There are people I hear that say it is impossible to get a job for a water agency without knowing someone. Although, I see what they are saying. I would disagree that it is impossible. I would say that, yes, it helps to know someone that could help you get your foot in the door. Here are my tips to help you combat that issue:
- You should be applying for roles that only require one year of experience or less. You should also be applying to roles that are not near you. What should that distance be? I cannot really answer that for you. I drive about 50 miles roundtrip every day for my role. I work with someone that drives 120 miles roundtrip every day. I know that is crazy, but he also makes pretty good money and loves his job.
- The other thing that will probably be negative for people is money. There are those that have gone high in their current careers and make pretty good money. When you change careers, you may not command that type of salary. You will more than likely start at the bottom. Afterall, you have no experience in the water industry. You do not have the required certifications to operate the system. This may turn you off and make you reconsider your career change. That is fine. Only you can make that decision.
- I would argue that some people are trying to reach too high. What do I mean? I mean there are several water agencies out there. Please do not limit yourself to water agencies in your area. Please don’t limit yourself to large ones that everyone knows about. Lastly, please do not apply only to the top paying roles. These roles will probably require more experience and certifications.
- You should be applying to as many agencies as possible. Do not limit yourself to any specific ones. Apply for small ones as well as large ones. This gives you the highest chance of getting higher. You only need to worry about getting your foot in the door. The experience you will get will be what allows you to move easier in the future. No experience and there is no ability to make the kind of money the top-level people make. Focus on getting the job to get the experience needed to qualify for higher certifications.
There you have it. Those are my tips to help you out. Simple I know, but I am shocked at how this gets overlooked.