AAS Environmental Safety and Securities Degree Question

[burbuja0512]

Make sure to check out different industry groups on LinkedIn or through conferences. For example, last week there were (I think) around 18,000 people in Philadelphia with NSC, or National Safety Council. This might be too expensive to attend and perhaps not worth it from a networking perspective, but check out this and similar groups' websites to see if they offer any sort of job connections board.

LinkedIn is totally free and can connect you to thousands of people in the safety world, not to mention recruiters. If you'd like a list of groups to join, message me and I'll send you a bunch. Just make sure your LinkedIn profile is current and looks good before you start connecting to people that you might want to work with in the future. You don't want to make a bad impression before you've met them!

[sanantone]

Even if an associate's degree were enough to get an occupational safety job, the AAS in ESST would not prepare you for one unless you actually took occupational safety courses. Most of my AAS area of study is filled with criminal justice courses and you can also fill it up with technology courses that have nothing to do with security, safety, or environmental issues. Employers might be fooled by the title, but they wouldn't be fooled for long when they find out you know nothing about OSHA and other safety regulations.

Oops, I think I basically said the same thing a couple of months ago. I didn't realize this was an old thread I already responded to.

[mrs.b]

Each of our production work groups have a Safety Coordinator, charged with making certain our site complies with company safety and environmental policies, as well as state and Fed/OSHA safety and security requirements. Virtually any manufacturing site is going to have EPA guidelines to consider; our small location has entire books of forms we have to maintain. Maintenance of MSDS alone can be a full-time job, depending on the group and situation. It's a hybrid desk / on-your-feet job to keep monotony at bay, and the pay can be generous for an Associates (plus the extra certifications and memberships mentioned below).

I would suggest trying to get your 10-hour or 30-hour OSHA card, and any other minor certifications you can with regard to safety and EPA regulations. Look into some of the professional societies for OSHA and EPA, not only for a bullet point on your resume but also networking options, and you could be prime candidate for such a position, and the growth opportunities above it once your foot is in the door.