Brian O's Blog

2010-10-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

I have been busy since my last post. While I was working on those Phase I ESAs that came in more have kept coming in. I have finished a few more, and now I have one today in Asheville, and tomorrow in Lumberton. The environmental market has definitely been picking up. All of my contacts have been saying the same thing and have been very busy, especially with the Phase I ESAs. It looks like the environmental market may be starting to come back into full swing.

Update from AEG Charleston.

2010-09-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

I have bee enjoying the AEG session in Charleston this week. I have renewed old and existing aquaintances and made some new ones. I will be attending a remediation seminar this afternoon, and there are a couple of other interesting technical seminars tomorrow. I have attended several lectures so far one on the state of the goeology and engineering geology profession and another on licensing for professional geologists. I also managed to finish up writing a Phase I ESA while I was here and picked up a couple more.

AEG Meeting- Charleston

2010-09-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy few months. I have been doing a lot of Phase I ESAa lately. It has been good being busy, every time I finish one I get a call for another environmental assessment. Most have been here in North Carolina, but I also got hired to do ones in Nashville, TN and Alabama. My most recent one is right here in Monroe, NC.

I also recently returned to NJ to visit my family and to take an Underground Storage Tank (UST) course to keep Me New Jersey License. NJ recently started a new license, so mine will be able to do less in the future so I will probably let it lapse and get the new license when mine expires in 3 years.

Later this week I am going to the Association of Engineering & Environmental Geologists (AEG) annual meeting in Charleston, SC. This will be a good opportunity to meet with other geology and environmental professionals from throughout the Carolina's and the US. It will also be a good learning opportunity to keep up on current topics while getting the CE credits I need to keep up with my Professional Geologist licenses.

Brian Olin, PG

http://sites.google.com/site/brianolinnc/

The Resume Jungle

2010-06-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

I had been thinking about this recently and an article spurred me to write about this in my blog. Many job seekers have undoubtedly been overwhelmed by dealing with their resume, how to prepare it and the resume black hole. Having been searching myself I have read many articles on resumes, and even checked out a few of the free resume critiques I have been offered. I thought I would share my experience on the matter for those out there whom have been overwhelmed.

Most of you have read articles and probably found them to be contradictory at times. While certain things are consistent others conflict, so which is right? There is the old way, the new way, and many variations. Also many articles focus on sales or marketing resumes since someone whom works in the recruiting field is ultimately a salesman. Advice for technical resumes is often limited or written by someone whom does not seem to understand the differences of a technical or scientific field.

The answer is: it depends. The person reading your resume will determine what is right. If it is a recruiter or a large corporation with an HR department, a more modern form with keywords keyed to the job position is probably the way to go. If it is a smaller or mid size company and the resume is going directly to the technical person who is going to be hiring you, a more traditional approach will make sense. That person doesn't care about the newest trends and has probably been in the field for years and is used to a more traditional resume, they also want one that gives them a true description of what you do and might not care about keywords since they will understand what skills are part of specific tasks. Also there will not be any screening or computerized parsing that will eliminate your resume if it doesn't have the right keywords. So in short try to know whom you are sending it to before deciding which format is best, also know your skills and trust yourself in what is relevant.

The free critiques are worthless, they are done by professional resume writers who want you to hire them to write your resume they will give you tips and you try them and rewrite and another critique of your rewritten resume recommends you do the opposite and go back to what you had. So if you decide you want a critique, be prepared to pay someone who writes resumes. You will have to decide if this is worth it for you prices can vary and you get what you pay for, but more money does not guarantee your dream job. Before hiring someone make sure you know what you are getting, do they specialize in your field of expertise? what does it cost and what do you get? will you get multiple versions? will they include a rewrite if it is not working after a certain amount of time? These are all questions you should ask, know one can guarantee a resume will get you a job if they do they are lying. Some offer money back guarantees make sure you get all the details if they do.

Another trend is "action" words and focusing on accomplishments and not a list of job tasks. While this is true it is easy to overdo this. The person reviewing your resume needs to know what task you did at your job when you are in a technical field such as science or engineering, this will tell them if you have the background skills they need for the position. Accomplishments and skills are a trend that does make your resume stand out and should be incorporated into a technical resume. Overdoing it will make your resume seem all flash and no substance to a knowledgeable technical person. So pick a few key accomplishments that also showcase your technical or other skills specifically relevant to the position you are interested in. As for the action words this is contradictory based on some of the articles I read. This trend started several years ago and some say to do it others say that some hiring people are seeing through them for what they are. So use action words but use them with caution. Watch for Cliche words like spearheaded, many articles use this as an example of types of words to use but others warn you that this is a word that potential employers see through as just words. Words like this must be used with care and are more useful for marketing or business executives. A technical resume should be careful about these words as a knowledgeable technical person will see through flimsy action words as trying to hide skills that are lacking.

