Environmental Science Resume

About This Resume

Environmental scientists do a wide range of work depending on the employer and the season. Whether working for a consulting firm, a state agency, or a water utility, they need to be able to collect data that holds up later, such as a groundwater sample with a clean chain-of-custody form (the record of who handled it and when). In the case of a first job, it might be something as plain as logging stream temperatures in the rain. Most people applying hold a similar degree.

As an environmental scientist you'll collect samples, check results against permit limits and write clear reports for clients or regulators. This might involve monitoring wells, stormwater outfalls, wetland edges or old factory sites. To get past the first read, you need to show reviewers that work in action, along with safety training such as the 40-hour hazardous waste course known as HAZWOPER.

What to Include

• Field methods by name, such as groundwater, surface water, soil or air sampling, with the meters and samplers you've calibrated
• Safety training with dates: the 40-hour HAZWOPER course, your latest 8-hour refresher and any first aid card
• GIS mapping and data tools (ArcGIS, QGIS, R or Excel) in a skills line that's easy to find
• Reports you wrote or helped write, like Phase I site assessments (property history reviews done before a sale), monitoring summaries or permit applications
• Senior projects, theses and field courses if you finished school recently
• A valid driver's license, plus boat, drone or wilderness first aid credentials if the posting mentions them

Environmental Science Resume Sample

Tips for Your Environmental Science Resume

• Name the sample type, the count and the timing. "Sampled 14 monitoring wells each quarter and shipped coolers to the lab within 24 hours" says far more than "Assisted with field sampling."
• Getting hired by a consulting firm is often less formal than getting hired by a state agency because public jobs usually follow a scored application process. Applying to an agency involves answering screening questions and matching minimum qualifications in wording that is sometimes very literal. Mirror their wording where it's true.
• Field courses with real sampling count. In fact, so many environmental programs include field weeks that reviewers expect to see them listed like short jobs, with the dates, the site types and the equipment you used.
• When you name a method, use the name the standard uses. That is, if you wrote Phase I environmental site assessments, make sure you call them that everywhere on the page.
• If the posting asks for a writing sample, pick a short report you wrote yourself, remove client names and site addresses, and mention it in your cover letter.
• Field conditions are worth mentioning up front. A line such as "Comfortable with overnight travel, boats and lifting 50-pound coolers" answers a question most field managers have (and saves them from asking).
• Given that many environmental credentials take years of supervised work, list one that's in progress with the date you expect to finish it, such as "Professional Wetland Scientist, expected 2027."