Don’t fear the numbers! When you think about careers that require technical skills, fields like construction, carbon trading or science research immediately comes to mind. In today’s world more and more employers are asking for technical skills, including environmental education, policy or advocacy. A lot of work in these areas focuses on digesting large amounts of technical information and then being able to present this knowledge clearly and accurately to less technical audiences, usually to educate and promote environmental awareness. This doesn’t mean that your liberal arts major in history won’t land you a job, but if you are still in school, consider taking a statistics or maybe even a geology or earth science course. If you have already graduated, look to your local community college. As always, remember to be strategic: if you already know what industry you want to go into, try to choose a course that will be a good fit.
Be current and know world news. The majority of the news media that Americans are exposed to focuses almost exclusively on the US perspective. Pick up some international publications and try to get a handle on how other countries feel about theses global threats and pressures. No matter what the nature of your work, there is no doubt that it will involve (even indirectly) working with other countries and cultures; understanding their position will help strengthen your own.
On that same note, with the world getting smaller every day, consider learning a second language or polishing the one(s) you already have. Again be strategic: while Spanish or Italian may sound lovely on the ears, consider our current world economies. Much demand is currently in the Asian and Middle Eastern languages as that is where most of the industrial growth is happening.
Never forget that people are key! Strong interpersonal skills will benefit you at every turn, from landing that great job to promoting your professional growth. Not naturally an extrovert? Not a problem. Communication skills are much like public speaking, the more you practice them the better you get. Take all the opportunities you have to converse with strangers, be that at a networking event, alumni weekend or even the person who is checking out your groceries. Small talk can sometimes feel like a drag but the ability to connect with new people is a career gift that keeps on giving!
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Joanna Adler currently serves as the Associate Director for the Career Development Center at Mount Holyoke College, a women's liberal arts college in Western, Mass. In that role, she focuses on student preparation through individualized counseling, as well as overseeing the internship and student employment programs for the college.
