Alumni Spotlight: Joshua Moose

Joshua Moose ‘17 uses the course and lab experiences in environmental monitoring procedures he learned while a student in Environmental Technology and Management in his career as a stormwater inspector in the Raleigh-Triad area.

How did your experience at NC State help you find a job after graduation? What initial steps did you take when you were looking for a job?

The ETM program provided exposure to a lot of different types of environmental monitoring and analysis procedures. I think a lot of times people are applying for jobs that are in their field of study, but they might not necessarily have any relevant technical experience. As a student in the ETM program, you’ve more than likely at least briefly touched on some sort of topic an employer wants you to be familiar with, which gives you a huge advantage over other applicants.

As far as landing a job? Apply for as many as possible. Know that you don’t have to stay there long. You’re just trying to gain some professional experience in the short term. Over-prepare for that interview, but try not to sound too rehearsed.

Name a class you took at State that you took the most away from?

The ET labs I feel are the real core of the program. That’s where you get most of your hands-on experience, and you can really tailor the courses you take toward the career you think you might want. Those classes are great resume boosters. If you have the chance to take Environmental Forensics with Prof. Nichols, I would highly recommend that as well. The semester I took that course, the class tried to pinpoint the source of pollution in Little Rock Creek (behind Carmichael) by sampling clouds of pollution in the stream and comparing it to samples from Carmichael’s pool, laundry room, etc. It’s a fun class. Highly recommended. Don’t be put off by the 6 hours/day in class.

While you were at State what was your biggest challenge? i.e. A class

I minored in philosophy at NC State. Useless in terms of landing a job in the environmental field, but I enjoyed it. This was the first time I ever struggled in school, but it was a good experience. 19th Century Philosophy felt like jumping into 300 level foreign language course with no prior knowledge. Yes, go ahead and get that Environmental Toxicology Minor, but take some classes that interest you, if you can afford it.

What major piece of advice would you give to the Freshman class?

Join a club. Find something that interests you, and try to stick with it. My friend got me into racquetball freshman year. I had never played before, and I was pretty terrible at it. I was the president of the club team by senior year. The decision to join that club has significantly changed my life. Racquetball is now one of my biggest passions, and I made a lot of friends who I still see weekly. You don’t have to be an expert in something to join a club at NC State. They will teach you everything you need to know. It’s a really great way to make friends, if that’s something you struggle with.

Why did you decide to be a part of the ETM program? What attracted you to it? I was enrolled in the First Year College program my freshman year. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do, but I knew math and science were my strongest subjects. I took an environmental science course and enjoyed it. I considered an Environmental Science degree, but decided to study ETM because of the hands-on experience the program offers. I also love how small the program is. You really get to know your classmates, and professors can afford you a lot of individual attention.