With environmental and sustainability jobs on the rise, Macquarie’s science degrees are becoming increasingly popular with prospective students, who can choose from a wide range of careers in the environmental, science and sustainability fields.
Green dreams: Evelyn Hwang says the flexibility that was offered in the Master of Environment course drew her to Macquarie.
Evelyn Hwang recently graduated from the Master of Environment course at Macquarie, and now works as a Resource Recovery Specialist at Cleanaway, an organisation that specialises in sustainable waste management.
As part of her degree, Evelyn undertook two internships which she says were instrumental in preparing her for the workforce and helping secure a role after graduation.
“My first internship was in the MQ Sustainability Office, an opportunity I was offered while participating in the Bush Regeneration volunteering program on campus,” she says. “I developed and launched a campaign to help reduce street litter on campus and grow awareness around environmental issues.”
The internships helped me find my true interest in the field in which I want to develop my career.
Evelyn’s second internship was at a local government department, a role she was introduced to through her professor’s professional network.
“As part of the Environmental Services department, I was helping developing sustainability programs and engaging the community with the programs,” she says.
“The internships helped me find my true interest in the field in which I want to develop my career. It also gave me a lot of hands-on skills that you cannot pick up by only studying at Uni, such as project management, stakeholder engagement and interpersonal skills – which all play crucial parts in many jobs.”
The drawcard of flexibility
When choosing a University, Evelyn says what drew her to Macquarie was the flexibility that was offered in the Masters of Environment course.
“At the time of exploring different courses on the environment and sustainability, I was not sure what career path I was interested in. The Master of Environment course at Macquarie offered more flexibility in terms of areas of study you can select during the course compared to other courses offered in different universities.
“This allowed me to find my passion in an area during my study and navigate my interest in the career path I want to follow after graduation.”
Evelyn was also drawn to Macquarie’s sustainable initiatives and campus designs, such as the library with the ‘green roof’ which promotes a healthier environment for students to study and socialise.
A broad range of skills
After completing her Master’s degree, Evelyn initially moved into a graduate role as a resource recovery specialist, and more recently took up a new position in corporate sustainability, working for a metals and e-waste recycling company.
“What I enjoy about my role so far is having many exciting learning opportunities in different aspects of sustainability,” she says. “I always had [the] desire to explore and expand my expertise in sustainability so it has been a great career shift for me.”
Just a few months into her new position, Evelyn’s responsibilities include collecting data and reporting on the company's vision, plan and performance in sustainability.
“I originally came from the waste management industry and so waste and resource recovery were the primary focus but now I get to look at a broader spectrum such as energy, water, social and governance which are all important elements in a sustainable business,” she says.
EVELYN HWANG
Degree: Master of Environment. Graduated 2020.
My job: Resource recovery specialist
Three ways MQ supported me to be job-ready:
- MQ career support services. “One-on-one consultations and various career seminars prepared me for entering the job market.”
- Work experience opportunities. “MQ professors and staff introduced opportunities such as volunteering and internships. My two internships before my current job were introduced on campus and by one of my professors working in government services.”
- MQ career fair. “The fair enabled me to explore a wide range of industries and career opportunities and to network with professionals.”
How I apply what I learned at Macquarie in the workplace:
“The journey of team projects in my degree helped me strengthen my skills that I can apply in my job in project management as a team such as building collaborative strategies, researching, report writing and presentation skills.”
Advice to prospective students:
“Reach out to the student services to see what help they can provide as there are many career support services available. Networking with people on and off-campus also helps you establish a broad range of potential career opportunities.”
