Windy city workforce

This department spotlights a relatively recent addition to the workforce, focusing on the person’s educational or working background, daily responsibilities, challenges, passions, frustrations and outlook for his or her future in the field.

Name: Timothy Ward
Age: 30
Company: John J. Shedd Aquarium
Title: Animal trainer
College Path: B.S. in Biology from Western Illinois University

How you ended up here: I remember the moment very well when I decided I wanted to work with dolphins. It was over winter break in my junior year in college. I was at my parents’ house watching this movie on HBO called “Zeus and Roxanne.” It’s about a marine biologist studying a dolphin who then accidentally discovers an interspecies communication between the dolphin and a dog. Watching this marine biologist working with a dolphin just seemed too interesting and fun. From that point on, I knew I wanted to work with dolphins. After graduation, I pursued an internship at the Shedd Aquarium. I followed that up with a seasonal keeper position at the Indianapolis Zoo for a few months. I soon returned back to Chicago to Shedd as a part-time employee before being hired as a full-time trainer in 2000.

How long you’ve been at it: I have been at the Shedd Aquarium for over six years. I also spent a year and a half, in between my six years at Shedd, working with bottlenose dolphins for the U.S. Navy in San Diego.

Who you answer to, if anyone: I answer to the millions of visitors who come to the aquarium each year from all over the country and the world.

Hours you expect to be at work: My normal scheduled hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. four days a week. But when you are working with animals, you are always on call. Overtime is expected in this line of work.

The breakdown of what people anticipate from you: A common question I get is, “Are you a marine biologist?” The answer is no. There are marine biologists who work with dolphins, but not all dolphin people are marine biologists. Marine biologists are more in focus with all aspects of marine life, including plants, animals and other organisms that live in the ocean or any other body of water. Though I have a great deal of knowledge in animal science and marine biology from all my experience, my expertise is more in animal training and animal care. Working in the field is not as glamorous at it seems. Sure it’s fun, but it takes a lot of hard work and energy to get though a day. We are all like athletes. There is a lot of physical and mental strengths involved. From all the swimming and diving and lifting buckets of frozen fish to swimming in 55-degree water and memorizing scripted presentations, it’s a demanding job.

What your friends assume you do all day: My friends assume I just play with the dolphins and whales all day. Only about 25 percent of my day is involved with interacting with the animals. The other 75 percent deals with cleaning, food prep, meetings, record keeping, diving, observations, guest interactions and more. As marine mammal trainers at Shedd, we have over 60 animals to care for, so it entails a lot of hard work outside of just playing with them.

Best perk: Swimming with the dolphins and whales. Come on now, how cool is that? Living in Chicago and getting to swim year round with dolphins and whales. Can’t beat that!

At the Shedd Aquarium, we take pride in... our mission and values. At the Shedd Aquarium, animals connect you to the living world, inspiring you to make a difference.

I know it’s a good day when... I put a smile on a young child’s face.

I have trouble dealing with… people who are always looking for an easy way out.

How do you answer people who believe these animals should remain in the wild? I smile and say they have the right to express their own opinion.

Things can get tense when... no dolphins want to participate in our marine mammal presentation due to them being very social, interactive animals.

Do you see personalities in these animals? Definitely. We work with these animals on a daily basis, and with the amount of time we spend with them, we can definitely see each animal’s own unique personality. This is what makes each one of them so special.

What might you change if given the chance? Getting the opportunity to work with killer whales.

Why you have a smile when you come to work: Smiling at work is never a problem. The relationships we have with the animals is so rewarding that the smiles just come natural with the job. Who wouldn’t want to smile while working with dolphins every day here in Chicago? Also, the people I work with make the job fun. Working with a great team of trainers at Shedd makes this job that much more enjoyable.

Where can you go from here? I can move up the chain from senior trainer to supervisor, further up to curator, and as far up as director. I can even get involved with some marine science research as well.

Advice for joining the field: So many have the dream to work with dolphins, but most either give up too early in their pursuit of it as a career or don’t even consider it to be a career option. It’s not impossible to get a job in this field. Though it is very competitive, it just take a little bit of persistence, patience and a positive attitude. The key is to find a way to get your foot in the door. Internships or volunteer work at a local zoo or aquarium is the best way to get involved. But also getting experience with animals in veterinary clinic, animal shelter or pet store will help your chances. Other important requirements include a four-year college degree in science and a scuba certification.

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