I have been an Environmental Scientist for just over four years now, and I just recently reached a career milestone of becoming a Chartered Scientist. I imagine it would be a surprise to my science teachers at school who knew a disengaged fella who just wanted to play rugby. So, I thought it was a good time to look back at my early career to date, looking at my journey. By sharing this I hope someone will find it useful at the start of their career working with the environment by providing some perspective and insight.
So why did I choose the environmental industry? I actually can’t remember a conscious decision that I wanted to work in the industry. And that’s because I had no idea of the range of environmental jobs out there when I was leaving school. And even if I did, I didn't really know what they did day to day. I wish I had a dream job to chase, but I didn't.
I chose to study Geography at University after school due to the fact I enjoyed the topics, learning about the interactions between the human and physical world, both bad and good. That might sound bonkers to some, especially pushy parents or people who like to have a plan. I understand this, it is a lot of time and money to spend. At the time when I was making my UCAS applications, I wasn’t thinking about how much I would earn and what job I could get.
‘ah, so you’re going to be a teacher then?
It was not all smooth during my studies though and I did not have a flexible mindset all the time. And I remember getting repeatedly asked ‘what do you want to do with your degree?’ and ‘ah so you’re going to be a teacher then?’ And unfortunately, I let it bother me eventually. During my first year, I considered dropping out. I think fear and anxiety crept in over my future career, doubting myself and the decision I made and losing faith in my lax attitude to life.
I started looking up other courses such as physiotherapy and the armed forces, and jobs that pay well. I think this period was coupled with a boring university module, listening to other people's opinions, and letting those questions on future plans initiate worry.
My original approach to life eventually came back, allowing me to focus on my studies. I soon realised there was a big advantage to studying Geography, developing important skills I could take with me in any job, with so many career paths to explore. You could argue that you could do that with other similar degrees, and the fact I was developing these skills around topics I enjoyed ensured I was engaged and motivated.
In my final year, I completed my dissertation studying the impacts of climate change on key tourist sites around Northern Ireland which was the highlight of the course in my opinion, followed in second by a field trip to Mallorca. My dissertation was nominated for an award, much to my surprise, but was evidence of the enjoyment I had during it. And with that, Geography came to an end. Also while making life-long friends who will probably message me as soon as they read this, some of whom I still work with today.
It was the same plan, get experience, write it on my CV, and talk about it at an interview.
I then studied a Masters in Environmental Engineering at Queens. I found out about the course from a lecturer and spoke to a couple of friends about it. It was appealing to me as it was a way to study the world's problems in detail and create potential solutions. Before I started the course, I undertook voluntary work experience at an environmental consultancy in Belfast.
I had a part-time job that provided enough pocket money and I was living at home with a supportive family. I grabbed the opportunity by the marbles, asked questions, helped with site work on the other side of the country, and connected with people. Walking into an open office with more than 200 people was daunting, I remember the heat during the summer and the odd face that appeared from behind the computer screen.
At this stage, I still wasn’t sure what these jobs actually entailed, so I thought it was a good idea. Midway through the Masters in January, during some time off, I went back into the consultancy for round two. It was the same plan, get experience, write it on my CV, and talk about it at an interview.
The same company later hired me at the end of my Masters, and four years later here I am, still learning, albeit with a different company doing slightly different work. So if you’re still with me, I’ll attempt to summarise my journey from a disengaged teenager to an annoyingly keen colleague who posts on LinkedIn a lot. Here are a couple of lessons I learned:
Don’t get hung up on the future, the only thing that matters is what you’re doing now. Ask yourself, am I enjoying this? Is it taking me in the rough direction I want to go? If you're doing both of these things, I am almost sure you will get the opportunities you deserve if you're patient, and everything else will follow.
Ask the stupid questions on your mind. No questions could be interpreted as not being engaged. Questions spark discussion with the right people, which often leads to problem-solving and catching things that would otherwise fall through the gap.
Identify leaders who are good at what they do, and who are supportive, trustworthy and genuine. Connect with them and keep in contact. Then try to become your own version of them.
Thank you very much for reading and please share with anyone early in their environmental careers, or even thinking of taking the first step from school. I would love to hear from you if you have experienced similar situations and any lessons you took from your early career.
I also pivoted during this time to work in the marine and coastal sector, but that is a story for another time. But if you are interested in hearing how I did it, please reach out at sam@coastalcatchups.com.
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