Articles by Kevin Doyle

What jobs are included in the environmental field?

As director of program development at The Environmental Careers Organization, Kevin Doyle knows a thing or two about job searching. In this recurring column for Grist, he explores the green job market and offers advice to eco-job-seekers looking to jumpstart their careers.

I received an email the other day from a professor who wanted fresh, expert-certified information about the green job scene. (No snickering about the abysmally low standards for "expert" status, please.) His college planned to offer a new environmental studies degree, and the state legislators wanted to know whether graduates would become gainfully employed in exchange for their four years and $80,000. Picky, picky, picky.

"It'll be a slam dunk!" the prof answered. "Employers will greet our graduates like liberators, throwing flowers at their feet when they enter the lobby!" It was a powerfully convincing argument, but unlike some government leaders we can think of, the governor required actual data before ponying up the taxpayer's cash. This is the kind of limited, inside-the-box, "reality-based" leadership our nation's professors must contend with.

At any rate, an academically rigorous search for verifiable numbers set sail. (Translation: an intern typed keywords into Google.) Immediately, the project ran into an iceberg of a question: How does one define "environmental" jobs in 2006?

Can you work as an environmental consultant without losing your soul?

As director of program development at The Environmental Careers Organization, Kevin Doyle knows a thing or two about job searching. In this recurring column for Grist, he explores the green job market and offers advice to eco-job-seekers looking to jumpstart their careers.

I have been working in the environmental consulting field for several years now. I must admit, I'm quite disillusioned due to clients who simply don't care about the environment. I turn away projects when I realize the goal is to use me to produce an assessment that removes their responsibility. When I explain that the data cannot be altered, many attempt to offer more money, but end up choosing to find another consultant. I want to return to why I entered this field in the beginning. I'm 40 years old now, and I need to make a change. Where does this idealist go from here?    -- Jacqueline M.

Is there something in the water, Gristers? Recent calls and emails are bringing plaintive cries from 40-something environmental professionals all over the country.

It's not only people like Jacqueline in the so-called "environmental industry." I'm hearing from federal, state, and local government employees, environmental officers at corporations, academics, and even a few activist types. Just this week at a pollution-prevention conference in Atlanta, I listened to a state government environmental leader declare flatly that the permitting work her team spent "thousands of hours on" was producing little or no additional benefit for people or the natural world. No one seemed shocked and appalled. No one suggested she was being too negative. Most everyone nodded and shrugged as if to say "tell me something I don't already know."

The message I'm getting is that many of the people who have been toiling in the greener part of the vineyard for years have begun to suspect that they may be part of a game -- one that's better at keeping expensive professionals gainfully employed than it is at creating a sustainable world.

An eco-career guru answers reader mail

As director of program development at The Environmental Careers Organization, Kevin Doyle knows a thing or two about job searching. In this recurring column for Grist, he'll explore the green job market and offer advice to eco-job-seekers looking to jumpstart their careers.

Here's a career-development tip for would-be writers and bloggers: Don't miss your deadlines! I'm sorry for letting so much time pass between postings.

To get back in your good graces, I've decided to dip into the mailbag and address some of the many questions you've asked. Happy reading, and thanks for your patience.

I am an undergraduate student trying to figure out my career path, as many of us are. I am looking at careers in either environmental science or environmental engineering -- what job opportunities are available in these two fields?    -- Katherine M., British Columbia

Dear Katherine,

Many of us are years removed from our undergraduate days and still "trying to figure out our career paths." So join the club! You've selected two perfect career options for the early 21st century. There is a very strong demand for both environmental scientists and environmental engineers right now, and consulting firms are particularly looking for talented people.

The "environmental scientist" title is usually given to people who work on air- and water-quality issues and/or toil in fields like hazardous-waste management. Scientific fields that are not labeled "environmental scientist" by the-people-who-label-these-things include popular science options like conservation science, forestry, many specialties within biology, atmospheric science, earth science, chemistry, and a wide variety of technicians.

Within the narrow definition, there are around 70,000 enviro-scientists in the country, and their numbers are growing faster than the overall economy. Starting salaries are about $36,000 a year and top out around $85,000. Just under half of these professionals work for state and local government, and another 20 percent for the feds. The other third is in the private sector.

Job opportunities are even stronger for those with environmental-engineering degrees. There are some 55,000 such engineers, over half of whom work for consulting firms and other businesses. Entry-level salaries for people with Bachelor of Science degrees are over $50K, and high salaries for non-managers are up around six figures. The median is $66,000.

Good work. Good money. Good prospects. Looks good.

Advice on making the move to a new eco-career

As director of program development at The Environmental Careers Organization, Kevin Doyle knows a thing or two about job searching. In a new column for Grist, he'll explore the green job market and offer advice to eco-job-seekers looking to jumpstart their careers.

February is National Mentoring Month. Aren't you psyched? No? Well, consider this column a shout-out to mentors everywhere. If you've had a good mentor in the past, or if you have one right now, celebrate February by calling that person just to say "thank you." (And call your mother, too. She's worried about you.)

In this column, I want to focus on the biggest of big pictures and share three pieces of strategic wisdom I've stolen over the years from people who are a lot wiser and smarter than me.

Just get started!

Take a look at any book about jobs and careers. Inevitably, you'll find the same rigid list of action steps buried in the text. Strip away the detail, and the strategy usually looks something like this: Know yourself (your skills, your preferences, your values, your astrological sign, Chinese New Year animal ...) and understand "your industry" (job titles, public and private employers, salary levels, important trends). Have a plan and develop a vision of your ideal job. Get needed degrees, certifications, and experience, and master the basic job search skills (résumés, interviews, cover letters). Build a good reputation, and develop and maintain a strong career network.

That's a lot of work! Where does one even start? Truth is, it doesn't matter where you start. Trust me on this. Before you're done, reality will force you to deal with all of the career components above. If you're listening to your life at all, each situation will practically scream a good next step in your ear.

So, if you're the planning type, go ahead and plan. If you're a doer, jump right in. If you derive power and energy from self-reflection, by all means, go ahead and gaze at that navel. The important thing is to get started.