Active duty transitioning into safety. Soon to be CSP (hopefully) but limited formal safety experience. What roles should I target?
I’m currently active duty Navy and planning to transition out next year, and I’d appreciate some career advice from people already working in the safety field.
I earned my B.S. in OSH from CSU, which qualified me for the GSP. I was initially conflicted about pursuing the CSP while I’m still in the Navy because I don’t have traditional full-time safety experience. However, the Navy will pay for the exam, and I ultimately figured there wasn’t much downside to studying for it and earning the certification if I can.
I’m prepping for the CSP now. But main concern is what my resume will look like when I transition. I’ll have my OSH degree, GSP, and hopefully by December my CSP, and roughly 9 years of Navy experience, but I won’t have any private-sector EHS experience behind the certification.
What kinds of positions would you recommend targeting? Safety Specialist? EHS Specialist? Coordinator? Would something like a Safety Manager position be unrealistic without more direct experience?
I imagine maritime or shipyard safety would probably be the easiest transition given my Navy background, and I’m definitely open to that. At the same time, I don’t necessarily want to limit myself to maritime if my background could translate into manufacturing, construction, general industry, federal safety, or something else.
Has anyone else gotten their CSP with only a degree and some niche safety experience? What would you all do in my shoes?