Wetland Wednesday
May 6, 2020
With virtual graduation right around the corner I thought it might be helpful to offer some advice on entering the wetland career job market. Please feel free to forward this post to anyone you think might need help finding a job. I know many of our subscribers either work in a related wetland science field or have a general interest in wetland studies. So, if you think you might be able to help a recent graduate please pass this on.
First, I want to congratulate you on your hard work. It is extremely disappointing to put in four or more years of toil and strain only to receive a diploma in the mail and perhaps a Zoom graduation ceremony. Currently, I am hosting two senior college refugees at our home. My daughter, who is a junior has a friend who had an obligation at NC State and could not initially go home. My niece is also staying with us and now they are trapped till the end of the semester. Both are seniors and both are extremely frustrated with looking for a job, graduation, etc. So, you have my sympathies.
However, we must look forward to a post Corona world. What can you do now to help get a job?
The answer is simple. You need to get some “real world” training. No matter your field you need to look at what skill sets are needed at a prospective job and get them now. This not only applies to wetland science, but across all industries.
Now, I know the last thing you want to hear is that you need more schooling. Four years of college should seem enough to get started. However, no matter what job you are looking at your employer is going to require that you either get on the job training or attend a training workshop. To be quite frank, a college degree opens the door to a job, but it does not give you all the skills you need to do the job. That is what training is for.
A very simple example is found at your local supermarket. Most supermarkets have at least one week of employee training before they face the public. Now you could have an MBA, but not know how to run the register or know which aisle you can find peanut butter. You think it would be by the bread, but it is actually by the canned goods. Many supermarkets have a treasure hunt for groceries as part of their training. Then add in the reporting, human resource compliance, how to deal with U-scan, etc. and it can be quite a lot. None of which you are going to learn in college.
Supermarkets cannot hire fast enough to keep up with today’s curbside delivery demand. However, each new employee needs to undergo the training process, and this takes time. Now imagine a job seeker from another store of the same supermarket chain is looking to go back to work. They have the training and can start filling curbside carts right away. Of course, this store does keep the peanut butter by the bread but they will get there. How much thought do you think the store manager will have to put in before they offer the prospect a job? I would argue just about none and I would see if they could start today.
So how does this translate to wetland science?
The issue today is that many of the large and small firms have had to institute some layoffs. In addition, they have not been able to do personal job interviews. Right now, we are at the beginning of wetland delineation season. The problem facing employers is that they need to get their work crews back and also hire new recruits for work that has already started. There is no guarantee that the furloughed workers will return, and the new recruits need training.
So, what can you do?
Get trained now! Take a basic wetland delineation class today. When you send in your job application having completed basic training you are head and shoulders above other job seekers. You move to the front of the line.
Why?
You can start working on billable work almost immediately. Plus, you have saved the company the tuition, any class related travel expenses, and the most expensive aspect of training, non-billable hours. This can represent thousands of dollars that the company does not have to spend. Going into the job interview you are the most cost-effective hire they will have to consider, and you can start making them money right away.
Obviously, we have a stake in this, but we really want to help you get a job. As part of our training program we provide you with many job resources and are happy to discuss any job seeking advice we can offer. Give us a call or start a chat if you need any help.
All the best, Marc