BSc Environmental Science no jobs in this country

aoife1991

El Siglo wrote: »

Just keep plugging away at it, it'll all make sense eventually!:pac:

Here's hoping haha! thanks for your help

01mirelly

Ed history 1st yr science maths geology experimental physics and biol.
Ba and ma in geography

I am very much into physical sciences, earth and climate etc these areas interest me most. I kick my self now saying was I right to give up science after 1st year for
Arts degree. Lately I have a feeling that I want to do further study but at the same time I need to get into the working world. I have been unsuccessful in the job hunt.

Further study options I have been searching are in earth science, environmental science, climate change possible phd aswell but feel I need a specified area of study/ interest to work on Proir to the phd option as my masters in geography was very general.

My main priority is work!
Courses I have been searching esp in the area of physical sciences like the msc in environmental science (tcd), msc in climate change (muim) but I fear if I go for it I will wind up in the same position and even more in debt.


I have spent weeks searching for jobs in any relation to my qualifications and there is nothing in the line of work. I do have if it's meant to be its meant to be attitude..... Maybe I am wrong and should ditch it at this stage. I dnt know?

I would like some thoughts on this issue!

Jayjay80

oh man...dilemma, just applied for tcd MSc enviro yday and got accepted today. was already accepted into MA society and space in nuim. Did a good mix of human and phys geog in my BA. Did a good thesis and was aiming for PhD studies. panicked at the last second and applied for tcd thinkin it would qualify me for something more than the MA if the PhD funding didnt work out...doesnt sound like a great idea after reading this thread. Have small kids and dont want to emigrate. Also we are smashed so this really is my last chance to make the right decision!

El Siglo

Jayjay80 wrote: »

oh man...dilemma, just applied for tcd MSc enviro yday and got accepted today. was already accepted into MA society and space in nuim. Did a good mix of human and phys geog in my BA. Did a good thesis and was aiming for PhD studies. panicked at the last second and applied for tcd thinkin it would qualify me for something more than the MA if the PhD funding didnt work out...doesnt sound like a great idea after reading this thread. Have small kids and dont want to emigrate. Also we are smashed so this really is my last chance to make the right decision!

Probably better to go with the MSc than the MA, you'll get good experience and learn a lot of techniques as well as doing some good research. It's just the economy at the moment and the way things are here. The UK is pretty good in terms of environmental jobs, check out the oil careers website (http://www.oilcareers.com).

NaughtyAtNite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e8BjtSHBSY

Shazforgrub wrote: »

Eh, if you look closely at that there is really only 2 jobs there actually looking for an environmental scientist, and although I didn't look in any great detail at them I strongly suspect that they are the same job posted twice!!

There is shag all jobs in environmental science in Ireland, many of the bigger consultancies like WYG, Golder, Malone O'Regan etc have laid off 100s of very experienced staff, so if you're just out of college or whatever you haven't a hope really.

If you check out seek.com.au you will find 100's of jobs for enviros, with new ones posted everyday. I recently moved to Australia after getting a job through the aforementioned site, loving it so far. I had been searching online for jobs in Canada, Australia and Asia just out of curiousity, and I put out my c.v. to a few different places on the off chance something my come up. I got offered an interview within a few weeks of putting c.v.s out, if you are considered moving over here to work feel free to p.m. me any questions.

Considering doing this bloody course, but the vid isn't really that helpful at where it goes to. It's more of a practical approach on sustainability. What do you think, is it better at going towards jobs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e8BjtSHBSY

aoife1991

NaughtyAtNite wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e8BjtSHBSY

Considering doing this bloody course, but the vid isn't really that helpful at where it goes to. It's more of a practical approach on sustainability. What do you think, is it better at going towards jobs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e8BjtSHBSY

Doing this course at the min, can't comment on jobs obviously still in college, but it seems to be aiming at jobs in labs of environmental management agencies or environmental monitoring units. The course is in UCC allows you to specialize after first year, maybe that might be more appropriate to the jobs market. There aren't any jobs in Ireland at the moment, so stay in college as long as you can. This degree course was started in 2010 so it's in its infancy and doesn't have any graduates from it yet.

lstevo

Hi
I have a degree in Computer Science and was wondering if it would be worth my while doing the M.Sc in environmental science. I've always been interested in this field but don't know if it would be beneficial? Any info or advise would be much appreciated?

