Sample Environmental Resumes

In this guide, we will show you exactly,

• How to write perfect resume samples for environmental jobs
• How to find the best resume format for their career
• How to select a template that fits your personal profile
• How to write a resume step by step

Additional Information About The Environmental Resume

Environmental scientists are typically employed by government departments, NGOs, and environmental organizations to conduct research, develop solutions and implement plans to preserve the environment. They are also involved in drafting local, national, and international regulations to protect the environment and human beings.

Though the value of your service is priceless and cannot be truly measured, the average annual pay for environmental scientists is currently $52,000 (Payscale.com).

Further, these positions could lead to so many future opportunities such as working in a highly paid position in large multinational organizations as an environmental consultant or as a leading role in an international environmental agency.

You must, however, be shortlisted for an interview before you can receive all of these benefits. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that there is an 8% increase in jobs for environmental scientists and technicians from 2109 to 2029.

However, to get your dream position that pays you more than the average salary and benefits, you need to write a resume that stands out from the rest. We are here to help you create a stunning resume that lands you 10 times more interviews than any other resume ever did!

How to make an Environmental Resume

It’s like you are carrying out an environmental experiment. You first need to plan the process. What are your key goals, how you take the samples, what are the tests to be done, and to whom do you present the findings?

Similarly, when writing a job-winning resume, you need to organize it well from the beginning. In resume writing, how you do this is by having a proper layout and a structure.

There are two reasons why this is important:

• A proper layout makes sure that you do not miss any valuable information in your resume
• The right structure makes it easy for the hiring manager to scan your resume

The layout of the Resume for Environmental Work

Here is the layout we recommend for an environmental science resume:

• Name and contact information
• Professional summary
• Work experience
• Education
• Skills
• Additional sections

The structure of the Resume for Environmental Work

You can write your resume using three standard structures,

• Functional
• Reverse Chronological
• Hybrid

For an environmental engineering resume, we recommend using a reverse chronological approach. What this means is for example, when you write your experience section in reverse chronological order, you should start with your latest job experience.

The importance here is that the hiring manager gets to read your most recent job experience first exactly as they expect.

General guidelines for writing an Environmental Scientist Resume

Apart from the layout and structure, follow these general resume guidelines to create a stunning resume example

Start with the Header of the Resume for Environmental Work

The header of your resume is important since it is where you make your first impression. Though this section is a simple straightforward section, most candidates make mistakes here making a bad impression about their personality to the recruiter.

Example of a good header / Example of a bad header for an Environmental Resume

CORRECT

Benjamin Lawrence

Environmentalist

benjaminl@gmail.com

+1 234 28 42 67

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin

INCORRECT

Environmentalist

Benjamin Lawrence

benjamin1234@gmail.com

+1 234 28 42 67

101, main street, apt 45,

Washington DC

USA

There are quite a few differences between the above two headers.

Beginning: Always start with your name. Use the first name and the last name

Email: Use a professional email. If your current email does not sound professional, make a new one. However, keep the notifications ON, otherwise, you will miss an important email from the company

Address: Your full address is not required in your resume. The reason is that most employers do not want to know exactly where you reside. If they have mentioned a particular geographical location, you can write your City, and the State.

Social media: If you are active on any social media, you can put that link. The most common is LinkedIn for a resume

Is a photo required in the Resume for Environmental?

A photo is not a vital part of a resume by modern standards. Most organizations are against the practice of putting applicant photos on resumes. In fact, most major organizations in the USA are strictly not shortlisting resumes with a photograph.

Choosing your Environmental Title

Based on your current or previous position, you can write your title. Do not use the title that you are applying for if it is a higher title than your current one.

Environmental Resume Example of a Professional summary

Write an attention grabbing summary of 2-3 sentences describing your experience, expertise, and skills. This is a mini version of a cover letter and consider this as your sales pitch.

In these couple of sentences, you need to convince the hiring manager that their decision to hire you is a risk-free decision.

Writing a great resume summary is not an easy task, right?

But do you need a professional copywriter to write this?

Not anymore!

We will tell you a simple technique to approach this and write a great resume summary with examples.