Good luck with your search, and try different resumes and have your contacts review it and give you feedback. Finally, if you are an experienced person don't be afraid to go over one page, but you should generally try to keep it under 2. If you find it difficult have 2 versions, a summary resume and a full resume which you can indicate you can provide in the summary version if they are interested in a more detailed description of your skills. If nothing else this gives you an opportunity for a follow-up. Also in the email age if you are emailing your resume directly it could be lost in a spam filter as some will automatically block any attachments form an unknown person. Have your resume in several formats Word and PDF are the essential formats. Try to follow up to make sure that they got the resume and it doesn't end up in the black hole. Put your cover letter in the body of the email so they can read it with out having to open any attachments. If you are unsure if they received it or it is lost through the spam filter send it again without an attachment and include a link to an online version of your resume. Many sites such as Box and Google let you store documents online that you can control access to. Once you get it to them and get past the spam filter they can add you to their allowed list if they are interested and can then request the Word or PDF version of your resume.

Here is the article I read that made me decide to write this since it was one of the few useful resume articles I have seen in a while:

http://internsover40.blogspot.com/2010/06/are-you-confused-as-what-type-of-resume_27.html?goback=%2Egde_2026078_member_23470048

Welcome- updates on independent environmental consulting

2010-05-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new readers from www.getgeologyjobs.com. I periodically update this about once per month, not daily. I try to only post things if I have something worthwhile to say. I have been keeping busy with some independent consulting jobs, there seems to have been an increase in these which may be a sign that environmental firms will be hiring soon, I have seen some that are, but there are still others that are continuing to let people go so it is hard to say for certain when and how sharply an hiring will start. I have done a few Phase I's recently and several others have reported a recent uptick and an increase in turnaround times which indicates they are becoming more of a priority which is a sign of possible growth in the commercial real estate market. I also have been writing a few remedial reports for projects for one of my former co-workers who is overwhelmed with projects from another firm that has a backlog of these reports. This and the Phase I uptick is why I think we may soon see some environmental consulting firms hiring. These reports have been taking a fair amount of time, as this firm unfortunately has poor record keeping and it has been a challenge finding the information needed to complete the reports. Hopefully this experience will emphasize to them the need for good record keeping in the future.

I also recently attended an interesting conference in Raleigh by Regenesis on some of their remedial technologies including chemical oxidation (ISCO) and bio remediation. While it was not anything that I was not familiar with I found it to be a good summary, and was an insightful update on recent developments. I also met a few consultants who expressed an interest in SampleServe my well sampling company that specializes in well sampling with included web based report generation including all table, figures, and graphs for a low fixed price per well. I am off to a Green Energy Fair today, and hope to have another update soon.

$1,200,000 in Grants to Cleanup and Revitalize Communities in North Carolina

2010-04-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a news release I found interesting from the EPA:

Contact Information: Kara Belle, (404) 562-8322, belle.kara@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – April 21, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding two communities in North Carolina with $1,200,000 in brownfields grants to help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites, turning them from problem properties to productive community use. Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The communities in North Carolina receiving brownfields assessment grants include:

City of Charlotte
Wayne County
City of Whiteville
City of Wilson
In the Southeast, 30 communities have been selected to receive brownfields grants to assess, cleanup and redevelop properties. Nationally, 40 states, four tribes and one U.S. Territory will share more than $78 million in brownfields grants. In total, EPA is selecting 304 grants through the Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants programs:
· 188 assessment grants, totaling $42.56 million, will conduct site assessment and planning for cleanup at one or more brownfields sites as part of a community-wide effort.
· 17 revolving loan fund grants, totaling $17 million, will provide loans and subgrants for communities to begin cleanup activities at brownfields sites. Revolving loan funds are generally used to provide low interest loans for brownfields cleanups.
· 99 cleanup grants, totaling $19.36 million, will provide funding for grant recipients to carryout cleanup activities at brownfield sites they own.
Since the beginning of the brownfields program in 1995, EPA has awarded 1,702 assessment grants totaling $401 million, 262 revolving loan fund grants totaling more than $256.7 million, and 655 cleanup grants totaling $129.4 million. As part of Administrator Jackson’s commitment to this program, the 2011 proposed budget includes an increase to $215 million for brownfields with a focus on planning, cleanup, job training and redevelopment.

