ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING?

No Job for nearly 6 months, should I do a second Master's degree? (From Environmental Science to Environmental Engineering)

• I have been a master graduate in Environmental Science (specialised in climate change) for almost 6 months, decided not to go into a scientific career and wanted to get into the environmental industry, finding it so hard to get any environmental job since my CV is based mainly on research (almost no real technical experience), now  am thinking if it is worth it to do a second masters in Environmental Engineering or if I should just keep applying for jobs and play the waiting game...

• Answer:

  If you are looking to start working in industry a second Masters would not help you much and may actually reduce your chances of getting hired. Recruiters and Hiring Managers will ask why you spent so long in college. If you say you wanted to do industry instead of research they will ask why you picked industry without spending any professional time doing research. If you tell them your internships and student projects gave you enough insight they will wonder why you did not change it immediately and complete an Environmental Engineering degree instead of a Enviro Science one. I do not know what jobs you have been looking for in your industry so these recommendations come with the assumption that you have been looking for entry-level Environmental Science/Engineering jobs in your area. I recommend you look at the companies you want to work for and be willing to take on jobs which would not require your college education. An analogy in construction would be to not look to be hired as a civil engineer or architect, but the worker who is pouring concrete or filing the paperwork for the engineer or architect. Once you get your foot in the door you can use that to make connections and network with people in industry. You can prove your value as a good employee and when an opening which better utilizes your value to the company appears you can move into it with that background. At a minimum you can get a letter of recommendation from industry showing you know what it is to work in business. You may even find that the Environmental industry is not one you want to work in at all. Additionally you will earn a paycheck for your work whereas with school you would be paying more. From a financial viewpoint I would only suggest a second Master's if you not only had no debt, but also had all the funds needed to pay for that second Master's.