 GATEWAYS | LEARNING TO WORK WITH WILDLIFE