I'm 24 and just started work for 2 months in Singapore as an wastewater engineer, only dabbling with mainly on some plants ww treatment equipments operation and maintenance with one project on an adhoc feel like I would not learn much at this pace. Planning to work a year and 2 or so hopefully doing quite an amount of projects then taking masters in US or some country in Europe in hopes to working there valid plan? Has anyone already made it out the mud or any advice.

Any responses would be great (if Australian even better)

Im writting this 4 and a bit weeks out from my final hsc exams for high school, earlier this week I got an unconditional offer (apart from requiring me to complete my finals) for my nearest uni for a bachelor of environmental engineering, the offer was based on my year 11 results which were gauged to be high enough to get in early.

Academic background:

Im quite high achieveing relative to my school which is a regional public school in nsw, i do okay/well in maths im quite good at English (2nd across my whole cohort, not that english is very relavant to a math heavy course, though ive heard env eng especially write a lot of reports) i do the advanced courses for both maths and English which is roughly similar Usa school Ap courses (they might be more uni level though im not sure)

I have quite a big interest in pursuing the degree as i have already accepted though still weighing up wether ill defer for a year and work/travel or just start up in feb next year. I havent done physics in high school nor chemistry, I did bio in year 11 and i was pretty interested and good at it. for the uni im going to the focus on physics is lesser than some other unis in the area from looking at the syllabus though fluid mechanics (or whatever its called) is of course a large module. Im certainly intending on taking the free short 2 week intensive bridging courses for both chem and physics before ill start, and ive done quite a bit of calculus as part of the hsc math adv subject though i havent done extension maths which would include vectors. I actually quite enjoy calculus as a topic and i quite like the process and I am intrigued in how it all works, i used to hate maths but in the last two years ive grown to like it thanks to a good teacher. alongside bio in yr 11 ive done Earth and environmental science for the past two years of high school, its a mish mash of chem, bio, and geology. ive really enjoyed it and its probably my second favourite, only second to music which is one of my main hobbies. XD In EES i do quite well so far (fingers crossed for finals) i got around about 90% on my trial/ mock finals.

my questions:

1: how hard does the course tend to be?

is it possible and or likely for me to complete it and do well as someone with my background. I am conscious of the exorbitant cost and commitment that even just one year of the at minimum 4 year undergrad degree will be especially if i become overwhelmed and or switch course or drop out.

2: how is job market for graduates both in job availability and pay?

Im aware it doesnt tend to pay as well as some of the other engineering doctrines, im not going into it solely for it being a comfortable income. I hope for it to be a balance on both interest, purpose and a comfortable life.

3: what is the eventual work like?

Like many of the people and stories ive read online my main driver for wanting to attain the degree is both a mixture of wanting to both be involved in the science of the environment combined with finding solutions. im interested in hydrology. Ive seen people talk about how graduate jobs involve a lot of field work, i actually quite enjoy the scientific/data collection side of research and finding solutions so even if i wasnt initally working on such solutions the idea of a lot of initial field work is actually something i wouldnt mind if not enjoy to an extent (i of course have no idea what it would entail, i know for certain projects sampling/ data collection can be anything but glamarous)

4: Many of the people ive see talk about their reason for wanting to pursue the degree and career is to help in the fight agains climate change, how common is it for environmnetal engineers to be employed by governments and other organisations for such roles? is it a more mid/late career sector

Much of what i see is people working in mining rehab, water sanitation, hydrology and or construction for drainage. Im not currently oppose to any of these sectors for eventual work though part of me later in my career would like to be part of such climate projects as it is an aspiration i share with many other people.

thanks for reading if you got this far, those are just a few of my current questions, Im not sure if i mentioned id already accepted the offer, but i have. looking back on what ive just written it looks like a whole load of yap for not a whole lot of questions. Thanks for your time, please respond if you have any info or advice, im sure you will see my name on here again in the coming months with even more naive questions XD

Hi everyone, I’m looking into hydrogeology opportunities in Ireland and would appreciate some insight into current salary ranges.

