What
Job Skills do Employers Expect from a Course in Soil Science?
What skills from a soils class do employers find useful? That depends. The skills needed by environmental consulting laboratories differ from the expertise required by private environmental planning firms, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), or the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). There are, however, some commonalities regardless of employer.
Recently, I phoned and e-mailed over forty private and public agencies that have hired CMU graduates with a course in soils. The question posed, "What skills from a soil science class do you find most useful? What sort of personal attributes do you seek?"
Many e-mail queries went unanswered. Regarding phone interviews, I usually called unannounced so the answers given were sometimes more spontaneous than thoughtful. I was more successful in getting responses from public agencies like the NRCS and the DEQ than private consulting firms. I never called school districts to see how valuable they would find a course in soil science for those choosing a career in teaching.
Despite the unrepresentative sampling, you can gain insight as to the type of job skills needed by employers from a variety of agencies. Take time to reflect on the proficiencies you have acquired over the years, how you can effectively market these skills to a potential employer, and what skills you should secure in the future through a commitment to life-long learning.
Personal Attributes (ranked)
 | good communication skills | ||||||||
| love of outdoors | ||||||||
| creative | ||||||||
| enthusiasm | ||||||||
| reliability | ||||||||
| teamwork | ||||||||
| drive
|