John Nerison ⋅ Boise, ID Retired from POWER Engineers, Inc. www.powereng.com ⋅ 40 years experience

I do volunteer tutoring for engineering students. Check out my webpage if you are interested. www.engineeringtutor.biz

Lucian Hill ⋅ Pearland, TX AECOM ⋅ 6 years experience

Hey Frank,
I am an environmental engineering (EVEG) graduate from LSU. Before that I was satcom in the Air Force and a contractor overseas. There are many things to say about EVEG but the most important is that you will get paid for the "engineering" side of the equation. I graduated with a lot of people that worked just as hard as me in college, and now those people work harder then me as a graduate making 25% less money because they received degrees in environmental science or environmental management or environmental resources.

But environmental engineering is growing. The air market is growing 20% annually as opposed to the water market which is only about 3%. Like Robert, I also work for AECOM but my specialty is air dispersion modeling.

When I was in Afghanistan I remember picking up an article from Forbes about careers with the highest demand for the next 20 years to come. I scanned the article for all positions relating to engineering. At the very top of the list was #6 Civil Engineering, and #5 Environmental Engineering. If you say there is a need in New York then you are keenly aware of the developing situation in America. After I read the article I was hooked. My next stop was LSU and three years later I graduated.

It's always nice being an EVEG graduate and having that job security moving forward. There is a lot more I could say about this so shoot me message and we can talk about it more.

Regards,
Lucian

Jacqueline Dye ⋅ Goose Creek, SC U.S. DEPT OF STATE ⋅ 34 years experience

Check the federal government website USAJOBS.GOV Veterans are currently given top hiring priority.

Marty Voss ⋅ Syracuse, NY ⋅ 20 years experience

All of our hiring for environmental engineers and environmental professionals is done through Civil Service tests, which Veterans receive additional point preference on. The most important thing to do is make sure you have taken the core classes that qualify you for the engineering jobs you are interested in. For example, basic biology and basic chemistry classes completed can go a long way toward qualifying for a job. Being a Veteran should put you a cut above other applicants for the same position. In New York State, the Counties are typically the local civil service agency for all municipal testing and application. Check your County's Personnel web-site for upcoming exams and for job specifications, which will detail specifically what the minimum educational requirements are for jobs in that jurisdiction.

Robert Lamaster ⋅ Olivia, MN Kyndryl ⋅ 17 years experience

There's no short answer to pursuing a career in any particular field, but there are some general guidelines that make sense for almost all fields. First of all, you've already taken the first step... asking for help and information.

One of the biggest pieces of advice I would give you is to do your research. Get to know the companies involved in environmental engineering. (I work for one called AECOM). Read the news about these companies (a customized Google News page is good for this, since it will bring it all to you in one place). Learn how these companies operate, the projects they win, and projects they've completed in the past. This is especially true for any of these companies that you apply to. Showing the interest in a company's past accomplishments is "gold" in the interview process. It shows you really care about the company, and you want to work for THEM, not just anyone who will hire you. It takes a little time, but it's worth it.

When it comes time to dive in, first spend some time polishing your online image. Often, somebody selecting candidates to interview, or the interview team members themselves, will try to pull you up on LinkedIn, Facebook, or another site. Prepare your image first by removing "questionable" content like dumb comments from friends, funny cat pictures, etc. On those same sites, "follow" groups that make you look like a professional in your field (which can also be a great source of information). You want anyone who does pull up a website with your profile on it to say, "Hmmm... This guy has a real interest and is in the loop".

When it comes time to craft your resume, there are some great resources you should seek out on how to make resumes. Some of these are military (Transition Assistance Program, or similar), some not. You'll find all kinds of advice, but little of it will be tailored to your particular situation. For that, try finding real resumes (LinkedIn or similar) from people in your chosen field. A quick search for my company, plus the word "environment", on LinkedIn provided a quick list of people who's profiles you could search further for content that you could evaluate and mold to fit your experience and qualifications.

And finally, you can try looking for professional organizations, groups, meetings, etc. that may meet in your area or online. Get in there and get to know these people. Networking can be a huge benefit to your job search. Don't go all "hard sell", but do drop little reminders that you are looking to get into the field. You never know when someone will say, "Hey, my company has an opening that you may be interested in".

Edit: I should tack on one more thing that is a common fault in the resumes I've read. If you have any experience writing evaluations of yourself or others in the military, this point is just as true... "Qualify it with numbers or it didn't happen". For example, it's close to pointless to say on your resume, "Successfully reduced the backlog of orders in my department". Measure it! Try, "Implemented efficiency improvements to reduce the backlog of orders from 80% to less than 5% in a two-month period, saving an estimated $10,000 in temporary personnel costs". Of course, your numbers need to be reasonable and supportable, but you get the picture. When an employer sees numbers, it also gives the impression that you are detailed-oriented and know about your own accomplishments and how they affect the business.