×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

how does an engineer break into the field of remediation?

how does an engineer break into the field of remediation?

how does an engineer break into the field of remediation?

(OP)
I am a mining engineer with 20+ years trying to change carerrs and get into geotech or remediation. how does one do this?

RE: how does an engineer break into the field of remediation?

I recommend, at a minimum, a short course in environmental site assessment and risk assessment.  Visit and talk with, not to get a job, but to see what potential exists in your area, a local environmental engineering firm that does this kind of work.

RE: how does an engineer break into the field of remediation?

I recommend talking with a remediation company, preferably one that tackles projects (such as landfill caps, slurry cut-off walls, excavations) requiring heavy equipment.  If you're familiar with heavy equipment and their production rates you may be able to find a position as an estimator.  From there, you'll be learning the procedures and methods involved in this field through on-the-job training, and can also get exposure to environmental engineering firms.

  

RE: how does an engineer break into the field of remediation?

Get a county application for 3rd party engineers.  In Georgia we must also pass the Residential Building Examiner test and take a Soil Erosion course.  The county will refer jobs where they want an engineer's opinion.  And I would refrain from doing home inspection type work and stick to projects that require engineering input.

RE: how does an engineer break into the field of remediation?

Environmental Assessment Associated (as in Phase I-IV site assessments) has courses.  The starter certification is offered online:

http://www.iami.org/eaa.cfm

Phase I's can be very good for bringing in business, as banks usually have them done before a property is purchased and developed.  Phase I's are eyes-and-ears only, and can be done by any competent, moral individual. It's just a lot of footwork, but it'll get you in the field.  Lord forgive my use of apostrophes.  It just looked better.  :)  

Good luck.    

RE: how does an engineer break into the field of remediation?

Use your talents and expertise in the mining field and apply it to get a foot in the door.  Manay large companies that deal in Environmental remediation have many departments with different kinds of engineers.  At my company, we have Civil, Environmental, Geotechnical, and Structural.  The fundamentals of remediation design can be learned in a class or 2.  Your experience in the engineering field and project management sense should be more important than knowledge of the subject.

RE: how does an engineer break into the field of remediation?

What is your location?

In the western U.S., remediation of abandoned mines is becoming an ever-expanding field.  Consider applying at a large consulting firm that deals with abandoned mines or has large state or federal mine remediation contracts, such as Tetra Tech or Golder Associates.  They might be happy to have someone with your background, even with relatively little remediation experience.

From there you would have opportunities to expand in other fields or areas, but it is a way to get your foot in the door.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources