Written by Intengine in partnership with ECO Canada
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Hosted by: ECO Canada
Non-Member Price: Free
Member Price: Free
Course Length: 60 mins
Career Stage: Junior and Mid-level Career
Summary: Environmental Career Journeys
Our webinar on Environmental Career Journeys includes presenters: Liz Waterfield (Environmental Scientist), Hari Pemmaraju (Environmental and Social Risk Management Advisor) and Lora Amos-Terpstra (Environmental Project Manager). Each presenter realized their passion for the environment in different ways, but all of their journeys involved a moment in time where it became clear that this was where their future lay. There is an abundance of work in the growing environmental sector, and these working professionals share both information they would find useful today, and what they wished they’d known when they were just starting out.
Talking points:
When asked which qualities or skills they deemed most important when working in the field, Hari emphasizes curiosity and passion while Lora describes her experiences with an increasing amount of accounting. Liz believes getting out of your comfort zone to be the most important factor to her success.
General advice to those starting their career? Reach out to those working in your field of interest and open up the line of communication. These connections can provide useful information and even lead to future job opportunities. Embodying confidence in these interactions, not just in job interviews can help prepare you mentally for the workforce. Another recommendation it to consider finding a mentor. Mentorship can help you gain access to a wealth of knowledge that helps you ge to where you want to be.
Entry level job positions and the skills required once in them: Collaboration and the ability to work with and communicate clearly with others is extremely important and can require a shift in mindset from the sometimes-competitive educational realm. Data skills are highly sought after and can be accompanied by any relevant certifications, such as ECO Canada’s Environmental Professional (EP) designation, to enhance your resume.
How to stand out during the job search: Be sure to follow up with connections made in the field, while allowing for ample time for responses. Employers want you for you, so an authentic expression of your personality and areas of interest can allow for the best job placement. When submitting resumes, always include a cover letter to tailor your application to the specific job.
Things Lora, Hari and Liz would change about the beginning of their career journey: Be easier on yourself and embrace the learning process, it never ends! Work to get into the field of study you are most interested in, even if it proves difficult at first.
Tailoring area of study to your field of interest, confident authenticity along with developing relevant connections are underlying factors for our presenters, advice that is sure to help you along your environmental career journey.
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