Seeking A New Job in EE
As an environmental educator, it is likely that you will be searching for jobs every 3-6 months. Job searching is a very draining process. I would dread this season because on top of having to find a job, I also had to uproot my life and start new. Although very rewarding in the end, it created a lot of stress.
Where is the best place to look for a job in the environmental field? Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and other large job search engines sometimes yield results. Niche websites will help you narrow down your search and most likely help you find what you are looking for faster.
The Organization’s Website
Once you sit down and think about what type of job you want, decide which type of organization you would like to work for. A great way to find jobs is directly on an organization’s website. I always found that I got a higher response rate when I applied through the company’s website, rather than a search engine like Indeed. You may get lucky and find the job you are looking for at your dream company, simply by looking at the career section of their website.
ANCA Job Board - Association of Nature Center Administrators
Along with a regularly updated job board, ANCA also offers other tools and resources for working in the environmental field. Their job board is very easy to navigate. They clearly display the job title, organization, and date. The jobs are listed in order by most recently posted. You can only sort the jobs by career type, but the easy to read access really does help you narrow down your search.
https://www.natctr.org/services/job-board
NAAEE eeJOBS
NAEE has endless resources and opportunities regarding environmental education in the United States. I highly recommend taking advantage of the other resources NAAEE offers, such as the NAAEE Conference and Research Symposium, publications, and networking. eeJOBS is the NAAEE’s job board. This job board is a little more difficult to navigate, but stick with it! You can sort by job type (internship, fellowship, job, etc.). You can also sort by the type of career like Park Naturalist, Artist, or Environmental Educator. I love this feature because it gives you the opportunity so find exactly what you want.
Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Job Board
Run through Texas A&M University, this job board has the most jobs related to the environmental and outdoor field that I have ever seen. You can easily search and sort jobs by date posted and type. You are even able to do a direct search in the search window. You should definitely give this website a visit, especially if you are looking to work in the wildlife field.
https://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/job-board/
YMCA Job Board
Y Camps are a great opportunity to advance your career in environmental education and outdoor recreation. It is where I gained valuable experience as an educator. I also learned new skills such as operating and leading high ropes elements. There are also many opportunities to experience managerial positions and supervisory roles.
https://www.ymca.org/get-involved/careers/opportunities
State Environmental Education Sites
Most states will have their own website of resources on environmental education. Many also have job boards as well. If you know which state you want to work in, check out their websites for environmental education. Here are some examples to get you started:
Massachusetts Environmental Education Society https://massmees.org
New York State Outdoor Education Association https://www.nysoea.org
Connecticut Outdoor and Environmental Education Association https://www.coeea.org
Random Google Searches
If you are looking for a specific job and can’t find it on any job board, try googling it. The job might end up on a smaller job board.
Networking
Never underestimate the power of networking. You have the potential to meet very interesting people and many powerful connections wherever you go. Don’t just network on LinkedIn, make sure to have conversations and make an effort to meet new people. Your next job just might come from someone you know.