Employment at St Louis Zoo
Working for the St Louis Zoo is an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in zoological or animal healthcare careers. While you must live in the Saint Louis area in Missouri, there are a variety of career opportunities available to qualified applicants. The St Louis Zoo application can be completed online.
Those who live in the Saint Louis Zoo-Museum Sub-district in town are given preference for open positions. The zoo also offers internships and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. The zoo is always looking for qualified staff for zoo operations, animal care, and even educational outreach programs.
St Louis Zoo Application
If you are ready to complete your St Louis Zoo application, you must start with their application portal, located here. The zoo offers positions in the following departments:
- Administration;
- Catering;
- Business Operations/Food Service;
- Education;
- Facilities Management;
- Distribution/ Business Operations;
- IT;
- Distribution;
- Security;
- Gift Shops.
Some of the positions currently offered at the St Louis Zoo application page are listed below:
- Administrative Assistant;
- Cooks;
- Catering Assistant;
- Conservation Education Researcher;
- Facilities Manager;
- General Maintenance;
- Landscaper;
- Network Administrator;
- Public Safety Beat;
- Retail Associate.
The careers page lists all vacant positions at a given time. You must apply online; the zoo does not accept initial applications in person. You are welcome to contact the zoo’s hiring department to check on the status of your application once you have submitted your online information.
- You can select the position you would like to apply for by checking the box next to it and clicking on the green continue button at the bottom of the page.
- You will then need to provide an email address and a password for your account. This will allow you to check on your St Louis Zoo application later and apply for other positions if necessary.
- You must click the green next button to move to the next screen. Here you will provide your contact information including your full name and mailing address and a phone number where you can be reached.
- Before your account is complete and you can begin your St Louis Zoo application, you must certify that you understand the implications of completing your forms online. Enter your information into each box and finish by entering the date in MM/DD/YYYY format before selecting next.
After your account is created, you will complete the application in 5 steps. This process will take about one hour or less to complete.
1. Frequent Questions
Here you will answer questions that are designed to screen you for the position you are applying for. These items will vary by area but will help human resources match the best candidates with the best jobs. Questions are centered on any particular skills or training needed to successfully perform your job or experience with specific programs or equipment used for the job.
Detailed, accurate responses are appreciated in this section. You will also need to indicate if you have a driver’s license or proper identification relevant to the job.
2. Applicant Statement
You must certify that you understand you need by law to provide truthful and complete information as requested on your application.
You must select that you agree before moving to the next steps of the St Louis Zoo application.
3. Work History
These pages will ask you a series of questions related to your previous experience. Include all relevant working experience. You will have to enter all your information manually with a good bit of detail; there is no option to upload your resume online now.
If you are relatively new to the workforce, you may include internships and volunteer experiences in your application. You must enter names, positions, dates, locations, supervisor names, and phone numbers for each position listed. You will also enter a summary of the duties you performed for each job.
4. Education
This section will ask you to provide information related to your studies. List all high schools, trade schools, colleges, universities, and training you have attended with dates, majors, grade point averages, addresses and degrees/certificates earned for each one.
5. References
You will need to provide three professional references to complete your application. These should be people you have worked with but do not necessarily need to be supervisors.
Your references should be people who can speak to your work habits and ethics as an employee. Reference information includes names, titles, addresses and phone numbers. Make sure you let your references know so they can expect to be contacted by human resources.
Minimum Age for Employment at St Louis Zoo
Work with the St Louis Zoo is highly competitive for both paid and unpaid positions. Employees for paid positions should be at least 16 years old. Internships and volunteer positions are available for those who turn 15 years old before June of that year. Younger and less experienced workers should apply for internships before paid positions to gain the skills needed to begin paid work for the zoo.
Internships frequently turn into offers of employment for hard workers. If you are interested in these opportunities, be prepared to justify in writing and in your interview why you will make a healthy addition to the St Louis Zoo team. Your application will stand out if you have previous animal care experience, strong writing skills, and a stellar personality that demonstrates an elevated level of professionalism and customer service.
St Louis Zoo Hours of Operation
The zoo is open from 9am-5pm daily, except for holidays and special zoo events. The zoo calendar is available here. Prospective applicants can view this calendar to get an idea of which days the zoo will be closed throughout the year.
