Odds of Getting In
If you're dead set on going into field research, you're looking at some pretty steep odds. Fieldwork is the height of cool for most zoologists, so you'll have some serious competition. You won't be able to get the funding for fieldwork until you have years of experience and a Ph.D. under your belt. Even still, you'll most likely end up spending more of your days teaching college kids.
These days, you'll have the best luck in the biotech industry. This is where the money is, so, surprise, surprise, this is where the jobs are as well. In these biotech jobs, you could be doing anything from genetic testing, analyzing microorganisms, and preparing specimens on slides, to eerie music plays and performing tests on animals.
If corporate labs creep you out and field research seems like a distant dream, you might want to go for a job in wildlife management with the state or federal government. Surprisingly enough, the number of jobs in this sphere is growing faster than the national average. Despite what some may say, the government must be doing something to make sure there are still some fish in the sea.