Careers in the environmental sector, or, as they have been called by the media and in politics recently, green–collar jobs, don't just bring in a paycheck. Green–collar workers take an active role in preserving and improving the world around us for ourselves and for the future. It is almost like an added benefit—health insurance, vacation time, breathable air for our grandchildren. Environmentally focused jobs provide an outlet for people who really care about the world; people who want to make a difference and have a job that really matters. They also offer an exciting and challenging opportunity to put one's professional skills and creative problem–solving abilities to good use for the benefit of the whole world. These positions can be technical or social, lab–based, office–based or field–work based; but environmental professionals all work to keep our ever–growing economy and consumerism in balance with the natural world.
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The environmental job sector has gained a lot of publicity lately with the American election and the auto-industry debacle, as well as rising fuel prices and a slowing economy. It all ties together, and thus a lot of completely new positions are opening up in things like solar-, wind-, and other alternative-power production; pollution control and emissions credits; and a host of other exciting job opportunities.
The term “environmental engineering” might sound complicated and technical, but there have been environmental engineering jobs for millennia: street sweepers, garbage collectors—anyone who creates or enforces the guidelines that maintain our quality of life within our environment is an environmental engineer. Today however, things have progressed far beyond just picking up the trash, though that is important. The technical definition of environmental engineering is the application of the principals of science and modern engineering in an environmental context, i.e. water-quality monitoring for lakes, streams, and drinking water reserves; air-quality control in high-traffic areas like airports, factory smokestacks, and other big-polluter areas; and much more. Modern technology and our own awareness of our impact on the environment have given rise to the fast-moving field of environmental engineering jobs and the green-collar industry in general.
Much like going into any specialized field, the environmental job industry requires a high degree of specialized training and experience. Many people who choose this career path do it early on in their education, in undergraduate college, if not in high school. Key positions in these fields require a solid background in biology, chemistry, engineering, and often additional specialties such as electronics, computer science, or even medicine.
That said, environmental jobs are not just for ivory-tower overachievers. (Although said-overachievers are more than welcome as well.) There are many opportunities for one to get started in the environmental sector including internships as well as career fairs and environmental job sites for entry-level positions.
As with most professional careers, the higher one’s level of education, the higher the level of job one can realistically apply for. Those with high school diplomas or GEDs will likely start in a more labor-oriented capacity and slowly work their way up on pure job experience, whereas college graduates and those with advanced degrees will qualify for positions with higher salaries and greater responsibility.
Those looking to move straight from college to an entry-level position with high-growth prospects are in good shape in the current job market. Those who may have a lifetime of specialized expertise in a different field—for example, the thousands laid off in the recent automotive-industry disaster—may be well poised to begin a whole new line of work. With the rise of the green-collar industry, especially in today’s political climate, environmental jobs and internships are a hot career path at the moment, and only looking to get hotter. Internships look good on resumes; they are a chance to develop specialized skills and useful experience so one can later get a better job. They also make a great stepping stone to a meaningful and profitable new career without the expectation of too much prior expertise.
For those with a little more experience, or those looking for more job security from the get-go, there are myriad federal environmental jobs available. Like any other federal job, these positions tend to provide far more job security and benefits, both to the employee and his or her family, than similar positions in the private sector. There is also ample room for career advancement in the federal sector, and for many people this is a career goal. Federal positions also typically offer a more stable pay scale. On the other hand, jobs in the private industry tend to be more glamorous and exciting, so really the choice is up to you, depending on what you want out of your career, your family situation, and the different jobs currently available.
There are many different opportunities available in the environmental job market, for many varying levels of experience. All of them are jobs that make a difference. Our environment and our economy desperately need passionate, dedicated people who want more out of life than just a steady paycheck— we need people who care.
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