this post was submitted on 12 Jun 2023
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I studied environmental science as a major and am working in hazardous waste site remediation, water and wastewater treatment, and dabble in assisting some civil engineering projects.
@Knickknack @realChem I graduated in chemical engineering back in '83 and found myself in wastewater treatment consulting. I gradually transitioned to industrial wastewater and then hazardous waste remediation. It was a good gig! Retired in 2001, so it has probably all changed quite a bit. Good luck to you!
That's so cool, and thank you. I often think I would have loved to study a chemistry or engineering discipline, if I had been more in touch with my abilities and interests as an 18 year old starting college. I did complete what was a newer degree at the time called environmental technology, and it was geared toward renewal energy technologies with a lot of various science based courses as backbone. But certainly, the industry has changed a lot even in the time I've been involved, starting as a hazardous waste site remediation project manager for an environmental consultant, then got water and wastewater treatment licenses in 2005 when I saw an opportunity to get in on an emerging sector in the company I was working for. Right now the industry is struggling for licensed professionals, even while regulators push ahead in requiring more and more use of the technology. Should be interesting to see how it develops over the coming years. Overall though, I had been very fortunate to truly enjoy my career and the industry I work in.
@Knickknack I volunteer with openaircollective.cc - focused on carbon dioxide removal, speaking of emerging sectors. It is all volunteer, and a good way to follow the burgeoning climate change mitigation realm. I'm using a lot of what I learned over the years in business to develop a wiki there: https://openairforum.org Come by some time!
Hey you know what? I saw a post about this yesterday (it was probably you!) and thought it sounded like an incredibly valuable pursuit. I will definitely check it out, thank for the links.
That's very cool! One of my friends in undergrad did a co-op working with a wastewater / hazardous waste treatment company. It seemed like a surprisingly (to me at the time) vibrant field, with lots going on!
It's good to hear about people giving the industry a try! There is really so much career opportunity, and it's not going anywhere. I've weather multiple recessions, housing crises, economic booms and downturns in this industry and it is just steady, because it is so essential. I hope more people consider it as a career because the field is suffering for lack of licensed professionals.