INCORRECT

An environmental officer with 4+ years of field experience looking to upgrade my career as an environmental scientist in the urban environmental authority

CORRECT

A passionate environmentalist with 4+ years of field experience in multiple projects seeking an opportunity to extend my research into urban environmental science. In my previous jobs, carried out a broad range of research and testing of urban water streams according to environmental legislation under minimal supervision

Work Experience in the Environmental Science Resume

The experience section is the most critical part of any resume!

This section could make or break your dream interview. If you have a set of solid experiences to list on your resume, there is a higher chance that you will get a call.

Most recruiters scan through your resume just to find out your experience section and guess what, that is the only part they read.

Now you would think “how am I gonna write my experience section as I do not have much experience?”

Okay, here is the trick. It is 20% about what you have done and 80% about how you write them. So follow through the article and see the examples we have presented and we highlight what to do and what not to do while listing your relevant experience.

Describe your professional experiences on your Environmental Resume

Use the reverse chronological order where you list your latest job experience first Read the job posting multiple times and pick all the skill requirements and other keywords they have mentioned

Make sure you include these keywords in the experience section

Use numbers to express your achievements and the results

Examples of professional experiences for a Junior Environmental Scientist Resume

INCORRECT

Aug 2019 to Present

Save the environment foundation

Carried out presentations

Communicate effectively

Maintaining compliance

Analyzed data

CORRECT

Aug 2019 to Present

Save the Environment Foundation

Created and carried out presentations for project stakeholders

Communicate effectively with the project managers on the challenges and the achievements of the tasks

Working on communicating and imposing environmental compliance for private and public institutions

Worked on data collection and analysis using data analytics software and shared access to management for essential databases

If you are applying as a fresh graduate with no previous experience, write about a project that you were involved in related to an environmental matter. Describe the tools and techniques you used and the results you achieved. Your working knowledge and depth of understanding of the environment is most critical in such positions.

Examples of work experience for Senior Environmental

INCORRECT

Aug 2016 to Present

Department of Geology

Carrying out projects

Hazardous materials and waste collection project

Implemented new IT systems

Monitoring project plans

Training new employees

CORRECT

Aug 2016 to Present

AP Associates

Planning and delivering environmental projects on the deadlines communicating with all parties

Planned an urban hazardous material and waste collection process with the participation of 1000+ citizens with a great success

Implemented the new IT systems and executed the change management process throughout 20 local regional offices

Maintained strong relationships with stakeholders

Take corrective actions in breach of environmental legislations

For a senior environmental position, write more about the projects you were involved in highlighting your project management and people management skills.

Education in the Environmental Workers Resume

If you are applying for a government organization or a reputed NGO, they would be particular about the education qualification you should possess to apply.

Most positions will require a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Natural Science, or in a related field.

Should you start with the education or work experience section for an Environmental Position?

If you are applying for an entry level environmental position with zero experience, you may list your education first. In all other circumstances, your experience section should be prioritized.

Remember, your experience section is the most sought-after section in your resume for recruiters. Try to make their life easy by making that section available and easy to find at the top of your resume.

How to properly list your education in a Resume for Environmental Work?

Use a consistent format to list your education. Here is what we suggest:

Write your degree type and the major

Eg: Bachelor's degree in environmental science

The year you started and the year you graduated

Name of the university or institution

Eg: Columbia University, NY

Special achievements if any

Mention the GPA if it is greater than 3.0

Example of the education section of an Environmental Resume

Skills to put in the Environmental Resume

Writing your skills section in the resume starts with the job description. The hiring manager states the abilities they are looking for and those are the exact abilities you should focus on writing about.

However, most candidates make the mistake of writing a list of general skills in this section. From the recruiters’ end, it is a waste of their time to read a generic list of skills when they have only 5-7 seconds to spend on one resume.

Even from the candidates' end, it is a waste to list down generic skills utilizing the precious resume space that they could have used to write some valuable information.

That is why it is important to write a mix of soft, hard, and IT skills.

What are the main skills sought for in an Environmental Resume?

We have listed here the most sought-after skills by recruiters for environmental positions,

Soft Skills: These skills cannot be measured in a standard methodology

• Effective communication
• Presentation skills
• Passionate about the environment
• Analytical skills
• Teamwork
• Attentive to details
• Organizational skills
• Problem solving
• Interpersonal skills

Hard Skills: These skills can easily be measured

• Field work
• Waste streams analysis
• Environmental regulatory compliance
• Environmental variable analysis
• Environmental data science
• Project management

IT Skills: Relevant computer skills for environmental positions

• MS Office suite
• Database management

What skills for a junior Environmental Worker?

