Choosing a career path in Environmental Management: Prospects from a professional

Choosing a career path in Environmental Management:

Prospects from a professional 

By 

Sharfaddeen K. Ilah

The world is continuously becoming a global village, and it is apparently more challenging for individuals to find a job that suits their essential requirements. We all have diverse backgrounds, talents and experiences. Certainly, it is challenging to find a job that fits us all. So the question remains how can I find a career that suits me best?

I get to interact with fresh undergraduate and postgraduate students quite often. Their timid question is no other than about the future career of environmental managers. This, I usually respond to by asking for their opinion on what they can engage in as a career upon graduation. The response given by a majority revolves around the field of waste management. After hearing their parochial view about the future of environmental managers, I go in depth into something a lot of the inexperienced students do not think about enough.

When a University Environmental Management Students Association invited me, to speak at an undergraduate students orientation program they organised I decided to make a PowerPoint presentation. The slides contained my responses to the prospects of environmental management as a

discipline and a profession. This article also, was written with the mindset of addressing a larger audience, with the hope of conveying the interesting and unorthodox responses I usually give to the student’s inquiries. 

Whether you are a prospective student, a parent trying to guide a loved one decide on the course of study at the university and eventually land a career, or you are someone with passion for protecting the environment, or you are working in the field and seeking for advancement, here are some guiding

information. Chiefly scripted based on my interactions and PowerPoint presentation.

In the following sections, you will be told what environmental management is, academic qualification(s) obtainable by environmental managers and who they are as individuals. You will also get to know where environmental managers work and the kind of responsibilities assigned to them. The humanitarian and social services rendered by environmental managers will be considered as well.

The inquiries and my responses.

What exactly is Environmental Management?

Environmental Management EM is not so easy to define as acknowledged by many scholars and environmentalists. It can refer to a goal or vision, to attempts to steer a process, to the application of a set of tools, to philosophical exercise seeking to establish new perspectives towards environment and human societies and to so much more besides.

Simply put, EM is concerned with the understanding of the structure and function of the earth system, as well as of the ways in which humans relate to their environment. This difficulty in providing a definition may have arisen from the fact that Environment comprises of everything around us. Thus the reason people from different disciplines make use of the word environment differently. So here, environment is considered to include the physical, chemical and natural forces. As well, the interactions between the social, economic and environmental factors that provides the enabling conditions for growth, development and otherwise are essential and of relevance.

Can environmental management be studied as a discipline?

Of course, there are ranges of programs where EM can be studied as a course at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Here at the University is a good example. For instance, the Department of Environmental Management at the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences offers a range of programs from Bachelor of Science Degree to Postgraduate Diploma to Professional Masters, to

Master of Science and up to a terminal Doctor of Philosophy degree. Most of which are given with an option for specialisation.

Who are Environmental Managers?

Environmental Managers are a diverse group of people. They include persons from the academics, policy makers, non-governmental organisations (NGO), corporate employees, civil servants, private individuals and groups who make decisions about the use of natural resources and protection of human health and the environment. Therefore, this means EM involves many stakeholders and requires a multidisciplinary perspective.

Where can Environmental Managers Work?

Environmental managers increasingly referred to as sustainability managers can work in a variety of sectors. They have a role to play in institutions and organisations such as Health, Education, Housing, Transportation, Waste Management, NGO’s, Military, Security, Telecommunications, Banking & Finance, Private Consultancy, Power and Energy Sector. They can also work in Corporate Organizations under various units and departments such as processing, manufacturing, packaging, products and raw materials sourcing, waste management and recycling units.

What are the responsibilities that can be assigned to environmental managers?

Environmental Managers who are able to secure a job at any of the organizations earlier mentioned could be saddled with the responsibility of coordinating aspects of pollution control, waste management, recycling and environmental health and safety issues. They could as well be responsible for developing and implementing environmental strategies and action plans to ensure organisational compliance with legislations, thereby avoiding charges or being prosecuted for violation of environmental laws. In addition, they function as environmental auditors, analyse and report environmental performance to the top management and regulatory bodies. Interestingly, they perform duties akin that of human resource personnel by training staff at all levels in the organisation on environmental issues and responsibilities. They also promote and raise awareness of the impacts of

emerging environmental issues and perform environmental researches. At other instances, they write environmental/sustainability reports that are usually tied to the corporate image of the organisation. Individuals that are opportune to own or work for environmental consultancy firms can work with public and private sector clients. They will be assigned to address environmental issues such as water or noise pollution, soil contamination and air quality assessments. In Nigeria for instance, Environmental Impacts Assessments are almost synonymous to Environmental Consultancies, and it indeed pays well.

Any Specific Career Prospects?

I can say, anyone aiming for the top of the profession will need to manage a wider brief and spur growth in areas such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Environmental Management Audit and Waste Management, Occupational Health and Safety amongst many other contemporary emerging sub-fields. This is expressly true for those who want to put their mouths where the money is and especially if money is one of the rewards seek in a career.

Is there any opportunity of giving back to the society? Although there are professions that give you the opportunity of giving back to the society, a career in environmental management is one of the best avenues one will ever come across. Even when you are working under a corporate body, the duties you are assigned as an environmental manager could eventually translate in saving the lives of some endangered species of plants or animals, reducing air pollution and avoiding waste materials from getting into the environment. There is so much also from saving human lives and properties serving as a Health and Safety Officer. Protecting workers and their families from the hazards, risks and accidents associated with working environments. By so doing, one can evidently see the impact of his or her hard work, making a difference in the world. 

Finally, I wish to thank you for your time and hope you will use every available opportunity to educate others about the need, relevance and future prospects of environmental managers.

Peace!

This article was earlier published in a University monthly magazine.