Employees should report for work before opening and stay till after closing to make sure the animals are cared for, and zoo attractions are maintained up to standard.
Entry Level St Louis Zoo Careers and Respective Income
Entry level staff can expect to be placed in customer service related positions are running the operations side of the park. These employees typically make between $8-10 per hour. Zookeepers and other animal care related staff can expect to make between $30,000-50,000 per year depending on their qualifications and experience.
Interns and entry-level staff that are receiving the required training are often considered for animal-related positions that come available.
St Louis Zoo Careers in Management
Management jobs with the St Louis Zoo serve various purposes from managing retail and customer service staff to handling the business operations or even overseeing the zookeepers if the proper qualifications are met.
Benefits of Working at St Louis Zoo
If you complete your St Louis application and are offered a full-time position, you can expect the following advantages:
- Medical Insurance;
- Dental Insurance;
- Vision Insurance;
- Long-Term Disability;
- Short-Term Disability;
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment;
- Pension (Defined Benefit) Retirement System;
- Deferred Compensation 457 Retirement Plan;
- Flexible Benefit Plans;
- Employee Assistance Program;
- Vacation;
- Sick Time;
- Wellness Program;
- Critical Illness Insurance;
- Accident Insurance.
The following benefits are for Full-Time, Part-Time and Seasonal employees:
- Free employee parking;
- Six Adventure Passes per year;
- Discounts on food and retail purchases;
- Discounts on Dedicated Events and Education Programs;
- Uniforms;
- Transit Pass Discount Program;
- Zoo employee events and celebrations.
Basic Tips for Your St Louis Zoo Application
Completing a successful St Louis Zoo application requires a combination of relevant education and experience. If you take an interest in working directly with the animals in the zoo, you should have completed or be enrolled in an approved AZA educational program relevant to the kind of work you want to do with animals. Information about these programs is here.
When answering questions about yourself on your application, including all classes you are currently taking or planning to take in your explanations. If you are looking for a customer service job, you will only add relevant experience in retail or similar environments.
Internship applicants should include as many school-based experiences as possible to make their applications stand out. Work on individual research projects or volunteering trips with your high school is all remarkable things to include in your request. These internships can be difficult to get. But if you are not offered a position the first time you apply, you are encouraged to re-apply later once you have more experience to speak of.
Previous employees report that the St Louis Zoo application process is moderately easy from start to finish. Staff and applicants did report that the online application can be time-consuming due to the amount of detail required.
St Louis Zoo Interview Tips
When you are contacted for an interview with the zoo, you should start to gather the things you will need to take with you. These items include:
- Print out of your most current resume;
- L list of references from both work and school;
- Copies of any relevant transcripts or certifications you have earned that will help you prove you are the best person for the job.
When you are getting ready for your interview, you should dress professionally but sensibly. A suit and tie are not necessary if you are applying for a zookeeper position. Be sure to ask your hiring manager if you will be shadowing another employee or doing anything that would require comfortable clothing.
Make sure to bring all your printed documents with you and be ready to answer questions about your previous work experiences and other information you provided on your application. Be friendly but professional in your demeanor during your interview. Always be ready to ask clarifying questions as your interviewer is talking. Answer each question to the best of your ability using personal examples from your experiences with other jobs. Make sure you thank your interviewer for taking the time to meet with you before you leave the interview.
Frequently Asked St Louis Zoo Interview Questions
Typical St Louis Zoo interviews last from 15-30 minutes and are usually one on one. Some group discussions are occasionally held. You can expect to be asked some of the following questions during your interview:
- Why do you want to work with our zoo?
- What experience do you have with animals?
- Have you ever visited our zoo? What was your impression of it?
- What qualifications do you have to work here?
- Have you ever dealt with a difficult customer? How did you handle it?
- If you were asked to do a job that made you uncomfortable, what would you do?
- How do you handle conflict with coworkers?
- Do you have any scheduling conflicts that may impact your ability to work?
Working at St Louis Zoo
Working at the St Louis Zoo is a rewarding and challenging opportunity regardless of whether you want to work with animals or with zoo patrons.
If you are considering completing your St Louis Zoo application but want more information from previous employees, check out their page on GlassDoor.
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