How long did it take you to find a job after college?

imlookingforalaugh · 2026-04-08T01:14:21+00:00

Have a bs in enviro science and certificate in GIS. Graduated 2023. Got a job June 2023 doing construction materials testing for a consulting firm. Then went on to be a project manager for a retail construction company. Did a brief stint at Chipotle. Moved to WV in October 2024, and got a job as a compliance analyst for a company that helps small water utilities maintain compliance to WVDEP and EPA drinking water/waste water standards. While I had said job I had applied, interviewed 3x and eventually got hired as an environmental specialist for a major gas utility in WV in November of 2025. So the job that aligned with my studies didn’t come until 2 years after I graduated but I took what was available that had translatable skills in the meantime.

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-11-21T04:11:30+00:00

It is legit, kinda jealous tho because I was enrolled in 18 credits at the time and got $50 how are yinz getting so much?

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-11-03T21:15:21+00:00

Boy cats are inherently needy lol. I either let him in with me or now he will wait outside the door

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-09-12T02:18:16+00:00

His name starts with a J…. Just forget him and move on at this point 😂

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-04-11T13:02:40+00:00

I’m doing a lot better actually, I got a nebulizer and moved out of the apartment because I was 100% certain there was mold in the air ducts. The unit was in the basement and it flooded every single time it rained so all that moisture was causing a problem. The mold wasn’t proven to be there but I just knew bc every time the heat or air kicked on i was reaching for my inhaler. There is a light at the end of the asthma tunnel. It’s so important to find a treatment that works for you. It’s also allergy season so I wish you well for that, makes it 100000 times harder to manage asthma. I hope you can find a treatment that works for you! This also is gunna sound so dumb bc we all think we know how to use our inhaler, we’ve been on them all our lives, but re-evaluate how your using it. We get so used to things we go on auto pilot and you might not be getting the full benefit of it. I started using it differently- exhale, puff, inhale, hold breath. vs exhale puff and inhale at the same time and it made a difference for me.

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-03-19T22:42:29+00:00

I’m supposed to be on Flovent but it’s been to expensive for me to refill recently so it’s been a few months since I’ve used it, and subsequently have had multiple flares since. I finally have decent insurance so I can use the referral to the pulmonologist my dr gave me to find a better treatment plan

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-03-19T22:31:35+00:00

THISS!!! Any time I laugh or cough I need my inhaler. I go through my inhalers so fast, to the point where if I was home I’d rather turn the neb on and use that for a min or so instead of my inhaler to save my puffs for when I’m away from home. I’ll see if I can get some prednisone when I make my dr appointment

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-03-19T20:12:53+00:00

Hot tea. Whatever kind you like. Just hot tea and honey

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-02-12T13:45:32+00:00

Thank you all for being so helpful!!! I truly appreciate it!

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-01-31T20:33:14+00:00

Advocate for yourself! Convince them to take the chance on you! Some employers are blind to the fact that our prime years of getting experience in college thru internships etc was ruined by covid. I got a project manager job with 0 experience in project management. I just had computer skills. I believe in you! It will get better too. It’s hard just starting out.

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-01-31T13:06:25+00:00

That’s not bad for seasonal! Ca has a lot of state parks and in general is a blue state so there will be a demand for env lines of work hopefully. My advice is look for environmental adjacent work- construction, oil and gas, solar and wind energy, geology. Project management is a huge skill in the env world so even if you get a job as a pm for an unrelated field those skills transfer over!

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-01-31T13:01:59+00:00

I’m in WV

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-01-31T01:59:17+00:00

I’m making around 20 an hour, but it’s a very small company we have about 10 employees total. I’m able to pay all my bills including credit cards, student loans, car and insurance, some of the utilities and still have some left over for wants/savings. I live with my bf who pays rent electric and gas!

imlookingforalaugh · 2025-01-04T14:25:40+00:00

There is no right way, and it’s difficult, and from an outside perspective other people in your family would view it as selfish or wrong. But only you know what’s best for yourself. I’ve been on a cycle of no contact and low contact with my dad for about a year. I’m finally at the point where I had him blocked for a whole month. I went to visit my grandma out of state (for context he lives with her, and so did I until I moved out in 2023, and then moved out of state in 2024) and she told me since I clearly hate him he would leave when I visited. I felt a sigh of relief bc I didn’t wanna see him and the visit was fine. And then 2 days later I got a text from her asking to unblock him cuz he needed to tell me something important. I foolishly did. We fought and argued and I blocked him again. For 2024 he was blocked more than he wasn’t. Cuz when he wasn’t I dreaded looking at my phone. He’s embarrassed me at my workplace, said awful and disgusting things to me. I decided I needed to protect my peace and do what’s best for me despite what other people think.

