SCARBOROUGH — For those interested in preserving and protecting wildlife, Cabela’s in Scarborough is holding a Maine Game Warden career informational session on March 1.
The session will run from 10 a.m. to noon at 100 Cabela’s Blvd. Potential candidates can speak with staff members and learn about the requirements of the position.
Job openings begin in April, but Maine Warden Services’s website says that it’s never to early to look into the career. A candidate does not need a college degree to apply.
Corporal and Public Information Officer John Macdonald said that the ideal candidate is someone with a experience in hunting and fishing. The applicant should enjoy working outside and working hard.
“We are law enforcement officers,” he said. “It’s much like a police job. We have the same duties and powers as state police but we’re hired to do a more specific law enforcement job. It’s an off-road job. We regulate and enforce hunting and fishing laws, recreational vehicles laws like boats. We’re also responsible for search and rescue. That’s a pretty rewarding part of the job. We find people who are lost and missing and we find people who may not want to be found.”
He said that applicants should feel comfortable with confrontation and be aware that they can be called into work during all hours of the day.
“It’s really an outdoor-geared job and it’s pretty independent,” said Macdonald. “Mainers are pretty independent and resourceful. Day to day work is often on your own. Being pretty active and having a strong work ethic, that’s what people like about it. We have a lot of nice people on the job, and it’s a nice thing in police work.”
There are also opportunities for promotions and career advancement, says the Maine website.
Candidates need to be 21 or older to apply or 20 years old with at least 60 college credits, according to Maine.gov.
For those interested in learning more, or if anyone cannot attend the information session, email Macdonald at John.Macdonald@maine.gov to set up a meeting with a staff member.
Macdonald also recommended that people register online at Eventbrite, but it’s not required.
“We really welcome anyone who has an interest in it, be it a high school student or a parent of a child interested or someone already in the workforce thinking about changing jobs,” he said. “It’s all walks of life, teachers, UPS drivers — there’s no boiler plate profession we pull people away from. It’s really diverse. The person wants to do law enforcement, work outside, work hard and likes to be challenged.
“They’re going to be hiring a lot in the next three to five years,” he added. “We have a lot of people retiring so we’re going to be hiring a lot.”
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