Favorite Parts of Working in the Sanitation Industry as a Communications and Human Resources Manager
Laura's favorite aspect of the wastewater treatment industry is its crucial, yet often overlooked, role in protecting public health and the environment; the work is "recession proof," offers excellent compensation and benefits, and provides the intrinsic satisfaction of knowing that "if your sewers aren't flowing properly, you will be a very unhappy camper."
Environmental Sustainability, Public Health, Government, Job Security, Employee Benefits
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Laura Romano
Communications and Human Resources Manager
Goleta Sanitary District
University of CA, Santa Cruz, Prefer not to say!
Calif. Lutheran Masters in Public Policy & Administration
History, Art History
Food, Beverages & Alcohol, Government & Public Sector
Communication and Marketing
Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Working in this industry is impactful because it directly affects the environment and public health.
2. The industry offers job security (recession-proof) and excellent compensation and benefits, including retirement.
3. The work is meaningful and contributes to protecting public health and the environment, which is a great source of pride for those in the field.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your industry?
A lot of what motivates the folks who work here is caring about the environment. It's something that we have a direct impact on. Most folks don't think about what happens after they turn off their sink or flush their toilet, especially what happens to that water.
What does it go through before it ends up out in the ocean or wherever it ends up? If you think about it, one of the most important technological advances of civilization is literally the treatment of waste. It sounds crazy, but it's something everyone should care about.
We don't talk about it, but you can't take yourself too seriously when you work in this field. By the same token, what we really do is take great pride in protecting public health and the environment. That's our mission statement.
So, it is because of those things that it's a recession-proof job, which is terrific, as well as being a governmental institution. We have great pay and benefits and retirement, which is something you don't find much these days.
It's a job where everybody kept working during COVID. It was very important that we did, because if your sewers aren't flowing properly, you will be a very unhappy camper. That's when we'll start to hear complaints. Thankfully, that's never happened.
That's because we take great pride and great care in what we do to protect public health and the environment.
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