Environmental jobs
When I tell people that I work for an environmental nonprofit, they usually immediately jump to conclusions. They might be well-meaning about it, but inevitably they draw the same deduction. They assume that I am a true believer, working an underpaid environmental job with a bunch of starry-eyed misfits. I will be the first to admit that there are environmental jobs like this, but this is not the whole story. A lot of people involved in environmental engineering, environmental consultancy, and other environment careers are extremely educated, articulate, moderate, and well paid. You don't have to be an extremist or college student. The environment is a big deal, and there are many environmental career options out there.
Many of the most important environmental jobs are actually in the field of education nowadays. People rarely think about how much environmental education goes on, but it is really astounding. From preschool through postgraduate degrees, there are environmental educators every step of the way to talk to people about issues affecting our planet today.
You can find environmental jobs at any level in it. As a matter of fact, the first environmental job I had was working at a municipal park. I would take people on nature walks, talk about the local wildlife, and explain What we were doing to conserve natural resources in that particular park. People found it fascinating, and I got to talk to young kids all the time. It was extremely rewarding.
On the other hand, there are environmental jobs that involve making some very important policy decisions. Environmental engineering is a crucial job. When most people think about environmental jobs, they think about advocacy positions. Although the people who go door-to-door to raise awareness about environmental issues are an important part of the movement, the people who help state, federal, and private agencies to make the least environmental impact when they are building are equally important, if not more so. After all, one of the biggest parts of protecting the environment is making sure to not do any further damage.
Then again, if you are really passionate about the environment and good at talking to people, you might want to go for one of those traditional nonprofit jobs to save the environment. I would never knock canvassing. It is what saves the environmental organizations during years when they can't get funding from big donors. It is also how ordinary people get involved in endangered species, environmental cleanup, and conservation issues.
