We know at Green Prophet that environmental sustainability and stewardship is a top issue in our world. With an ever increasing demand for solutions comes a huge number of job opportunities. Choosing to work in environmental science not only opens potential candidates to a secure career with longevity and much potential for progression; it gives the feel good, impact factor and job satisfaction that most spend their whole lives trying to find.
Undergraduate programs in Environmental Science are available at most top universities. Your studies will include examining the consequences of living and non-living things on our environment and look at how to apply biological, physical, and information sciences to fix these issues.
This is a large, varied and fascinating field of study that can lead to many different career paths. Areas of study will usually include: ecology (observing the interaction between plants and the earth), economics (observing how people use the earth), geology (the history and physical elements that make up the earth) and sociology (interactions between societies and the earth).
After these studies, graduates may find themselves working from home as a consultant or traveling around the world with large organisations.
Environmental Policy, Planning, and Management involves a lot of research-heavy work, Environmental Lawyers may find themselves in the exciting confines of a courtroom, Oceanographers and Meteorologists tend to slip their time between the lab and the sea and Microbiologists, Soil and Plant Scientists, and Ecologists might decide to teach in universities or market their knowledge to big name brands. Environmental science is all about identifying problems and creating solutions. This can involve collecting and analysing soil samples to analysing human behaviour data, so there really is a whole host of positions to suit interests and specialised knowledge.
Environmental scientists are future sustainability crusaders for our planet. So what do the people already working within the sector have to say to anyone considering this as a career? Professor Steve Schein talked to big names in the business and said, “Sustainability executives are both optimistic and frustrated. They have had great successes, but all have run into resistance as well. Most recognise this is part of their job as a sustainability change agent.”
This shows that although much progression has been made, there is still a long way to go. It is the minds of young professionals that can carry on this promising and exciting work.
Both governments and businesses know just how big an issue sustainability is. An encouraging incentive for prospective employees is that governmental jobs offer very similar high salaries as the private sector, and both offer a high volume of vacancies.
With this in mind, a career in environmental science is worth every consideration.
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