You will also need a sense of humour. There may be opportunities for overseas travel. But a word of warning. Other career options include working for government departments, pressure groups such as Greenpeace and trade organisations. Several universities in the UK now also offer specialist environmental consultancy services.
Some companies prefer to employ staff with postgraduate qualifications.
For environmental professionals, further environmental training courses are available from organisations such as the British Standards Institution, the British Safety Council, and the Environmental Services Association. Several universities also offer short courses including the Open University, Umist and Cranfield University, and again some run distance learning packages. These courses allow environmental consultants to keep up to date with new technical developments and develop an understanding of technical issues outside their area of expertise. Colette Grundy has worked in environmental consultancy for the past 10 years. If you are considering a change of career, the RSC can offer guidance through the Career Management Programme.