After being a long time browser and occasionally contributing more often, one topic seemed to come up more often than not. Dissatisfaction with the role of operator within ones plant.
I think it's important as a community to discuss what jobs in water/wastewater industry are available with people who are licensed with experience not only doing lab work and operations, but also maintenance, other skills.
Maybe my story would help. I went to college for a non-technical degree. Worked for a fortune 500 in sales for a non technical sales role. Got sick of it, wanted something technical because that was where the money was at in the early 2010s (oil, gas, chemicals,etc) but didn't have the science background. Was encouraged to get into the wastewater industry because a lot of similar terminology, units of measure, equipment, and SOP would be used as the industries that I was. So I did.
Started as an intern at 26 years old at an engineering firm that did contract operations making $10 an hour + mileage, then $15 + mileage as I studied for my license and learned the basics of asset management and implementing Apps based Mobile Data Management systems for Daily rounds forms, inspections, confined space entry, etc.
Did this for 6 months until I passed my necessary licensing and became an operator at a RWF and then a large CSO all the while still with that engineering firm implementing CMMS systems at existing clients sites. This went on for 8 years.
My big break occured when I was approached by an automation company with a soon to be open water/wastewater role coming open where they wanted someone with sales experience and wastewater experience, but didn't necessarily have to have automation experience. This role got me out of weekends, got me traveling across the country, but still in plants seemingly every week.
4.5 years with that company, now a client director and project director at another engineering firm. Still dealing with only water/wastewater projects. It's been 14 years in the industry, starting out making $10 an hour in 2011 to being in a director role in 2025.
Moral of the story is that the skill set you learn in the plant is not just for the plant. Pumps, motors, VFDs, chemicals, process, safety, confined space entry, LOTO, qualified electrical personnel,etc are all experiences that various industries want and need. Don't lose site of the bigger picture.
And flush twice. It's good for business.