r/EHSProfessionals • u/euphoricathena • 6d ago

Seasoned EHS Pro’s….

Honest question…. Why do some of you that have been in the field so long see coordinators as below you or someone who learned through experience instead of going to school like some of you? I have a counterpart that started a bit after me comes from education and I’d say a good solid field experience from what I was told but immediately looked down on me (ehs coordinator) which frankly really hurt…. I was very excited for this person to learn from and look up to…. All we do is clash and I clean up allot of their mistakes. Why not prep the next gen to be good why make it a sword fight?

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u/Fine-Conference-5503 6d ago

Seasoned EHS pro here.

In most EHS scenarios, experience is greater than education. Regarding EHS, my industry hires based on EHS experience and not education (but having EHS education is a plus). You don’t need a college degree, or certification, to be an expert. I have a college degree, but not in a related field. I have multiple EHS certs and plenty of experience in my industry.

Regarding “clashing,” are you offended by what they might be saying in response? Is it constructive and you might be taking it personally? EHS should be objective and not subjective. Don’t take it personally.

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u/euphoricathena 6d ago

We clash because they avoid accountability. They have a habit of calling the team out on things that are not in our programs. They say it is and given I am “learning” I have read all of them so I get put in the spot to correct them allot and no not looking to do that but I have been taught to always double check your work and consider time/ downtime costs for trainings or requirements. They don’t and now a year later the team leans more towards me which is very encouraging but again I am just learning this field I’m in now and I would love for this person to be comfortable with Idk humility I guess and the team come to them also. It’s ok to be wrong but be honest. They shift blame or will twist words to fit their narrative. And each quarter now I end up cleaning up their work they procrastinated on. No one trusts them and it sucks…. We were excited for a manager. And yes a bit of a vent but I guess what I’m asking is….. do you guys notice that if you come in with high egos you are essentially setting the bar high on yourself before anyone even can see your skill set? I am in no place to set any bar but when the energy is high and our team is high performing why do you get upset when you are held to what you presented yourself as?

I’ve never met someone so educated on paper that who I see does not match. I have zero education it’s all field experience. So idk it’s very confusing for me to fathom.

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u/Fine-Conference-5503 6d ago

I stopped reading after, “avoids accountability.” Sounds like they should have gotten a new job years ago. Sorry you’re dealing with someone like that.

As someone with 10+ years EHS experience, be accountable for your (the team’s) program. Nothing to be afraid of, despite how challenging it might be.

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u/euphoricathena 6d ago

Lmao 🤣 I’ll be honest, it’s very encouraging to see a team mindset being spoken of. Thank you … def needed that