A junior resume should focus on writing the operational skills required to perform the tasks on the job.

• Communication skill
• Listening skills
• Valid driver’s license
• Water stream analysis
• MS Excel
• Database management and data mining

What skills for a qualified Senior Environmental Position?

A senior environmental professional resume should focus on writing a mix of operational and managerial skills.

• Leadership
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem solving
• Expertise in environmental compliance
• Expertise in environmental permits
• MS Office applications

Additional Headings for your Environmental Resume

To stand out from the boring resumes, you need to put something that distinguishes you from the rest.

Though hiring managers spend only about 5-7 seconds on a resume, you need your resume to be read for an extended time.

The only way to accomplish this is by giving a pleasant surprise to the hiring manager.

Additional headings play a major role in lifting your resume to the top 5% of resumes. The following headings can be used

Computer skills and certifications in an Environmental Resume

There are many skill certifications related to environmental science at most universities and institutions.

In short-listing, a relevant skill certification would be a determining factor. Even if you are not yet certified, you can list them.

Check for the specific permits and certifications relevant to environmental positions you apply for and try to complete one.

We have listed here some of the TOP skills certifications for environmental scientists

1. Certified Environmental Auditor (CEA) for auditors
2. State Licensed Environmental Assessor
3. Certified Professional Geologist/ Hydro-geologist
4. Certified Industrial Hygienist
5. Certified Environmental Systems Manager (CESM)

If you have done any computer skill certification related to data analysis or any other relevant field, you may list it here.

Interests in an Environmental Resume

A set of relevant interests could be a great addition to your environmental resume especially if you do not have much experience in the field.

Including generic interests such as swimming, playing basketball, or writing blogs will not add any value to your profile.

Languages in an Environmental Resume

Your language skills would be a great addition especially if you are applying for an NGO. Most of the environmental programs are not limited to one geographical area making cross cultural communication an important part of the environmentalist job.

If you are fluent in a couple of languages, list them with the level of fluency.

With professional resume templates, you could easily demonstrate your language skills with the level of fluency in an attractive way making your resume among the best designed resumes surpassing all the resumes made of MS Word. Check out our resume templates for some excellent examples.

Summary: Key Points for Writing a Perfect Environmental Resume

• Start your resume with your name, title, and contact information. Do not put your address in the header
• The professional summary statement is a short statement showcasing your greatest achievements, skills, and experiences. If you are applying for an entry position, consider writing an Objective summary
• List your environmental experience in reverse chronological order. Tailor your application to the position you are applying for
• Consider putting your education section before your experience if your education is stronger than your experience. In all other circumstances, the experience section should be given priority.
• The skills section should be a mix of soft, hard, and IT skills. Keep it to no more than 5-8 lines. Take the job description as a guide.
• Consider adding sections such as Skills, Interests, and Languages to create a pleasant surprise for the hiring manager

Write a Cover Letter That Goes With Your Environmental Resume

A solid cover letter together with a perfectly optimized resume would be a match made to grab the job.

The cover letter would be the extended version of your professional summary where you further pitch the potential employer. The objective is to convince them that you are a great fit to take up the challenges in the job and you have excelled in a similar capacity in the previous job with great success.

For someone with less experience, the cover letter would be used to communicate to the recruiter that you are truly passionate about the job description and you are ready to take up the challenge of the job.

Frequently Asked Questions for an Environmental Resume

What should be included in the resume environment?

The layout of the environment resume should include the following headings:

• Name and contact information
• Professional summary
• Work experience
• Education
• Skills
• Additional sections

How do you write an environmental resume?

• Use reverse chronological order to write the experience section
• Limit the environment resume to one page
• Use a clear font for the body text and a bigger font for the headings
• Keep consistent margins on all four sides
• Save the document in MS Word or PDF format

What are environmental skills?

Environmental skills are three types: Soft, Hard, and IT skills

• Presentation skills
• Time management
• Analytical skills
• Teamwork

• Waste streams analysis
• Environmental regulatory compliance
• Environmental variable analysis

• MS Office suite
• Database management

What is the best resume format for 2021?

Use a one page resume format and write it in reverse chronological order to showcase your valuable recent work experience.