Victoria Putinski
Greetings fellow Earth enthusiasts! In 2012 I graduated from Carleton with a BA in Environmental Studies, minoring in geography, with a dash of geomatic. I gained many valuable skills from my academic adventure at Carleton, including managing group work, presentation skills, scientific comprehension, technical writing, and many more. I thoroughly enjoyed my degree and most valued the ability to work with other like-minded, enthusiastic individuals, and raise my own ability to understand and communicate environmental issues.
To be successful in the post-education job market, you need a mix of theory, practice and technical skills. Take ethics classes, take computer classes, and take field classes! I enjoyed all of these and more at Carleton. A degree in DGES offers up a menu of programs to take, and people to work with. Explore it all and find your niche. To succeed in any field, above all you must tap in to your social and professional networks. Showcase yourself to professionals. Go to geography related events, meet people and make a good impression. Through networking I was able to work with a biology lab and a geomatics/landscape ecology lab, where I gained valuable experience and connections to prepare me for a career working both in the field and in a laboratory setting. I am now an Environmental Techincian at WESA Group Inc. Without my skills learned both in the Environmental studies program and my job experience, I could not have gotten to where I am today. My next challenge will be to either pursue post-graduate studies at college, or remain successful at WESA.
Learn, have fun, challenge yourself, and above all, show others what you can do. Good luck!