Are you a student or someone wanting to break into the environmental career sector? A 20- or 30-something grappling with the question of getting your master’s? This is the episode for you!

In this installment of “More than a fish”, host Auston Chhor sits down with Jason Hwang, Chief Program Officer and Vice President Salmon with Pacific Salmon Foundation. He is also joining the selection committee for the 2025 Raincoast Ocean Science Awards, happening on November 20th at the Vancouver Aquarium. Jason began as a habitat biologist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the BC Interior North region. Growing up in North Delta, he spent his weekends fishing and was naturally drawn to what was under the water’s surface. Now, he oversees and supports all PSF salmon initiatives, working with First Nations, crown government agencies, other NGOs, academia, and industry.

As Jason states early on in the conversation, he knows just as well as anyone else working in this realm that there is no “career in conservation for dummies” handbook. As someone who sifts through many resumes from hundreds of applicants, Auston asks what Jason looks for in potential hires. The response may not be what you expect … i.e., it’s not necessarily a MSc next to your name.

“Say I’m talking to you and your twin brother, and your twin brother went and got his master’s, and you spent two years carrying an electrofisher up through devil’s club streams in the middle of the North doing fish salvage for a pipeline… I start to ask you ‘How would you mitigate the effects of a road or a pipeline and maintain conservation priorities for natural resources?’… you are going to have a lot of hands-on knowledge to actually do something.”

Jason shares what stands out to him, and how getting a role in an environment that is solely academically oriented is like making the NHL … but the other roles are there for those who can find a way to take what they’ve learned in science and academic training and combine it with applied, real-world experience. This is a marketable skill that generally isn’t taught in a university classroom.

The reality? This career space isn’t black and white — it’s not academia versus industry, good versus evil. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, challenge common paths, and approach your next move with curiosity over rigidity.

Additional resources:

• Career opportunities with PSF
• Conservation Careers job board
• Interview with Jason for the Raincoast Ocean Science Awards
• Subscribe to Raincoast’s newsletter to be the first to hear about job opportunities!

Raincoast Radio is hosted by Auston Chhor and produced by Sofia Osborne. This podcast is a production of Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. Learn more and support our work at raincoast.org