Im going to college for ES and I'm trying to learn about different careers people do. My uncle works for an environmental remediation company and he says it's very interesting work but what do you guys exaclty do on the day to day?
Been browsing questions on this board for awhile. Some thoughts kept coming to my mind that I just wanted to put down here for anyone new or early in their environmental career. Hope you can find some of these useful. These are based solely on my experience and personality. For context, I worked at various environmental and engineering firms in positions ranging from field tech to division manager over the course of 30 years.
- If you are first starting out and in an interview, if you are asked if you are willing to work XX number of hours in the field, you say YES. As you get more and more experience you will have to travel less and less and write more and more reports. New people do the field work. Someday, when you are stuck in the office writing reports, you will even wish for more field time.
- I was not fulfilled by my PH1/PH2 work. At all. However, because a lot of people don't enjoy doing it, I was paid good, consistent money which made for a good, steady, happy life outside of work. That result was very fulfilling.
- In general, you don't get fired for making mistakes (even shockingly big ones). You get fired for repeating mistakes.
- Never be late, never. To anything. You can separate yourself from co-workers simply by always being on time. In fact just be everywhere a few minutes early.
- If you make a mistake in the field, own up to it fast. A quick fix can often save many additional project hours or even days. Even if the PM is upset in the moment they will appreciate it long term.
- When I started writing reports, it would have so many corrections on it that it would look like a crime took place. I took it very, very personally. DON'T take it personally. Your boss is likely just showing you how they want it written going forward. Don't just make the corrections, save the corrections to make sure future reports won't require the same edits.
- If you are newly out of school and see a position paying $40-150k, you will be paid 40.
- One time and only one time we had a young guy show up out of the blue with a great attitude dressed in a suit and tie, ask to speak to a manager, and hand us his resume. We didn't have any posted job openings. We decided to sit down with him and he was hired on the spot. Go the extra mile.
- When reviewing resumes it was not necessarily a deal breaker for me to see someone with a year or less at one of their jobs (stuff happens, but expect to be asked about it during the interview). Multiple jobs at a year
Hi I'm new to this sub but I lurk on r/environmentalscience I'm a high school senior going to UMaine for a major in Environmental Science. My end goal is to get into environmental remediation but I don't know what I should focus on in college. Any input would help.
Have an interview for an industrial water treatment, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how I can tie in my previous experience of environmental remediation with industrial water treatment. One is treating polluted groundwater and the other treats polluted effluent, but that's the closest I can get. Industrial water treatment I feel is a much more controlled process whereas environmental remediation has a degree of making an informed guess.
If anyone can help me tie the two together, I would appreciate it
Hi Everyone!
I am seeking some advice on how to be successful in obtaining a career in either of these fields. I am currently in my last year of my BSc Env. majoring in Environment and Resource Management. I have been told by a few people that volunteer experience is helpful in this field. However, with COVID-19 there seems to be very little opportunity for volunteering. I am also in Ontario, Canada, BTW.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Hello everyone!
I am doing a BS/MS in Chemical Engineering (currently in my second year with a mixed sophomore/junior schedule) and I am into interdisciplinary research. I am a pretty committed student and I have many interests, though a consequence is that I tend to spread myself too thin. For example, I have taken many upper-level Science classes that I could have taken in the future with a lot less effort, and a couple professors have suggested I take it a bit easier. Therefore, I am trying to be a bit more focused, though I understand I am still an undergraduate.
I will be taking my first class on Environmental sampling soon to see if I am actually interested in field research, but I am mostly posting here to ask what kind of career seems suitable for me.
Relevant coursework: Nanorobotics (Environmental Sensing applications), Inorganic Chem, Organic Chem, Biochem (enzymology and lab), Chemical Engineering, Engineering Science, (Bio)Materials Science, Biotech/Molecular Bio (intro level, not very strong skills), Landscape Design
Relevant experience: research on climate change refugees (focus on Alaska Natives) and carbon capture technologies, published educational paper on Frontiers
Comfortable with: labwork, peer review, field work, travelling, interdisciplinary knowledge
I am generally interested in climate remediation technologies, social environmental justice, environmental toxicology and conservation. I have strong laboratory and engineering design skills, though my science is still kind of lacking due to the fact that I took so many hard classes early on. I am counting on the fact that I could build upon that knowledge with research/work experience, and I am trying to find a lab at my college where I could volunteer, though we don't seem to have many things that match my interests.
What would you call the professional figure I am interested in becoming? Does anyone have more information?
I will try industrial research in the future, but I am not sure that is what I would want (which makes it hard to look up the kind of information I am looking for). I understand that I am describing something similar to an Environmental Technician, but I believe that my background gives me very strong research/design skills that don't quite match a technician. I also have no idea who environmental field researchers (on the more 'engineering' side of it, like I am) are affiliated to, if not industry or the government.
(I have limited opportunities for
... keep reading on reddit ➡I know about Phase I/II assessments, but my local DOT website doesn't go into much detail on much else. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Introduced: Sponsor: Rep. Cedric Richmond [D-LA2]
This bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and one other committee which will consider it before sending it to the House floor for consideration.
Hey, there I would like to work in coastal remediation and I'm not quite sure which degree path to follow. Anyone here working in this field?
I am considering a career in environmental remediation and I am having a very difficult time researching potential cons in the field. Namely: how dangerous is the work, and is it true that it is very difficult to find life insurance with this type of career?
To those asking for the specific types of remediation I am inquiring about, I have been looking at this program here which could potentially get me into several different types of careers. I suppose my question would be geared more towards working with asbestos, mold, radiation and the more obviously dangerous subject matter, just to get an idea of the worst case conditions.
My elderly neighbor >90 y/o is the patriarch of a large extended family and a former airplane mechanic. His family is poor; when they lost their vehicle to the fire, they also lost their primary mode of transportation.
The car fire occured less than 6 inches from my property line and less than 15 feet from my house (we live in a dense neighborhood). Thankfully, we weren't home at the time, but the fire and related debris now pose a health risk to my family. The ground is soaked with automotive fluids and (formerly) molten heavy metals. Earlier in the year (while he was trying to fix a broken fuel pump on this vehicle) we were subjected to the smell of gas fumes for days while he attempted the repair. The smell was so bad that my wife and I had to sleep in a different area of the house. I am trying to be patient, but I've put up with enough health risks for me and my family.
I am not interested in a civil suit, but I do want to know what my options are in case he doesn't take appropriate action.
Thanks
EHS Support has immediate entry-level openings for BS and particularly MS students.
It's a high-end remediation and water resources services company where everyone works remotely from home on jobs located throughout the U.S., and potentially Australia and New Zealand.
Ideal candidates would be highly independent, top tier of their class, and willing to travel a lot.
Visit the careers page for more detail.
https://www.ehs-support.com/culture/careers
P.S. The opennings are fairly immediate, so probably won't consider students who haven't finished yet.
