Day 4: More Water, Environmental Management, and Geospatial Solutions
Today I was back in the Sparks office and had the opportunity to interview some more employees in the water and environmental fields. I'm excited to see what else I learn today...
Counselor Connections
- Geography is not just a "social studies" discipline. It's a useful degree to have when working with an engineering firm in helping to map and model areas of land.
- Technology is huge! Geospatial/Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a great field to go into!
- Asset management- a.k.a. how to best use money to fix problems is another field that is so important for a company and there are definitely careers out there in this area.
- There are plenty of jobs at KCI if you have a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science
- There are lots of entry-level jobs in the Geo-Environmental field, including: Environmental Technicians, Water and Wastewater Operators, Asbestos Inspectors, and Mold Inspectors
- If you have a passion for cleaning up the environment and keeping the environment and people healthy, Hazardous Waste and Environmental Management is a great area to go into.
- You may have to start in the field and get "dirty" but you can always work your way up to management level and working in an office if you would like!
- Mentors are so important! Always seek out mentoring opportunities!
Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Towson University
15 years at KCI
How would you describe your job to a high school
student in a few sentences?
My job involves
understanding the landscape of services through technology and innovation and
figuring out where we are falling short and how we can grow and find solutions.
What advice do you have
for a high school student?
"Get involved with technology, computers, or any basic programming." It's important to have a willingness to learn. Basic skills can be taught as long as you are willing to work hard and want to improve.
Next I met with Heidi, who works closely with Dustin. Heidi said she started at KCI helping build the GIS/Geospatial system for KCI, which I think is pretty cool! Now in asset management, Heidi deals with more of the monetary side of what Dustin does. With asset management, Heidi helps to determine where to best use money to fix and also prevent problems when it comes to pipes, sidewalks, ramps, lights, etc. She helps to be proactive by predicting when failures may happen (sinkhole or water main brake, for example) that will have an impact on the cost. He objective is to design strategic plans, goals, and road maps for the client so that projects can be delivered cost effectively. Heidi will use the GIS/Geospatial systems while working with the client.
How would you describe your job to a high school
student in a few sentences?
“I make maps!” I help
the government understand what they own and how to maintain its service life.
What advice do you have
for a high school student?
“Try a bunch of
different things.” You’ll find some things you don’t like but expose yourself to
things and you will eventually find what you like. It’s good to get a degree
but you don’t necessarily always need a particular degree. What’s most
important is that you learn to think critically.
Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State University
22 years at KCI
Next I met with Will Lyman to learn more Geo-Environmental
Science. Basically, Will and his team work with rocks and soil! He talked about
some of the really neat emergency responses he has been involved with, including
a landslide in Prince George’s county and a rock fall in Western Maryland. I
liked hearing how Will thought he was going to study English in college but his
Environmental Science teacher in high school really influenced him to pursue a path
in Environmental Science. So it’s okay to change your major! Will stated that
most of the people on his team earn a Bachelor’s’ degree in Environmental
Science but there are many opportunities to join KCI or other similar companies
right out of high school in an entry-level position as an Environmental Technician,
which is how Will started working at KCI. Tasks may include, for example,
collecting soil and ground water samples. Will also talked about how KCI would
pay for you to go to college while working, which is so awesome! Some other
entry-level jobs in this area include water and wastewater operators, which are
in high demand right now, asbestos inspectors, and mold inspectors. KCI provides
a lot of opportunities to pick your own path and grow in the area you’re
passionate about.
How would you describe your job to a high school
student in a few sentences?
As the leader, “I make
sure we bring in work!” In general, we go to construction sites and abandoned
areas. We collect asbestos samples, walk through the woods, survey buildings, perform
environmental site assessments, figure out what is contaminated, etc.
What advice do you have
for a high school student?
“Learn. Be willing to
work.” Don’t worry about making top salary right away. It will take time.
Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from Lehigh University
MBA from Lehigh University
One example that she described was construction that was being done for the D.C. Metro system but it was around an area where gas tanks were and there were leaks of vapor and there was concern of that vapor going in to neighboring houses and affecting people’s health. This certainly seems like a dirty but rewarding job because you are helping keep people and the environment healthy and safe.
Michelle also said that she is currently helping to create a 125-hour
curriculum to train wastewater operators. She said that there should be 100 operators
per plant in Baltimore but there are currently only 50 so there is a dire need for
more. The hope is that this curriculum will help bring more people into the industry
who are looking for entry-level work.
As you move up in a company, “first you manage yourself, then you manage projects, then you manage people, then you manage managers.” In our discipline, we help protect and clean up what has been done to the environment.
What advice do you have
for a high school student?
“Go with your core gut
and what you believe in and try to make a career of it.” Try to be open-minded.
I like the business side of things now the most. I’m glad I stuck it out. It
gets better even if there are times you don’t like it.
A taste of Team Source-
Orientation for New Hires!
After I met with Michelle, I caught the tail-end of an
orientation program that Melissa leads, called Team Source. This is a program
for all new employees who have been there no longer than 2 months. And I
believe this orientation is held once a month or every other month. These included
new hires from all across the company from entry-level to engineers. It was a
very diverse group of people which I thought was really cool. Melissa talked about
the important of having a strong mentor and trusted advisor. She talked about the
mentoring opportunities that KCI offers, from 6 month mentoring programs to one-time
meetings. I think it is really great that KCI offers these programs for their
employees!
Fridays are for Blogging!
Fridays I get to work on this blog and brainstorm and
prepare for my presentation at the end of this externship. I look forward to
letting this all sink in and reflect on what I learned on a weekly basis. I
will be back in the office on Monday to learn more about water/wastewater and
then start learning about the transportation and construction management markets…
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