NoCrackHaving

lstevo wrote: »

Hi
I have a degree in Computer Science and was wondering if it would be worth my while doing the M.Sc in environmental science. I've always been interested in this field but don't know if it would be beneficial? Any info or advise would be much appreciated?

Possibly, if you have an end route in sight. There's always a lot of work in the UK (where I'm based) for environmental modelling and programming, particularly with the research councils and the Met Office so the computer science would be ideal for these sort of jobs. There's also GIS programming and modelling which is always crying out for computer scientist for the really hard programming. Is it worth doing a Masters? Possibly, as it may give you that extra edge over other candidates who have never shown interest in Environmental Science before.

lstevo

Thanks for the reply.

But really i don't want to do modelling or really any programming.
I'd like to learn all the usual stuff environmental science entails.
I'm just wondering if people have done this sort of thing before?
That is move over from a completely different discipline and if
they did was it worth while?

froog

lstevo wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

But really i don't want to do modelling or really any programming.
I'd like to learn all the usual stuff environmental science entails.
I'm just wondering if people have done this sort of thing before?
That is move over from a completely different discipline and if
they did was it worth while?

I'm not 100% sure you would be allowed do that masters with no science background (by science I mean chem, physics, biology). if you were you would struggle. there's a lot of hard analytical chemistry stuff there, way beyond anything you might have done in leaving cert, assuming you did chemistry in leaving? some of the biology can be challenging with no experience as well to be honest. even the undergraduate env science degrees have huge dropout rates from people unprepared for it.

I would suggest starting with a diploma or cert.

NoCrackHaving

lstevo wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

But really i don't want to do modelling or really any programming.
I'd like to learn all the usual stuff environmental science entails.
I'm just wondering if people have done this sort of thing before?
That is move over from a completely different discipline and if
they did was it worth while?

Well I did a BA in Geography and Environmental Planning before an MSc in Environmental Science which, while related didn't really help. I found the shift very tough, doable but very tough so be prepared to be putting in a huge amount of hours studying. I loved studying it but the step up from undergrad to postgrad is always tough and doing a new subject makes it harder but definately go for it if you have the motivation.


Jobs wise, forget Ireland, very small market even in boom times, the UK on the other hand is a lot better but still tough. Environmental consultancy is a relatively small sector and grad schemes don't really exist, it's usually one grad job and maybe 25-40 applicants so you really need to stand out. So you need to take as many opportunities for internships, research and environmental volunteering as possible. Also avoid any policy modules-hard science is the way forward-in terms of interest, work and salary.

Finally, avoiding modelling is going to be tough, with the exception of conservation work it crops up a lot-programes like ArcGIS, MatLab, AutoCad etc. are all things you're going to come across.

lstevo

Thanks for all that information and advice guys. Think I might follow up that environmental modelling after all.

The_Captain

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

Well I did a BA in Geography and Environmental Planning before an MSc in Environmental Science which, while related didn't really help. I found the shift very tough, doable but very tough so be prepared to be putting in a huge amount of hours studying. I loved studying it but the step up from undergrad to postgrad is always tough and doing a new subject makes it harder but definately go for it if you have the motivation.


Jobs wise, forget Ireland, very small market even in boom times, the UK on the other hand is a lot better but still tough. Environmental consultancy is a relatively small sector and grad schemes don't really exist, it's usually one grad job and maybe 25-40 applicants so you really need to stand out. So you need to take as many opportunities for internships, research and environmental volunteering as possible. Also avoid any policy modules-hard science is the way forward-in terms of interest, work and salary.

Finally, avoiding modelling is going to be tough, with the exception of conservation work it crops up a lot-programes like ArcGIS, MatLab, AutoCad etc. are all things you're going to come across.

I would absolutely disagree with that, knowing the legislation is a huge part of the job.
Day-to-day, it's far more important to know what parameters and testing is required in stuff like SI 180 or SI 278 than knowing how to calculate pressure using Boyles Law

NoCrackHaving

The_Captain wrote: »

I would absolutely disagree with that, knowing the legislation is a huge part of the job.
Day-to-day, it's far more important to know what parameters and testing is required in stuff like SI 180 or SI 278 than knowing how to calculate pressure using Boyles Law

However, learning legislation on the job is a lot easier than via a degree. There's no policy I learnt in university that I didn't have to completely re-learn in the workplace anyway.

