Customer Reviews

The ECO Guide to Careers that Make a Difference: Environmental Work For A Sustainable World (The Environmental Careers Organization)

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This book starts out with an overview of hiring and job trends for environmental careers divided by sector- private vs. public, and then broken down into subgroups. Then it provides descriptions of 19 different environmental career fields such as air quality, environmental justice, and conservation biology. Each of these chapters describe the major issues in the field and what professionals do to work on those issues. Each chapter also includes spotlights on specific careers- land use planner, lobbyist, environmental economist, etc. These spotlights give detailed descriptions of the job duties and qualifications, as well as salary range, job demand, and employment figures.

Except for the career spotlights, of which there were about 2 per chapter, the majority of this book was very basic and appropriate only for people with no experience in any sort of ecological or environmental career. It reads like an introductory undergraduate textbook, and as such, it's really only appropriate for undergrads or people in a completely different career who wish to learn more about environmental careers. There is very little here for people who hold degrees in any environmental or ecological field, are in grad school in this area and are considering career paths, or for people who are working in this field already and who want to make a lateral move to another environmental area. This is a good beginner's guide to environmental careers, but it won't help anyone who has a little experience under their belt.

A strong overview that is clear, low-jargon, and yet not dumbed-down, this thoughtful book is a new edition of a classic resource. Updated to show how any job has a green edge (lite or deep), The ECO Guide to Careers that Make a Difference will strengthen any job seeker's strategy and be an asset for any career center.

Melissa Everett, Ph.D.
Author, Making a Living While Making a Difference: Conscious Careers for an Era of Interdependence (New Society Publishers 2007)

In a global world struggling with ecological health issues, how can a budding businessperson select a career which will make a difference? By starting with The ECO Guide to Careers that Make a Difference: Environmental Work For A Sustainable World, which provides a starting point for identifying such positions. Professionals working in different industries provide insights, cover issues, and describe positive solutions being pursued. With its review of both major issues and major career opportunities, The ECO Guide To Careers That Make A Difference is not to be missed.

Personally, I found this book really helpful. Mixing this and a new site I found (http://www.EnvironmentalCrossing.com), I feel much more confident in my job search. Actually, the site has jobs only from employer websites and far more jobs than I've found on other job boards. Coupled with this book, I'm not worrying nearly as much about the economy as I have been.