Anyone an Envronmental Health Scientist

[Becky]

I'm an ES, but my degree is in chemistry. It's a pretty broad field, and can mean a lot of different things. I got my start doing consulting work. My position was such that I spent a lot of time verifying data usability, managing electronic data, interfacing with labs, coordinating with field staff, and writing reports. Very little of my time was spent in the field. Most entry-level ESs in the private sector spend way more time in the field than I did, and can purge wells in their sleep.

I was happy to leave the firm that I was working for and the private sctor in general. My experience with consulting was that you're working for the client and the bottom line, not necessarily what's best for the environment. Long hours, travel to who-knows-where, etc. My commute sucked too, but that can happen with any job.

I now work in government, doing environmental compliance. There's a fair amount of field work, but the bulk of my job still has me in an office, writing letters, regulations, outreach and enforcement documents, making phone calls, etc. The best parts of my job: a) normal work hours (very little overtime or travel required- I get to be home with my family every night), b) self-managed workload- I manage my sites, and seek input from senior staff or management when I need it. No boss or client breathing down my neck. c) Helping people who truly need it. My clients are the citizens.

The bad? Politics. Standing on a site in February when it's 10 degrees out, or August when it's 100 degrees out, but you've got to be there because it's your site. The eternal curse of government- never enough staff for the tasks that need to be done.

It's definitely not glamorous. But, at the end of the day, I feel like I've made a difference to the citizens here, to their health and safety, and to our environment. And that keeps me going.

EDIT: Yep- tons of detail work and multi-tasking. I constantly have multiple projects that are all equally serious.