What A Staff Biologist At Blackhawk Environmental Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Environmental Industry
Sarah, a Staff Biologist, wishes they had known the physically and mentally demanding nature of the job, including "hazardous situations," before accepting the position, advocating for a higher starting wage that reflects this reality because "people tend to get really underpaid, especially when they're first starting out."
Industry Realities, Salary Negotiation, Workplace Challenges, Hazardous Work Environments, Advocating for Yourself
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sarah Toback
Staff Biologist
Blackhawk Environmental
University of California, Los Angeles- 2015
Macquarie University- Master of Conservation Biology
Environmental & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management
Research and Development (R&D)
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. The job is physically and mentally demanding with hazardous situations.
2. Salaries in the environmental biology field may be lower than expected, especially at the start of one's career.
3. It is important to advocate for fair compensation that reflects the challenging nature of the work.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you ever started?
Before starting this role, I didn't realize the effort involved. It's a physically and mentally demanding job, and we're often put in hazardous situations.
I wish someone had told me that my pay should reflect that from the beginning. When I started, I wasn't having very transparent conversations about salaries.
I've noticed in my industry that people tend to get underpaid, especially when they're first starting out. No one tells them what the work entails and that they should be getting paid more. I wish I had advocated for myself to get a better starting wage.