Podcasts

Season 3 | Young Professionals in Forestry and Natural Resources | Episode 2

#37 | A lot of my favorite leaders are like stage managers. You never see them in the spotlight, but they keep things moving

August 11, 2017 | Allison Ginn

Allison Ginn is Utah’s National Conservation Lands Program Lead for the Bureau of Land Management. She provides statewide support for issues related to designated wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, and more. Allison has a M.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Georgia and a B.S. in Geosciences from Mississippi State University. As a young professional, Allison shares her personal experience on what it was like to finally land a job in the professional she loves, and she shares insights on the challenges and rewards of working with people on natural resource issues. One piece of Allison’s advice for leaders in this episode is to create a productive environment by spending your time “bringing people up.”

Key Takeaways:

[1:00] A quick intro about Allison’s background.

[2:15] How did Allison get started in natural resources management?

[5:25] Allison’s mother works for Delta airlines, which meant that Allison grew up with an intense love for travel, and was able to see a lot of the world at an early age.

[5:55] What is BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and what’s their mission?

[8:40] What has Allison’s experience been like as a young professional in forestry and natural resources?

[12:10] Allison applied for 65 different jobs, and was only offered three interviews!

[14:15] There are some great intern programs out that can help give you a leg up in your career.

[15:25] Allison offers some advice for those currently seeking for a job.

[16:05] What has been the best part of Allison’s career so far?

[20:25] What does Allison wish she learned sooner in her career?

[28:55] What kinds of leadership lessons has Allison learned, so far?

[33:00] Has Allison personally experienced any challenges as a woman while being in this profession?

[38:25] Allison shares a bit more information about BLM and how they can help young professionals!

[45:50] Tom’s Leadership Tip of the Week!

Mentioned in This Episode:
BLM Career Opportunities:
BLM.gov/careers/students-and-grads/direct-hire-program
BLM.gov/careers/students-and-grads/public-lands-corps
BLM.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah
Bossypants, by Tina Fey
LeadershipNature.com