SOME PEOPLE HAVE A REALLY TOUGH time deciding what they want to do for a living - a career. Your personal interests, talents and how much money you want to make all play a role in making this decision. So do external factors such as how well you do on standardized tests, what programs are available at your high school, and how your counselors, parents and others influence you when you start to think about careers. All of these competing forces can make choosing a career more stressful than it really has to be. Some careers can be chosen mostly because they are fun. That's right, fun. The practical issues like required education and potential earnings have to be taken into consideration, but how "practical" is it to wake up with a smile on your face every morning because you know you're going to spend your day doing something you really love? Many people burn out on their careers after a few years because they hated what they were doing. What could possibly be better than getting paid to do what you would gladly do for fun? A career in zoos and aquariums definitely qualifies. Every year millions of people head to zoos and aquariums for entertainment, relaxation and education, and they depend upon dedicated professionals to provide these services. Best of all, increased environmental awareness has made zoos and aquariums more popular than ever, boosting demand for careerists with the right skills to operate them. Do you think you would be happy spending your days taking care of the animals - and people - at a zoo or aquarium? You do not have to be a veterinarian to carve out a worthy career in the zoo or aquarium field. Both zoos and aquariums need veterinarians, so you can certainly take that route if you want, but they also need skilled administrators, designers, horticulturists, volunteer coordinators and careerists with standard business and management skills, like marketing and public relations professionals. This report will concentrate on those careers most directly related to zoos and aquariums, however. Careerists interested in veterinary science will find useful information here but should also check out the Careers Report in this series devoted to veterinary careers. Take careful note of the information you find here. There are sections on how to prepare for your career in zoos or aquariums, what kind of education you will need, how to get a little experience while you're still in high school, and even how much money you can expect to earn at various stages in your career. If you like what you read here, check out some of the organizations listed at the end of this report. You will find even more information about this challenging career, and maybe even a few useful connections. You are making a very important, life-changing decision. You can never know too much.