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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Create an Environmental Resume
in 5 Simple Steps

  • Step 1: Add Contact Info

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  • Step 2: Include Work Experience Details

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  • Step 3: Provide Education Details

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  • Step 4: Select Your Skills

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  • Step 5: Fill in Your Background

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Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Environmental Resume

LiveCareer’s Resume Builder provides job seekers with wording crafted by our certified resume writers designed to get resumes noticed. Our suggestions describe your unique qualifications in a way that can help you get noticed by hiring managers.

Recommendations our builder might make for your environmental resume could include:

  • Collects and studies samples of air, water and earth to prevent hazardous material from entering the environment.
  • Responds effectively to citizens’ complaints.
  • Knowledgeable about latest techniques for conserving natural resources and managing land use.
  • Develops and maintains databases and develops and produces project materials for constituents.
  • Follows safety standards and established standard operating procedures.
  • Monitors social media and online sources for environmental industry trends.
  • Drives continuous improvement initiatives within environmental health.
  • Conducts research projects, writes documentation and prepares responses to requests for quotation (RFQ) and requests for proposal (RFP).
  • Identifies and analyzes project risks and develops mitigation strategies.

8 Do’s and Don’ts for Writing an Environmental Resume

  • Do demonstrate superior reading and writing skills. Understanding scientific texts and preparing written documents, presentations and reports based on your findings or the findings of others are part of most environmental jobs. Consider your resume to be your first written assignment for your new potential employer and make sure it is 100 percent free of mistakes and conveys your experience and skills in concrete, measurable terms.
  • Do showcase soft skills. Although environmental jobs generally require training in a scientific field, your future job will likely include dealing with people. Along with your industry-specific skills, such as energy modeling or water sampling, list your soft skills, such as communication, in a bulleted “Skills” section on your resume. Highlight instances when you resolved conflict or worked successfully in a team
  • Do state the overall purpose of projects. For example, don’t write that you “inspected establishments” without adding “to ensure there were no environmental hazards.” This practice shows you were actively involved in the goals of the project, and not simply following orders.
  • Don’t include opinions on environmental matters. Regardless of whether you tend to side with conservationists or developers on environmental issues, avoid casting your experience in a political light. Instead, emphasize your ability to relate to stakeholders, please employers and make decisions based on facts.
  • Don’t use excessive acronyms. Using abbreviations specific to the environmental field such as LEED, SEM and OSHA conveys your familiarity with environmental jargon but an ATS might not recognize every acronym. Be sure to spell out acronyms on first reference. For example, you might write, “Certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building techniques.” After that, you can stick to the acronym in additional references.
  • Don’t forget to include memberships in professional environmental associations. Membership in associations such as Water Resources Management or Environmental Health and Safety shows your dedication to lifelong learning in your chosen field.

Beat the ATS With These Environmental Resume Skills

An applicant tracking system (ATS) scans your resume for specific keywords. Environmental employers, such as those in natural resource extraction industries, use ATS to help them narrow down the large number of resumes they receive. Resumes that include the desired keywords have a better chance of making it to the next round. Those that Don’t are very likely to be cut before a human being ever sees them.

LiveCareer’s Resume Builder helps applicants pass this important step by suggesting the best keywords and phrases for your resume. Below are some examples of skills and experiences our resume builder might include:

  • Hazardous waste remediation.
  • Energy modeling.
  • Scientific research skills.
  • Report writing and analysis.
  • Vegetation planning.
  • Environmental remediation.
  • Collection of samples of air, soil and water.
  • Preparing responses to RFQ requests.
  • Development of mitigation strategies.
  • Client consulting.
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Environmental Resumes for Every Professional Level

Entry-Level
Environmental Intern Example Resume Build my Resume

Environmental Intern

A functional resume format, like the one here, is ideal for someone seeking an internship or entry-level position in the environmental field who already has several industry-related accomplishments. In this example, the use of a functional resume format tells the story of this job seeker. She took a leadership role in an environmental science club in high school, entered college, and is currently looking for opportunities to learn and gain further experience as an interactive environmental scientist. Because her transferable skills are relevant, they are granted a prominent spot on the resume.

