City of El Dorado, KansasThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received more than 10,000 applications for 75 entry level fish and wildlife professional positions in late 2017. The agency received so many applications that it had to develop a software to sort through them to determine eligibility of applicants. Since so many fish and wildlife biologists are turned away from limited job opportunities, perhaps these applicants would be willing to consider a career in water as an alternative career option?
Jason Patty, Wetlands and Water Superintendent at City of El Dorado, Kansas, is a
prime example of a wildlife biologist who chose a career in water and has rapidly
advanced professionally to his current position as Superintendent. Jason is a Class
IV Water and Wastewater professional and oversees City of El Dorado’s Wetlands and
Water Reclamation facility, an award-winning wastewater treatment plant with an average
daily flow of about 2 million gallons. El Dorado, located about 30 miles east of Wichita,
has a population of about 13,500. Jason graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife
Biology from Baker University in Kansas. He was offered entry level positions with
the state of Kansas fish and wildlife agency, but realized that these positions were
located in cities that were not a good fit for his family to live at the time.
You may be surprised at how competitive your utility is for salaries and career opportunities for natural resource majors. A recent query of job positions for fish and wildlife biologist found several openings with state agencies where the starting pay was around $35,000 annually and these agencies commonly have limited promotion opportunities. Fish and wildlife biology majors complete a range of chemistry, biology, physics and math classes that makes them perfectly suited to excel in the challenging career water utility professions provide.
Here are a couple of tips on how to promote your utility to natural resource students and professionals:
- Hiring fairs at local universities
Universities have hiring fairs with entry level jobs and other opportunities for college seniors, undergraduates and others. Participation at these career fairs is typically free. - Local, regional and national professional societies for fish and wildlife professionals
Fish and wildlife professionals commonly belong to two different professional societies. The American Fisheries Society is the leading professional association for fisheries biologists. The Wildlife Society is the leading professional association for wildlife biologists. Both societies have chapters at universities as well. These organizations’ annual meetings, newsletters and job boards are a great way to reach and recruit existing fish and wildlife professionals. In addition, the Texas A&M Wildlife and Fisheries Science department maintains a job board used by many natural resource companies to promote vacancies and other opportunities. - Internships
Internships are a way to give individuals the opportunity to work for a water utility and to determine if they are suited for a career as a water professional. The Wichita State University Work in Water program has templates and examples that will help utilities start their own internship program. You can also view EFCN’s recent webinar, “First Steps to an Effective Internship Program at Your Utility.” Several utilities in EPA Region 7 states (Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas) have used this program to develop internship opportunities within their organization, including City of El Dorado.
In summary, if your water system is struggling to find quality applicants, try casting your recruiting net wider to include fish and wildlife biology majors!
