There are a growing number of environmental consultant jobs available globally as a result of government regulations and the need for corporations to manage risks and reputations. Environmental consultancy is commercial rather than “green” in the pure sense. Examples of the sort of work an environmental consultant does are carrying out a risk assessment on potential contamination or devising affordable solutions to clean up environments that are already contaminated. This work is done to ensure that corporations comply with government regulations as well as to protect their reputations from negative publicity due to poor environmental management.
In Britain alone there are now over 170,000 environmental consultants employed fairly consistently. There is a global demand for their services. If you are interested in a career in environmental consultancy, you need at least a master's level qualification. Your major will depend on your chosen specialization; environmental consultants can just as easily have qualifications in environmental chemistry as they can in hydrogeology. If you want to find environmental jobs in a consulting capacity, take the time to read through job descriptions and the selection criteria for a range of environmental consultant jobs and take note of what each job entails and the qualifications and experiences sought. This way, you can plan your career path and maximize your employability in this role.
When you are sure of the kind of environmental consultant jobs you would like to work in and you have the qualifications to apply for them successfully, it's important to have a professional, up-to-date resume prepared along with a portfolio containing academic documents, written references, and evidence of any relevant achievements. Being prepared ahead of time will make the process of finding and applying for jobs far less stressful than otherwise. You may need to make minor adjustments to your resume to appeal to different jobs, but this shouldn't take you long. Keep your original resume and save the ones you send for different jobs in designated folders in your word processing program. Write your letters of application to address the selection criteria given for the job and use them to sell yourself. No matter how qualified and experienced you are, if your resume and letters of application do not convey this to the employer, you won't get an interview.
The majority of environmental consultant jobs are available through consultancy firms and direct contracts with employers. Some roles require a long-term commitment of more then twelve months, and others are much shorter. If you are still studying for your master's degree, the first step to working as a consultant is to talk to your academic advisors and teachers. They will be able to direct you to other current or past students who may already be doing what you want to do and who would be willing to advise you. Your university will probably also have relationships with businesses which may be sources of future employment to their students.
You can quickly discover the environmental jobs available by doing an Internet search. By simply running a search on the term “environmental consultant jobs,” you will discover a lot of useful information. You will be directed to a host of online job sites which advertise these positions. The internal search programs on these sites can greatly speed up your search process because you can search by category, location, and salary range. You can also do advanced searches and add keywords that are relevant to your specialty. To further save time, you can request to receive email alerts to inform you when new opportunities become available that meet your requirements.
Environmental consultancy firms are regularly on the look out for new talent, so it can pay to contact them directly. Get their names from your college teachers, from friends in the business, and from your own research. Ideally, you will build a list of potential employers before you are actually ready to begin your job search. While you are studying or working elsewhere, keep your eyes open for environmental consultancy opportunities. Where are they? Who are the recurring names in the business? Pay attention and keep notes so that when you are ready to find work, you will know who to contact for possible employment opportunities. An effective way of discovering which consultancy firms are being used by corporations is to contact the human resources departments of these organizations. Ask how they are sourcing their environmental consultants.
And don't forget to keep reading the newspapers and relevant professional journals. Professional opportunities including environmental consultant jobs are regularly advertised in these publications.
If you ensure that you are qualified for these positions and take every opportunity to gain experience, you could soon be enjoying the freedom, high income, and satisfaction of working in environmental consultant jobs. You can be a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem and help corporations become better environmental citizens through quality environmental management plans. The opportunities to work at home or abroad in these roles abound, and with the right preparation you can soon be one of the success stories.
