Guest Post: Career Advice on the Growing Field of Environmental Careers

My client Julie, Principal at Ecology and Environment, Inc. is a prime example of a person making a great living while making a difference. Read below for more on a day in the life with Julie and what career opportunities are available in the growing field of environmental careers...

Maggie - thanks so much for inviting me to write on your blog. Working with you definitely helped me think through how to match my career with my personal priorities. I do feel fortunate with the work that I do.

No day is ever quite the same as the next in my job, though there are consistent themes. We are an environmental consulting firm so we deal mainly with issues that affect human health and the environment.

Specifically our mission is to find workable, sustainable solutions to any environmental and human health problem that could pose a concern to human settlements and natural eco-systems. What this means is that I could be working on a contingency plan for water resources one day and be reviewing a climate action plan for a University the next. The topics are wide ranging but the purpose is singular. We try to make our communities better places to live.

As a Principal with the firm, I am responsible for directing client relationships and engagements, business development and mentoring junior staff. One of my primary goals for any client engagement is to make sure our clients and staff receive the recognition they deserve for their efforts. This year one of my clients is presenting our work at the 2009 American Water Works Association Annual Conference and Exhibition. We are very excited for them.

There are so many different types of jobs related to the environment. I have friends who are investors in start-up enviro-tech companies, others who are Corporate Sustainability public relations specialists and still others who focus on specific aspects such as energy conservation. The field is quite broad and growing. What I am really pleased about is that environmental work is no longer just seen as tree hugging. There are real operational and economic reasons to incorporate environmental concerns into businesses and our communities. Energy efficiency, scarce resources, mitigating natural disasters are just a few.

I encourage anyone who is interested in helping to shape our future pursue a career related to the environment. I have found it most rewarding.

Thank you Julie. Click here for more information on environmental careers. Are you looking to change careers into the growing environmental field? Is it your dream job to make a living and make a difference? Perhaps now is the perfect time for a career change.