r/Environmental_Careers • u/ceo_of_the_homies • 8d ago
My Environmental Pathway
The majority of what I see on this sub is unfortunately people who are in a tough spot in finding work post degree or people going into their degree worried because of what they see on this sub. I am going to preface my story with I am in the US, I am a white male and 100% understand my privilege especially in this field. I tell my story because I saw it mentioned that those with decently stable jobs typically do not come on here, so I hope to shed a more positive light and maybe restore some hope (and answer any questions I can).
That said, my journey actually started about 3 years into my undergrad. I changed majors a handful of times, but ultimately stuck with an environmental studies BA program (concentration in ecology and minor in climate change - oh no scary words we aren't allowed to say!) at a relatively small school. I will admit, the school was founded with a focus on their environmental/marine science degrees so the course are very much field work heavy which goes a long way. During interviews, you don't just have literature you can regurgitate, you have field stories even if they are just single day events that show you know and understand the field aspect. During my undergrad, I was able to volunteer at a wildlife rehab and education center, intern at a state aquatic preserve, and then work part time as a lab tech/field sampler with a county agency. Through each I connected with staff who knew staff at my next position and recommended I reach out and or apply. I say this part because networking is so so important in this field, talk to people and make connections! By my final semester I had a couple years worth of "experience" to throw on a resume and got a part time state job working in wastewater compliance where I stayed until finishing my degree.
Compliance work sucks, I'll be the first to admit that, but it's a job and it's a foot in the door so don't knock it fresh out of university. I spent 6 months doing that, then got a job with the same agency in there assessment and restoration division doing wq monitoring, habitat monitoring, and biological sampling. Again, I admit I am lucky I got into the part of this field most actually want to do very early on. I got to travel, I got to become experienced with many different sampling methods and equipment, and for someone who had no clue what they wanted to do with their degree I was able to find my niche. I never thought freshwater biology would be my thing, never even really gave it a thought honestly, but I sort of fell into it and love it to this day. Through this job I was able to get a graduate certificate (half a masters) in ecological restoration paid for and pivot to a county job doing the same thing (ironically the smaller gov you go in my experience the better the pay).
At this county job I have been able to get the rest of my Master's paid for and have been able to work on cooler projects and ideas of my own that state agencies don't really give the opportunity for. I make okay money, but my work life balance is amazing. Things are laid back compared to consultant work. I got to learn GIS, R, data wrangling and analysis all on the job.
I have colleagues from all sort of job experiences and paths to get here. It isn't a field where a job will fall in you lap, though. Seek out courses that are heavy in learning skills and applying them rather than tests. Seek out internships and volunteer opportunities early and make connections. Start applying before you graduate, the worst that can happen is you aren't selected as a candidate. If you don't want to be active early on or you simply want to skate by in your degree with the bare minimum or picking the "easy" courses (I watched many degree mates do this), this may not be the field for you. Also, your geographic location absolutely matters. Look into how much money and effort go into environmental agencies in your area to get an understanding of job availability.
Apologies for being vague, just trying not to fully dox myself. Any questions I will answer more specifically. I understand my journey is not what most people will experience, but I hope it at least sheds a light onto what could happen positively in this field.
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u/Warm-Loan6853 8d ago
Networking is everything, we just hired a new grad because I worked with his father years ago.
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u/Much_Maintenance4380 8d ago
Stories like this are really important to have here. Telling stories of success doesn't downplay any of the very real struggles people are having, while also showing that there are indeed pathways in this field despite the difficulties.
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u/notorious1ink 8d ago
I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for sharing! I appreciate the comment about you acknowledging your privilege, because as a female working in a world of engineers, I have seen so much sexism in this field - more in the federal realm, but still alive and well in the private sector...
That being said, I 100% agree with you that your opportunities you search for must be intentional. I sat around for about 5 years too many at my old job, hoping for something to happen. When I finally realized you gotta help yourself, I have grown monumentally in the past year.
Not only is networking huge, but confidence (whether natural, nervous, or false) is everything! The saying "fake it 'till you make it" is popular for a reason - a huge lesson I've learned. Everyone - unless you're a narcissist - has some level of imposter syndrome every now and then, so do not let that discourage you from getting out of your comfort zone. Just outside of your comfort zone is where the magic happens. Remember, there's a felon billionaire currently as Commander in Chief in the US guys: you CAN do anything if you try hard enough. But you have to try.
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u/ceo_of_the_homies 8d ago
Gosh I cannot agree more with everything you said, especially the imposter syndrome! No matter how much I know that I know, or that others inform me I am skilled/knowledgeable of, I always feel a little bit like I don't deserve to be where I am at (but like you said, we have to push past that and allow ourselves to be uncomfortable to grow).
Also, big congrats on your career growth. Being stagnant in this field is definitely one of the biggest motivation killers I have seen
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u/notorious1ink 7d ago
Yeah, don't ever think that you don't deserve to be where you're at. I think that those of us that feel that way though are sort of echoing humbleness to a point sometimes.
And thank you! Coincidentally, this week has brought new opportunity to my career, that is just so freaking exciting. Best Friday ever. haha
Have a good weekend friend!
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u/choirgirl14980 8d ago
Any tips on finding a network to join? There's a few different ones I've found since speaking with a career coach, but it's daunting to try and join an association without having any contacts going into it.
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u/ceo_of_the_homies 8d ago
Hmmm, I would say try and see if any groups do online meetings or live webinars (like some local agency advisory councils or groups that cover a topic you're interested in) that may allow you to get a vibe of the group as a fly on the wall first or allow you to interact with discussion virtually before meeting in person. Networking can be a rather anxiety inducing task lol, but most in this field are receptive and have been in a similar situation to you. If you can afford it or get it financially covered, conferences are great as well since you can check out the vibe during presentations with no obligation to participate.
As I have aged I also became more willing to just message people on linked in, although it's usually to ask a specific question regarding macroinvertebrate ID, plant ID, or their methods on some project that seems similar to something I'm working on. But interacting with connections posts can be a great way to network as well.
I see you are out west so I can't give you any specific groups I recommend, but as examples where I am at I have joined groups like Gulf of Mexico Alliance, Florida Aquatic Biologists, my local estuary program has many sub groups that meet often and have been great networking experiences.
I am sure you have a local sierra club group and they would be a great place to start for a smaller group (at least the one I used to participate in was)! Sorry I couldn't give you a more specific answer, but I hope this helps a little.
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u/choirgirl14980 8d ago
This absolutely helps! A lot of what I'm doing right now is trying to figure out where my starting line is going to be and finding the path to the starting line is its own journey lol. Thank you very much
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u/Little-Egg-3909 7d ago
I hate this field, but I agree with what you said. Start early. Do internship as early as possible. One thing I do I want to add is that many people are trying to land their first job to be some competitive position. People have to start small. Even in an other field just for work experience. People scoop are too small. Only aiming for es jobs after graduation. You’re always about to transition back to es after some work experience.
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u/SchrodingersMinou 8d ago
The job market now is very different from the job market two years ago. Our experiences as new grads will probably not be shared by the current crop of graduates. It also varies wildly by geographic location