r/Environmental_Careers

I graduate with a BA in environmental studies April 2027. I would have done a BS in environmental science but it would have added another year to my BA graduation date. I’m ready to start work next year. I haven’t worked in 6 years because I had 3 kids who will be in child care or school by next year.

I just want to work a career that I will be happy in. Remote work is great but if I could work close to home (Ocala,FL) that would be good as well. My husband is an electrician and we bought a house last year so we’re ok financially. I would love to purse a masters degree once I get back into the workforce & while my kids are young. ( ages 2,3& 6)

Just a shot in the dark, want to get peoples opinions on what career best fits my college transcript. My problem is I see myself doing everything but I am limited with my lifestyle. I want to actually use my degree, I just need some career advice. Thank you!

Classes I’ve taken best basic education courses like history, American govt, humanities, 1 math course, English 1 & 2, Spanish 1 & 2, basic computer course plus psychology include:

Human growth development
Technical writing
Public speaking
Intro to religion

Chosen Electives:

Perspective in sustainability
Environmental storytelling
Environmental issues
Conservation biology
General Biology 1 w/ lab
General zoology
Principles of plant growth
Microbiology
Intro to chemistry
Soil science
Intro to environmental science w/ lab
Climate change/ global warming course
Intro to GIS
World geography
Geology
Gold & landscape irrigation

Hey everyone! I recently graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy, and I'm currently applying for entry-level environmental jobs in Southern California.

I'm mainly applying to positions such as Environmental Field Technician, Environmental Scientist, Environmental Technician, Air Quality Technician, and environmental compliance or consulting roles. I'm open to fieldwork, environmental sampling, monitoring, remediation, and restoration-related work.

I'm trying to make myself a stronger candidate because a lot of entry-level postings mention certifications or training as preferred qualifications. I've looked into HAZWOPER, but dont know if its worth buying or waiting for an employer to pay for it.

For those working in environmental consulting, fieldwork, air quality, remediation, or a related field:

• Which certifications or training courses actually helped you get your first environmental job?
• Is 40-hour HAZWOPER worth paying for before getting hired, or do employers usually provide it?
• Are there other affordable certifications that would help me stand out, such as OSHA 10, confined space training, or other environmental safety courses?
• Are there any certifications that look good on paper but aren't worth spending money on without an employer asking for them?
• If you were a recent graduate starting over, what would you prioritize to become more competitive?

I'm trying to be strategic with my money and focus on qualifications that employers genuinely value, rather than collecting certifications that won't make much difference.

I'm experiencing a really unique and novel struggle right now, so just try to wrap your heads around this: I'm struggling to find a job after graduation.

🎻😿 I know.

But what really bites me is that I've only gotten one interview this entire year. One (and I panicked and flunked it to be completely honest with you).

I graduated last December with a BS in Environmental Studies and an undergraduate certificate in GIS. I had two internships (one that I'm currently still in) and two temp jobs, all in the environmental and/or GIS fields. I was also the president of a registered student organization during my senior year, had plenty of volunteer experiences with environmental organizations and government agencies, and studied abroad for one of my GIS courses.

I've submitted over 50 applications and tailor all of my resumes to the job listing, and I use quantifiable, measurable impacts that I've made at all of my jobs and coursework. I've refined my resumes to the point where my university's career center literally told me they don't know how else I can improve them. I also consulted the career center to improve my LinkedIn profile, adding nearly all of my professional and educational experience on it.

With the exception of roles that have a lot of field-work (because I incurred chronic medical issues after graduation :/), I apply to nearly any opportunities that I can tie to my qualifications, whether it be in environmental science/studies, GIS, data science, research, or project management. I apply to jobs that require substantial experience, some experience, and no experience.

I still can't get an damned interview.

It's really taken a gigantic toll on my confidence, even though I know it shouldn't since I didn't have trouble getting multiple interviews and job/internship offers last year, before I even graduated.

I know there's areas I can improve upon and gain qualifications, like learning SQL, improving my python skills, gaining some other environmental science skills, but I feel I have to be doing something wrong with my applications to be in this bad of a rut. Seeing former classmates and fellow interns get full-time roles doesn't help to say the least.

This isn't just a vent, I'd greatly appreciate any advice. I'm open to share more details if needed.

I work in environmental consulting so I spend a lot of time away from home travelling to different field sites and staying in random towns. For those in similar situations who struggle with serious mental health problems, how do you manage? Have you ever needed to be sent home over it? If so, what did you do- just say you’re sick?

I used to do alright but I have PMDD and had to change the medication setup that kept me stable for years. I’m experiencing pretty serious mental health episodes sometimes when I’m away from home and it’s a struggle. I’m just totally removed from the supports I need. I’m the type to push through with work when I’m not feeling well but this is a pretty different ballpark than just feeling crappy or a bit under the weather. I’d really like to know what it’s been like for other people with similar issues and how they have handled it.

I got a job working for state/local government as an environmental compliance inspector. Part of the job involves complaint investigations.

Training for complaint investigation consists solely of one-on-one coaching with a manager for our first few complaints. After that, we're pretty much expected to handle investigation on our own, although we can ask for advice if we get a more complex complaint.

I looked all through our training library and only found a couple of videos on how to de-escalate someone who is already complaining to me. I can already handle that really well, so that didn't help me.

There was no training on how to initiate, guide, and conclude a conversation. Nothing about field safety, what to do if someone becomes especially defensive/belligerent, or anything like that. To be fair, if we anticipate possible issues, we can request a security officer or law enforcement accompaniment, but that's only for on-site visits and only if we know in advance that we may need it. I also asked my manager if there was more training and was basically told they don't have anything beyond what I'd already found.

I know I tend to be more conflict-averse. I'm completely fine answering a phone call from someone who is already mad, but there is something about me having to call someone else to essentially deliver bad news/make someone else mad that gives me anxiety.

Is this amount of training (or lack thereof) normal for environmental compliance jobs?

Does everyone struggle with complaint investigation, or am I really not suited for this job? I have given it almost a year. I don't know if that's enough time? Would it get better with more time?

Hi, so I'm undergraduate environmental engineering student 5th sem and want to do research work. I've done many projects out of which the toughest one was conversion of waste cooking oil into biodiesel (transesterification) and also made sure no waste was left and all is used in every way. If there are any other articles topics which are interesting and workable, doesn't matter the genre, hit me up with some interesting ideas and maybe we might click

I also have 10+ years of semi-unrelated professional experience lightly including GIS/mapping tools and government consulting. I’d really like to move into a hybrid/remote position supporting conservation or natural resource work. Any tips would be wonderful, thank you!

Also was just accepted into an MPA program.