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This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect as an entomologist, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more.

My profession involves insects - their life cycle, their habits, physiology and classification. Yes, you guessed it right. I am an entomologist. The company that I'm working in is active on research and implementing methods on Pest Eradication. The job has proven to be quirky, exciting and demanding.

Being a woman entomologist is not that easy, I would say. Morphologically speaking, the female physique is more delicate than that of the male. If you think scouring a swamp is easy - think again.

Some people are quite astounded when they hear that I'm working with insects; as the latter are regarded as the most impossible creatures in the planet. They say that it deviates from feminine code of jobs. But I'm here to prove them wrong. Sure, it doesn't come off easy but it's definitely doable.

The focus of my job is Pest Eradication - bed bugs, the roaches, ants and termites. These critters find human dwellings as the most convenient place - with food, water and light - to live in. Thus, it does not come off as a surprise that they proliferate very easily.

I have to clarify to people that though we are frequently seen in the Pest Control scenes, entomologists are much more than Bug Busters. People on our profession can help the Agricultural sector in propagating pollinators (bees, butterflies and other insects). Those that work for the Government are positioned in the customs and handle cargoes; they see to it that exotic species would not be introduced to the mainland.

My job satisfaction is a 9 out of 10, honestly. Though the pay is decent and the demand is good, sometimes it gets difficult when the job orders you to find immediate solutions to the problem even in the wee hours of morning. Hotels do call us in the middle of the night after clients show up with red, swollen bites on their faces.

With that erratic schedule, my family time sometimes gets offset. The best coping strategy that I'm trying to uphold is the "make the most out of the moment" approach. In every possible free time I get, my family would always feel loved and important. I try my best at giving a quality time with them.

To tell you the truth, I do not know yet if this is my calling or not. Sure, I do give my 110% for this but I wonder as to how long this is gonna last. I'm not gonna be young and able forever - that's the unchangeable thing about life. But, meanwhile, I find it quite rewarding to hear satisfactory remarks from clients about the quality of our work. Those remarks move me and would want to make me do more. There's a Latin word for it - Magis.

The work of entomologists can have great impact on the level of satisfaction that people have on their environment. When their homes are infested with termites, for example, residents would worry over the stability of their walls and furniture. These, for all you know, are very competent insomnia-inducers. This is equally true to the cases with the bedbugs and the roaches. Consequently, this would bring about a domino effect on the person's lifestyle and demeanor.

Well, as a child, curiosity would often get me. Butterfly colors are quite fascinating when you look closely. But my father always wanted me to be a lawyer, like he was. True enough, I followed suit. That pathway lasted until my third year. Through perhaps confusion and internal strife, impulse led me to choose the Natural Science. A good professor then introduced me to a then foreign field of entomology. Because unlike any other courses, this involved a lot of field works - which made me feel a lot freer.

Maybe, if I could go back in time, I could choose to be a freelance journalist. But that job, as I surmise, would cost me a lot in terms of my family time.

I learned that successful people do get a lot of failures. Yes, in this era, people are so full of their success-driven mentality. Reality doesn't really give you a straight A in that area. It allows mistakes and a lot of things to ponder upon before another good thing would follow. In my line of work, I do commit mistakes. But it has helped me grow all these years.

In school, little is told about ways to earn a living. The institution that sheltered you for four years affords little or no time for you to think about how difficult it is to find a job outside. It is like a cocoon; it shelters you to grow but it also makes you oblivious of the struggles outside. The working world, in contrast, is fierce. Circumstances prey at you. But you must stay afloat amidst these things because of your inherent sense to survive.

People do at times mistake me for a nanny. They find it unusual for a woman to fit into a man's job. It's quite amusing to see the look in their face after realizing things.

When I wake up each morning and see my kids, the feeling gets lighter. I am glad that they are proud of me and my job. They are my inspiration to pursue the day's work. With a single hint of smile and kiss, my steps would have bounce and my mood would be sunnier. After that, I wouldn't mind facing hordes of bugs sprawling on the floor.

The biggest challenge of the job is the ability of these insects to be resilient to treatments and eradication methods. If an insecticide is applied to a species, for example, the surviving population may confer resistance to the said treatment overtime. Moreover, these critters also exhibit the ability to reproduce and grow rapidly. Thus, the entomologists always face this recurrent problem. Yes, I do admit that the scale of the job is intimidating. But as I realize that the safety of the people's lives is at stake, it is not an option to simply quit.

After a thorough survey in the location, the crew would realize the magnitude of the problem. On most cases, the place would be entirely infested. For me, it is simply the most stressful part. But when you're at it, the adrenalin rush would just push you to make it through.

As I've mentioned before, maintaining a healthy work-life balance would entail giving your family quality time. I would also want my children to understand the demands of my work and that I'm doing the whole thing for them. It is also a must that a parent would honor his/her word, no matter how small it is. So it is important not to make promises when I am not sure if I can really fulfill them.

The salary range for this job is quite great. For starters, the compensation would be about $30, 000 per annum. Take faith that it would increase as your working years would advance. The higher-ups (usually for those who have PhDs) can bring home as much as $71,000 yearly.

The company allows us to have a month's worth of paid vacation. That, I believe, is already a generous offer. During these days, my family will head for the Mediterranean or the Caribbean. The kids love the beach and I would want them to see people and cultures beyond the West Coast.

Many colleges and universities offer a course in Entomology. These institutions would prop you with the necessary Math, Biology, Chemistry and Physics subjects for you to be able to grasp the principles of Scientific method. Some colleagues of mine were either graduates of Biology or Zoology before taking in this course as an area of their specialization in their Masters or PhD.

The Entomological Society of America offers two certification programs - the Associate Certified Entomologist and the Board Certified Entomologist. The former is given to individuals that are trained for structural Pest Management and the other one is for those that are formally educated in this field.

Entomology is for those who can appreciate the important role (whether good or bad) of the insects in the world's sustainability. It also requires a high dose of perseverance and the willingness to be branded as "odd".

I want to manage my very own Pest Control center and spend more time with my family.

This is a true career story as told to DiversityJobs.com, whose new scholarship program for diversity and minority students awards $2,000 three times annually to currently enrolled undergrads or graduate students from registered schools in the US.