What Type Of Person Thrives In The Environmental Consulting Industry According To An Environmental Planner At SWCA Environmental Consultants
Environmental consulting thrives on individuals who are "driven and willing to try new things," embracing a learning-oriented approach, as Sophie, an Environmental Planner, explains. The industry encompasses diverse roles, from office-based technical work to specialized fieldwork in areas like botany and ecology, demanding a variety of technical skills and project approaches.
Driven, Willingness to learn, Collaboration, Problem-solving, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sophie Butler
Environmental Planner
SWCA Environmental Consultants
UCLA 2018
N/A
Biology & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management
Climate, Environment and Sustainability
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Being driven and willing to try new things is beneficial
2. Don't be afraid to ask colleagues for help and learn from them
3. The industry offers diverse roles beyond desk work, including field work and specialized technical skills
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
I think it's cliche to say, but I really believe that being driven and also being willing to try new things are hugely beneficial to people just getting started in environmental consulting. There's just no way you're going to know everything before you start in environmental consulting, or most other industries.
So being the type of person who's willing to dive in headfirst and just start trying to figure things out is really helpful. You are not going to know everything right off the bat, and you're probably not going to know everything the rest of your career.
But going to your colleagues, finding people who have the answers and that you can learn from, is a great way to build trust. I will say though, there's more to this industry than just the desktop technical writing in-office work that I mostly do.
There's a huge amount of staff in this industry that are more focused on fieldwork, data collection, and analysis. Those tend to be more specialized fields like cultural resources, botany, restoration ecology, or fire planning. And those people all bring different types of more technical skills to the table. They usually end up working on projects in different ways than somebody who's just a hard and fast environmental planner like I am.
Advizer Personal Links
www.linkedin.com/in/ sophie-b-6340b38a