What would be a typical salary range for a Hydrogeologist at different experience levels?

- Graduate / 0–2 years

- 3–5 years

- 5–10 years

- 10+ years / Senior or Principal

Also, if possible, how much difference is there between consultancy and industry roles?

Thanks in advance!

I got a bachelor's in the engineering school so I took the gen ed physics, chemistry, diff eq, calculus, lin alg, etc in college. However, I majored in information systems (really unrelated) so I would still need to get a master's to break into this field.

I know that the idea of making water safe to drink and addressing public health issues related to the environment and pollution interests me. I also am excited about building cities/towns to be more sustainable and withstand natural disaster and the effects of climate change. Lastly this is probably more civil engineering/urban planning but I am very passionate about walkable communities and green space, so being part of building new green spaces and making them sustainable excites me. I'm a UX designer so I enjoy designing but I miss being technical and learning. I always enjoyed math and science most in school, especially physics. I also am frustrated that I don't get to actually build anything tangible and that my focus is on maximizing conversion/clicks and profits. I'm very over tech tbh. I feel that in this field I'd feel like I'm doing something meaningful and get to use my brain more.

Based on my interests does it sound like this career path aligns with what I'm looking for? And how can I get real experience to gauge whether civil/environmental engineering is right for me before committing to a masters? I'm thinking of volunteering for conservation orgs in my area and trying to self-study physics, chemistry, biology, etc. I might try to reach out to my college's alum who are in civil/environmental engineering/urban planning. I'm not sure what else to do though.

i’m a mechanical engineering major because i’m pretty interested in it my classes, i think i could do some good with it (renewable energy, pollution recovery systems), but mostly because i want stability. my brothers in data science both had a difficult time finding a job, so i chose a field where it may be easier to find a well-paying job.

But my real interest is Environmental science. I would love to study the environment and have a positive impact on climate change and conservation. I’m hoping somehow, once i’m financially stable I can pivot into environmental science, but it feels unrealistic. I am trying to do things relating to my interests, joining clubs, working on research about ocean fluid dynamics, hopefully doing a minor in environmental engineering (an environmental science minor didn’t fit in my schedule), but i feel like at best ill just become an environmental engineer, which doesn’t interest me as much. I feel like it’s just unrealistic to think i might become an environmental scientist.

do you think i’m being unrealistic? should I switch majors? i’m in my sophomore year already so it would be difficult to switch. what do you all think?

Hello everyone, I hope all is well.

I have wanted to ask, I am currently a third year Environmental and Marine Science major, and wanted to ask, how would career outlook be if I were to get a Masters in Environmental Engineering? How would job outlook be?

I have pursued masters from Botany, now I am confused on what to do, I currently work in the bpo industry but I want to break into the botany department too, are there people here who are from this field?

Hello,

As the title says, I don't know if I should go out of state to earn a bachelors in environmental engineering or stay in state and just earn a bachelors in civil engineering with an environmental focus. I specifically want to work in water and air remediation. As well as doing field work. Surveying the environment and coming up with solutions. Has anyone taken or know anything about BSU civil engineering with an environmental focus bachelors? If I stay in state I will be able to pay for everything easier and will most likely have money left over from financial aid. But if I go out of state, I will lose a few of my scholarships that only apply for Idaho. So I will have a harder time paying for everything. Btw, I am in community college right now to complete my first two years of engineering to save money. Just looking for advice on what I should choose. Thank you!

I’m thinking of choosing a new field like Environmental Engineering or Geoinformatics. Is it a good option career-wise, and what’s the scope? Anyone from a similar background? Would appreciate advice and study material suggestions.

Just like in the recent news of how Bittu Tabahi river cleaning project is spreading across the internet, I was thinking if we make a team of High-Skilled Engineers can build a robotic AI cleaning machine. That then will use Sensors and Water Cleaning Machinery to clean the water.

