This blog post was written by Aliya during her 4th year in the Environmental Management stream.

 

 

 

When it came to look for summer jobs, for me, I really wanted to work a job that was related to Environmental Management since that is my area of concentration within my degree. Over the past couple summers, being in university, I usually worked at my local pools as a lifeguard, swim instructor, swim coach and aqua fitness instructor. I've loved the job since I was 16 years old: It was close to home and I’m genuinely interested in water safety. However, this summer I wanted a change and  to get more into my field. So, like any other student, I updated my resume and looked for jobs.

Where did I look for jobs?

Being in Enivronmental Studies, there are various places you can look for job postings and the first one I always go to are the Official Postings on the internal Environmental Studies Job Board. Everyday there are postings about jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities just for Environmental Studies students. Usually when looking through them, I will keep the ones I am interested in and write down all of the application deadline dates so I don’t miss them. I also used websites such as Good Work and Indeed. They are very easy to use and let you use filters so you can search for jobs on your specific interest, location and even pay. In addition, I also looked out for posters in the HNES building where there are always opportunities being posted. Lastly, I was in close contact with Rosanna, the Experiential Education Coordinator, whose job is to help students in finding opportunities. She helped me apply for jobs within the Ontario Public Service (OPS) which includes jobs in Provincial Parks!

Volunteering helps a lot!

One thing I learned about getting jobs and interviews is that networking and making connections is very important. Thanks to the connections I made at Change Your World and just being an Environmental Studies student, I was able to volunteer with two organizations relevant to my field of interest. During the year, I actively volunteered with Forests Ontario and Toronto Forestry, Parks and Recreation. With Forests Ontario, I volunteered at their Christmas Market tree sales being a salesperson and educating people on forestry in Ontario. I also judged the 2019 Toronto Enviro-thon competition at the Ontario Science Centre. With the City of Toronto, I have been an active tree planting captain for two years which includes setting up, demonstrating how to plant trees and taking down large community events across the city. By volunteering with both organizations, I was able to make connections with the staff members there, hear their stories and how they landed their jobs. A lot of the conversations included their education pathways, entry level jobs and sometimes rejection along the way. By talking to people who have jobs in the field I am interested, I learned that you may not get the job you want right away and that it's okay if it takes time. With that in mind, I applied for a bunch of summer jobs. I got interviews (and offers of employment!) from:

• Environmental Parks Coordinator with the City of Brampton
• Tree Top Trekking Ranger Summer position
• Deck Supervisor at Al Pallidini
• p.i.n.e Project Nature Camp Counsellor
• Algonquin Provincial Park Gate attendant

Kortright Centre Nature Camp

Although I had offers of employment from the above organizations, working at the Kortright Centre Nature Camp was the job I wanted most.  Well, almost the most.  I did want to work for Ontario Parks, but it was the middle of May and I had given up all hope of Ontario Parks calling me again or finding another two-month contract position (It had to be only two months because I was in Costa Rica for the Semester Abroad at our EcoCampus until mid-June). I live biking distance from the Kortright Centre and I am very passionate about environmental education. The Kortiright Centre was offering me a job for July and August as a Nature Camp Counsellor and I wanted this job very badly for two reasons

1. I really wanted an environmental job to boost my experience
2. I really needed a summer job.

The interview was different: I had to create a 5-minute nature game and present it front of the interviewers. They also gave me an assortment of props to work with which I found really cool and I felt in my element during the interview. I think it was my most successful one! I was very happy to hear that I got the job when I found out through e-mail in Costa Rica. They wanted a response in a week but THEN…

Killarney Provincial Park (ie Ontario Parks) e-mailed me back saying they wanted an interview!

Going to Costa Rica and getting the Killarney Job

I got a phone interview with Killarney Provincial Park! I was so happy and so excited! It was all I was talking about in my Protected Area Management course that I was taking. The thing was, the interview was on the first day of the class in the morning! I e-mailed the professor of the course (Sheila Colla) and asked her if I could be exempt from the class for an hour so I could carry out the interview. Since the Professor was in Canada and I was in Costa Rica, the communication was very difficult. My class ended up going to the EcoCampus an hour early just so I could have my interview! My professor was even nice enough to ask the whole class to refrain from using the wifi so I could have optimal connection during my interview. And it worked! It was my best interview yet!

In the end, I declined the offer with the Kortright Centre, even though I really wanted the job. I chose the Natural Heritage Education position with the Discovery program at Killarney Provincial Park because it was the most fitting for me, I got to live up north in Killarney and have a new experience, which was exactly what I was looking for. All in all, the process of applying for jobs and going through interviews isn’t easy, but that's because it IS a process. While it is hard and sometimes a little nerve-wracking, being part of the Environmental Studies community has made me much more confident in applying for jobs and the entire process. So, don’t be afraid to go for the jobs you really want; there is always help available. Don’t miss out on the great opportunities! I’m glad I didn’t!