but i’m not sure of what I wanna do after my bachelor…i’m afraid that doing geology is going to “keep me in a box”. What if I wanna do something else after? Maybe still related to the field but I don’t have the skills to do so? I always read about people saying that geology is better because you can 100% find a job, but i’m not even sure about what job I even wanna do! I need help choosing

Any insight is appreciated, especially if you're able to identify the use-case or prevalence of a given language in relation to the specific job you're referring to.

Also any insight on general skills which may not be covered in our environmental degrees is also welcome

Thanks

I have been working as an environmental scientist for the last two years and some change, since I graduated in 2024. I am currently in VA in a decently HCOL city, and have been doing about a 80/20 split of field work to office work. Primarily my works centers around groundwater , soil , and air sampling on former petroleum sites , dry cleaners , landfills , etc. I do think I have learned a lot and gained a ton of valuable experience , and have definitely grown as a professional over the last two years. I have also gotten a fair amount of experience writing reports , tabulating data and using this data to compile figures.

I have recently been offered a job opportunity that is a 14,000$ pay increase. I would be sacrificing my hourly OT pay of time and a half, and would be leaving a place where I feel comfortable, but often times taken for granted. I am leaning towards the salary position and the pay increase, as I have heard company hopping is unfortunately one of the best ways to increase your value over the years. I also feel as if I have gotten too comfortable at my current position , and am ready to put myself in an uncomfortable situation again, as I feel as if I am ready to learn more.

I want to pursue a bachelors / masters of engineering in the near future , and have already spoken to nearby universities as well as my Alma matter. Both companies have been supportive of this, just wanted to throw this in there.

Would you guys recommend the salaried pay increase , although it may come with more work ? I am currently averaging about 40-50 hours per week , but have heard it can go up a decent bit from there in consulting.

Thanks for the help , happy to answer any questions !

I‘m working at one of the bigger engineering/ consulting firms and our salary raise discussions are coming up within the next month or so. I’m curious what I should expect and/ or what number I should ballpark in case I need to negotiate

I‘m also right on the cusp of being promoted to the next level in the series so that could go either way. What % increase should I expect? (with or without moving up to the next level)

I work in a sustainability role right now, but my undergrad degree is not in a science. I've been very lucky to find work in an interdisciplinary niche that overlaps with my undergrad degree, but due to a lack of a higher degree in sustainability/science, it seems like I've hit a fairly noticeable growth ceiling in terms of pay. My work is effectively "climate communication."

When looking at other roles, both in and out of my niche, there are significant pay bumps that I'd be applicable for if I had a Masters in Environmental Science/Sustainability, but it would probably cost me about $20,000 to get the degree.

I've been looking at online PSM programs that I could do while at this job. Does anyone have any thoughts and advice on this? Thank!

Hi I am in my first semester of bs environmental science and i am having second guess about this field and my future I want brutal truth that is it worth it or should i switch to something else i do not want to waste money or my time because i am from third world country i know there are no chances here and i will have to move out for better opportunities but what if i do all that in end to be disappointed or when its too late

Hello everyone! A bit of background on me (25), I have been intentionally transitioning into the geospatial field over the last year. More specifically with GeoML and working with geospatial and spatiotemporal data. I've built my skills by doing projects (fire prediction, fire area mapping, crop yield prediction) and worked on an open source project as well most recently. I've learnt some QGIS and mapping as well. I've been out of a job for a while (18 months) during this transition and upskilling. I've previously worked as a data analyst in retail and interned as well with a bit of ML/AI work. I intend on doing a master's degree and apply hopefully for Fall 2027 if all goes well. My target being geoML or geo data science. I have a bachelor's in engineering as well.

I'm now looking to enter the professional space for some more experience. I need help deciding between my opportunities, not all concrete as of now.

I have one internship opportunity from a startup that works with climate risk. They're doing good work but the role is more of a bridge between the customer facing team and the engineering/rnd team (who actually work on the climate risk model). I've clarified several times about the work and even though there is space to pick up extra work and go out of my way to maybe do some ML work but not at the cost of my defined tasks (them being mostly consultant-type work designing workflows, making decks, reports, etc). It's not a bad opportunity at all but it's not exactly the direction I was heading tech wise. I've asked for a bit of time to give them a confirmation. It's a good exit from being out of a job and is technically entering the space of climate/sustainability but must it come at the cost of what I really want to work on that could potentially boost my master's profile?

Secondly I am in talks with a different company for a remote role. They work with digital twins systems and work with spatial data. Again, the role here is more on the implementation side of things even though there is a technical aspect to it with working with spatial data. It also comes with some caveats about deductions-things I'd have to take care of on my own. This is a full time role and more technical than the previous one but this is a contractual role. I've only gone through one round so it's hard to tell how things will go but this work is definitely something that interests me.

I am still actively looking for something more aligned to me and something I can learn as a beginner in the field. But what's the best path to take here? A sure shot at entering the field but in a role I'm not so excited about (has potential growth but highly unsure) or bet on something more aligned to me? (second one and maybe more) Or am I thinking too much too far about this and just take what I can get?

I keep seeing articles and posts everywhere that the industry is evolving fast and that by 2030 things will be more sustainable, efficient, and full of opportunities. But honestly, from where I’m standing, it doesn’t feel like that at all.

I have 3 years of experience in sustainability and SG (sustainable growth/green initiatives), and I’ve been actively trying to switch or grow into a better role. The reality? There are barely any openings, and the few that do exist either want unrealistic experience or don’t even respond.

It feels like companies love to talk about sustainability in reports and presentations, but when it comes to actually hiring people who can work on these initiatives, there’s almost nothing on the ground.

I’m not expecting something crazy—just a fair opportunity to grow in the field I’ve already invested years in. But right now, it feels like there’s a big gap between what’s being promised for the future and what actually exists in the job market today.

Is anyone else facing the same thing, or is it just me?

MSc Sustainability from the University of Glasgow

Hey everyone I'm 21 and currently pursuing a BA in English. I've recently become interested in sustainability as a career, particularly roles like Sustainability Officer or Sustainability Manager in India.

I don't have a background in environmental science, so I'd love to hear from people working in this field.

Can I pursue a master's degree or postgraduate diploma in environmental studies after my BA? Is it possible to start gaining relevant experience now, even before I graduate?

I'm particularly interested in hands-on work, fieldwork, visiting sites, managing projects, and solving real-world environmental problems. I'd prefer not to spend most of my working hours sitting in front of a laptop.

I'd also love to understand the salary growth, career opportunities, and long-term financial stability this field can offer in India.

If you work in sustainability or know someone who does, I'd really appreciate your advice. What would you recommend to someone starting from scratch?