The_Captain

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

However, learning legislation on the job is a lot easier than via a degree. There's no policy I learnt in university that I didn't have to completely re-learn in the workplace anyway.

It's a lot easier to get a job if you have a good knowledge of the legislation. Most job specs will have something on there about knowing relevant polices and virtually no focus on the hard science end.
Fair enough, there's plenty of maths involved if you're doing hydrogeology, but it's easier to learn the formulas and calculations you need on the job than going through college.

In fact, most of the difficult calculations now can be done automatically on your PC. Plenty of websites out there can calculate Mogden Formulas or Langelier Indices once you enter the data.

Consequently, most employers (IMO) aren't overly bothered about the hard science of it, and having no background in policies and legislation is a lot more damaging to your career progression

NoCrackHaving

The_Captain wrote: »

It's a lot easier to get a job if you have a good knowledge of the legislation. Most job specs will have something on there about knowing relevant polices and virtually no focus on the hard science end.
Fair enough, there's plenty of maths involved if you're doing hydrogeology, but it's easier to learn the formulas and calculations you need on the job than going through college.

In fact, most of the difficult calculations now can be done automatically on your PC. Plenty of websites out there can calculate Mogden Formulas or Langelier Indices once you enter the data.

Consequently, most employers (IMO) aren't overly bothered about the hard science of it, and having no background in policies and legislation is a lot more damaging to your career progression

Hmm, I don't know, I reckon we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

The_Captain

Fair enough so :cool:

What do you actually do, if you dont mind me asking?

berger89

Anderidian wrote: »

I have an honours degree in Environmental Science & yet cannot find any jobs using my degree. Instead I've had to settle for 'sales assistant'. Where in the world can I get a job! I would love to move to Scandinavia but don't have the language- any info on that would be super

I'm pretty sure that Scandinavians are fluent in English! Also, Iceland would be a superb place to visit.
Would you consider doing a little spot of volunteering? It might lead onto something else. I know VSI always have programs running in Iceland along the theme of environmental science.

NoCrackHaving

The_Captain wrote: »

Fair enough so :cool:

What do you actually do, if you dont mind me asking?

Not at all!

EIA's for wind farm developments mostly, also some solar stuff.

The_Captain

Over in the UK I take it?

Funny, I would have thought that would be the most regulation-heavy and least hard-science part of the industry.

Admittedly, I don't have any experience with wind farms, but you're not dealing with discharge licencing, waste acceptance, emission standards or anything like that, I would guess

froog

The_Captain wrote: »

It's a lot easier to get a job if you have a good knowledge of the legislation. Most job specs will have something on there about knowing relevant polices and virtually no focus on the hard science end.
Fair enough, there's plenty of maths involved if you're doing hydrogeology, but it's easier to learn the formulas and calculations you need on the job than going through college.

In fact, most of the difficult calculations now can be done automatically on your PC. Plenty of websites out there can calculate Mogden Formulas or Langelier Indices once you enter the data.

Consequently, most employers (IMO) aren't overly bothered about the hard science of it, and having no background in policies and legislation is a lot more damaging to your career progression

not sure about all that to be honest. i've worked in this field for about 8 years now and science is the backbone of most environmental jobs in industry, and to a lesser extent in government. if you don't have a strong grounding in the environmental sciences it's a big hindrance in this field imo.

NoCrackHaving

The_Captain wrote: »

Over in the UK I take it?

Funny, I would have thought that would be the most regulation-heavy and least hard-science part of the industry.

Admittedly, I don't have any experience with wind farms, but you're not dealing with discharge licencing, waste acceptance, emission standards or anything like that, I would guess

Shrug, you've never done an EIA I take it? Policy and regulations only take up one chapter out of 13-14. Hard science and a lot of stats and maths are all over it ranging from hydrology to carbon emissions modelling to noise monitoring and modelling. Policy is certainly important but very easy to pick up to be honest as it varies from council to council so general policy is only so useful.

daisyscience

There's a job going through UCC with the SFPA at the moment if your interested in going down the marine or statistical analysis route. The job description looks pretty tough but you get trained up and they pay for you to get a MSc out of it too. You have to move to Clonakilty though. I'm currently on this program, its great. The money could be better but still, its work in the environmental sector. You can find the details on UCC, closing date is today tho but this has been advertised a couple of times. I think no one suitable is going for it maybe.