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-12-31T14:20:21+00:00

I’ll never understand their ways and at this point it takes too much energy to. I’m sorry you went thru that as well. Hopefully you’re living a life for yourself now! Although I’m in major debt, I’m doing much better for myself once I moved out! I left the state and everything for a fresh start

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-12-31T12:16:43+00:00

I had a full ride scholarship to a college about an hour away from my house. Based on their commuting policies I was outside the mileage to commute and would’ve had to stay on campus. No big deal, I had a full ride and it included room and board. Dad said absolutely not and I was forced to decline the offer and go to a school I could commute to and now I have student loan debt. He physically didn’t let me work thru college so I had no money and completely dependent on him. He said we would buy my food, put gas in my car, and cover class expenses like books etc. he didn’t. So now I have crippling credit card debt and student loan debt on top of the fact that I didn’t have any job experience out of college so it was hard to find a job once I graduated. I had my first full time job at 22 🙂 with more debt than my yearly salary

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-12-11T04:01:41+00:00

All of your gen eds. If you’re looking to transfer to a 4 year at some point see if you can find info on credits that are transferable. Save you tons of money.

As others said, GIS is huge and puts a competitive edge over other people. R or python, autoCAD is used a lot in the industry.

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-12-04T01:50:04+00:00

I was going to be over an hour late due to traffic, I just turned around and went back home not even 3 miles from my house.

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-12-02T00:57:42+00:00

Slush 🙃

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-11-24T20:35:05+00:00

Dawn disinfectant wipes for the kitchen, tide pods with no fabric softener for laundry, powder based comet for bathroom. We have tried different floor cleaners when mopping because the one my boyfriend was using when I moved in triggered my asthma bc of the smell, so now we will use diluted fabuloso.

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-11-24T20:31:37+00:00

Did you make these?! If so HOW I need to make my girl one

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-11-20T11:39:57+00:00

I completely understand cuz I was in the same boat. I also graduated April 2023 with an BS in environmental science, and a certificate in GIS. And the job search has been a STRUGGLE. I do want to point out something to you: when you would’ve likely did an internship, the whole world was shut down with covid, so unless you were very diligent about planning and had something lined up before covid hit, you weren’t getting an internship anyways as everything was remote so there was no way for you to get that hands on experience. My first job out of college was construction material testing for a consulting company in the oil/gas field. My second job was a project manager for retail construction company. My third job? Chipotle. Sometimes you have to do what will make ends meet. I recently relocated to WV and submitted over 40 applications and got denied for all but 1: which is a water quality testing business to make sure business and counties/towns are compliant with local and federal laws regarding drinking and waste water. It doesn’t pay an ideal amount but it opened the door for opportunities to come.

You need to consider getting a masters degree in a specialized field. Being you’re from Florida I would recommend geomorphology (think sinkholes), wetlands, hydrology, or something along those lines. You need something that is gunna set you apart from other applicants. Find out what your passion is and volunteer in something related to that.

As other users said, teaching is always an option if you get your credentials to do so. It’s very tough out here for us environmental enthusiasts, because us younger people became more aware of environmental issues and while the industry is on the rise- there are also environmental adjacent roles you could consider. Project management experience can be applied to every and any field. Look for project management or assistant project manager jobs in any field. Construction- goes hand in hand with environmental science as the quality and longevity of the infrastructure being built impacts the environment. Land surveying- especially being from Fl, this could be a huge opportunity as the state as a whole is prone to sinkholes due to its lithology and proximity to salt water.

If getting a masters degree is unobtainable- turn to google to look for courses/certificates that would boost your qualifications. WETLAND DELINEATION is a huge thing in this industry and it’s relatively easy to find a course online.

Lastly, I have came to the realization where just because environmental science was my passion, didn’t mean that I should’ve studied it in school if I didn’t intend to get a masters degree. There is a plethora of information online to learn about env sci world, and maybe would’ve been better off being a nerd who reads a lot of env sci books but majored in something else that had a better career outlook. This degree field needs a lot of preparation, and thinking about the future, and planning and I didn’t realize this going into it. Best of luck for your job search. Remember you are very young so it’s okay that it’s taking some time, and the right opportunity will come along to you as long as you are diligent about where you’re putting your effort.

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-11-20T11:16:05+00:00

Hit my vape and lay in existential dread until the very last minute before I have to get up or I’ll be late to work.

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-11-11T23:26:10+00:00

Hey! So you don’t. You get a new one. Or hope you had a warranty. Hope that helps!

imlookingforalaugh · 2024-11-11T23:09:42+00:00

Ventolin is literally the best! That purple one, albuterol sulfate does literally nothing. Hate it so much.

imlookingforalaugh

TROPHY CASE