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Mid-Career
Restoration Specialist Template Resume Build my Resume

Restoration Specialist

This mid-career professional uses a combination resume format to give a snapshot of the applicant’s career development. It leads with a carefully worded Professional Summary, followed by a chronological Work History section detailing his experience as an environmental researcher, agricultural technician and restoration specialist. Each job responsibility and accomplishment uses action verbs to describe his skill set and accomplishments. His skills, education and certifications are presented in a sidebar for easy reference, with the date of college graduation provided to emphasize his notable career advancement in the relatively short time since receiving his degree.

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Executive-Level
Senior Environmental Scientist Resume Template Build my Resume

Senior Environmental Scientist

This executive-level resume is presented in a chronological resume format to let the applicant’s impressive work history speak for itself. It leads with a Professional Summary using adjectives fit for a career professional such as “solid” and “capable” and referring to his many years of experience in environmental research. His Work History is limited to relevant employment, recounting an increase in responsibilities with each successive job. The resume then moves to a brief list of the applicant’s most important skills, many of them related to remediation, followed by his college degrees.

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More Environmental Resume Samples

Find resume examples for your desired environmental career. Get access to expert writing recommendations, do’s and don’ts and everything you need to write a perfect resume.

acting state resource conservationistarboristdebris monitordirector of environmental servicesehsenvironmental coordinatorenvironmental inspectorenvironmental managerenvironmental officerenvironmental protection specialistenvironmental services housekeeperenvironmental services managerevsevs housekeeperevs housekeepingevs leadevs managerevs operations managerevs techforestryforestry technician recreation gs 0462 06hydrologistMarine Biologistrecycling specialistregional ehs managerremoval techniciansustainability managertree plantingtree service groundsmanwastewater technicianwastewater treatment plant operatorwater restoration technicianwildlife biologistwildlife technician

Resume Success Stories

Statistics and Facts About Environmental Jobs

Median Pay

Annually

Environmental Technician$46,170 per year
Environmental Scientist or Specialist$71,130 per year
0K50K100K

Median Pay

Hourly

Environmental Technician$22.20 per hour
Environmental Scientist or Specialist$34.20 per hour
0K50K100K

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Job Outlook 2018–2028

Environmental Engineer4% to 6% growth
Environmental Scientist or Specialist7% to10% growth
0K50%100%

Source: O*NET

Top 5 States Employing Environmental Specialists

15 Layers

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Most Common College Majors and Degrees Held by People in Environmental Jobs

  • 2

    Environmental Interns and Technicians Associate degree

  • 3

    Environmental Scientists Bachelor’s or master’s degree

Most common college majors for every degree level:

  • Biology
  • Natural Resources Conservation
  • Physical Science

Sources: DataUSA, BLS

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Environmental Science

White88.3%
Asian5.3%
Black3.16%
Two or more races2.36%
Other0.836%
0%50%100%

Source: DataUSA

Average Employee Age by Gender

Overall43.1 years
Male45.1 years
Female39.1 years
0K25K50K

Source: DataUSA

Common Industries for Environmental Jobs

  • Environmental Quality and Housing
  • Recycling
  • Water Utility Management
  • Private Environmental Consulting Firms
  • Air Pollution Control
  • Mining, Timber, Oil and other Resource Extraction Industries
  • Waste Management

Sources: Select USA, DataUSA

10 Soft Skills Commonly Needed for Environmental Jobs

  1. Complex problem-solving
  2. Good judgement
  3. Time management
  4. Critical thinking
  5. Active learning
  6. Social perceptiveness
  7. Persuasion
  8. Speaking
  9. Instructing
  10. Coordination

Source: DataUSA

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