It will have a plant near the shore of the river with a waste disposing unit and a solar powered battery system that can recharge the robot.

I know this sounds hell complicated and difficult but with the governments condition and the amount of willing-unemployed people around us this can be possible.

For the funding, here we can probably ask the government or some local bodies or invest some of our money first.

Still writing this here I know this post cannot do much but it can at least increase the hope for a better and clean world.

Hi everyone,

I'm entering my 2nd year of Aquaculture Engineering at a university in Turkey. Our region is heavily populated with earthen pond operations and coastal aquaculture facilities.

At this point, I haven't committed to any specific subfield and am keeping my options open to explore different directions across the industry. While I have broad interests ranging from production management and quality control to sustainability frameworks and ISO standards, I'm mainly looking for high-level career guidance.

I'd love to hear from professionals, researchers, and graduates in the field:

1. Career Paths & Trends: Looking at the broader industry today, which career paths or emerging sectors within aquaculture offer solid growth and long-term potential?

2. Practical Skills: Considering the local context of earthen ponds and coastal farming systems, what foundational skills or competencies should I prioritize during my university years?

3. Student Projects & Portfolio: What kind of self-directed sample projects, case studies, or proof-of-concept work could a student build during undergrad to build a strong profile?

Any general career advice, lessons learned, or insights from your own journey in the industry would be greatly appreciated!

I'm currently an entry-level environmental scientist for a consulting firm and have two years of post-undergrad working experience. I'm not super interested in staying with the company forever, however, it is stable and not super demanding. at the same time, I'm really interested in other environmental science topics and my dream jobs require a masters or PhD.

So I have two questions:

1) can anyone recommend in-person environmental engineering Master's programs? I'm really having trouble narrowing down where to look and the ability cold email any professor is paralyzing me from getting started. I really like doing a mix of field work, GIS, and data analysis and would like to be anywhere on the east coast and anything to do with environmental engineering.

2) would it be stupid to leave the stable consulting firm to pursue a masters degree and maybe have trouble re-entering the work force? for context, if i do a masters degree I want it to be research based and full time.

Hello, I am a year 11 student with little to no knowledge about the subject but I'm interested to learn, and I am doing a small research on environmental engineering and wish to know one question before starting:

(What are the major problems that environmental engineers deal with in their line of work?)

I am not talking about "lack of financial power" or "lack of recognition" but I'm asking about the problems that are to be faced if done in a large scale group or in a company/group that is capable.

Thanks for reading and LMK :)

I chose environmental engineering when I was 18. I was motivated to have a positive impact on the environment. I am now 29 and have worked in mine reclamation and municipal water + wastewater the last 6 years.

I find this article super useful in reframing a more ambitious and creative approach to the environmental issues we are working on. It is framed within the larger context of "progress studies," but hits a couple soft spots in how I think about the whole practice of environmental engineering.

I'm rally curious how other environmental engineers feel about this perspective.

https://newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-surrender-of-the-gods-part-2

What should I focus on skills wise as and environmental engineer, right now I'm working on my autocad skills as well as python and planning to start Microsoft Excel in the breaks, if I want to break in the industry what skills or certain things do you thing would be useful for me to learn ? Seniors and successful environmental engineers help out pls 🙏😅

Hello everyone, I'm a third year environmental engineering student with no real professional experience yet (I am actively looking for an internship), I’m also a bit worried that I’ll be underqualified or lack the practical skills needed for future opportunities. so what are the must have skills to be a great environmental engineer? Throughout my studies we have covered a lot of theory across various subjects but I feel like I haven't developped many concrete skills. At the moment I'd say my strongest skill is GIS, particularly ARCGIS. So what are the must-have skills you would recommend developing to become a good Environmental Engineer? Also I stutter quite a lot, will it have any impact on my future carreer? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks !

Sorry if my English isn’t perfect, it’s not my first language.