In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed. The brownfields law expanded the definition of what is considered a brownfield, so communities may now focus on mine-scarred lands, sites contaminated by petroleum, or sites contaminated as a result of manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs (e.g. meth labs).
More information on the FY 2010 grant recipients: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

More information on EPA’s brownfields program: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

Brownfields success stories: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm

My LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/brianolin

Meetings and Progress

2010-02-13T04:03:00.000-08:00

The new year is off to a good atart. I have seen more job listings in the environmental field and there has been an increase in Phase I ESA activity based on what I and several indicated. This is often the precursor of future environmetnalwork. I have completed a Phase I ESA and am in the process of doing another while I continue to search for a permanent opportunity and try to get SampleServe going. I recently attended the AEG Carolinas meeting and there are several other upcoming meetings. A few people expressed interest in SampleServe and I have been working on arranging meetings with them and marketting our services to them. It is a difficult proposition, environmental companies have traditionally done sampling in house and making them realize that they can make more money by outsourcing it to us can be diffcult. Also, many companies have reduced staff and don't want to give any work away as they need it all to keep the existing staff busy and they don't want to cut anyone else if they don't have to. A few people have indicated that they have been busy lately so I hope this provides opportunity. For environmental companies not ready to add staff but having to much work for their current staff SampleServe will be a viable alternative and once they see the advantages of outsourcing well sampling such as increased staff productivity and increased profits I am sure they will continue with SampleServe. This may also lead to more firms starting to hire.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/brianolin

The New Year

2010-01-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

The new year looks to be starting with some promise. I have seen several job listings in the environmental field here in Charlotte that I have applied for. I have had one interview and am hoping to hear back from it for a second interview and several others for interviews. I have also had a few meetings for SampleServe. While I have not yet brought in any clients in this area for SampleServe I do have several promising leads. There also appears to be a sustained call for Phase I ESAs. there are also several upcoming environmental conferences in North Carolina that I am planning to attend. The South East Remediation Conference is coming up and I am planning to attend and am hoping to setup a booth for SampleServe.

Phase I ESAs

2009-12-06T05:11:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy past month. After Jacky and I returned from our vacation, Russell and I had several meetings with people regarding SampleServe and everyone we met with was impressed with what the web based reporting system could do and were very impressed with the fact that it is included with the sampling and with our prices. I hope that we will shortly have a good client base for our Charlotte, NC office. The following week Jacky's parents came up for Thanskgiving. I then put a bid together on a large Phase I portfolio, but unfortunately it did not work out. I then got another Phase I in Eugene, OR. The Phase I went well although it was hard to get a motel room as Oregon and Oregon State were playing for a bid to the Rose Bowl that night, it made for an interesting atmosphere in Eugene. The Phase I itself went well and I am writing it up and hope to have several more shortly.

Getting SampleServe Started

2009-11-18T08:59:00.001-08:00

I am back from our vacation in Rome and am getting SampleServe.coms's office in Charlotte up and running with Russell Schindler from the main office in Michigan. The main office has set me up with a printer and marketting materials and we are ready to go. I am scheduling demonstrations of what our data mangement and reporting system can do. It is a must see for any one in the environmental consulting field even if they do not use our services as it is likely the future of groundwater monitoring and reporting.

Carolina Environmental Professionals Network

2009-10-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

When I started the Carolina Environmental Consulting Profesisonals Network on LinkedIn in May I hoped we could get a decent sized group of Carolina Environmental professionals by the end of the year. I was pleasantly surprised when we reached the 100 member mark last week.

The group has built a solid foundation of members throughout the Carolinas (and beyond) in a short time. We have members from the consulting and contracting industry and regulators, and others in related industries, so our network is well represented to answer questions of our members.

Going forward I would like to see the network expand. I hope our members will invite their connections and coworkers to join for this group so it can become the best resource it can be for environmental professionals in the Carolinas. I hope more people will contribute discussions and news items in the future. I plan to try to keep members posted of organizations of interest and upcoming meetings. I hope to organize an informal meeting sometime next year for the group.

Environmental meetings

2009-10-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

I recently attended several meetings of environmental groups in the Carolinas. I found this to be a good opportunity to meet with other environmental professionals in the area. I particuarly found the AEG Carolina Section meeting to be beneficial and thought the discussion topic was very helpful. I encourage others to check out this organization. There are several more meetings from various groups coming up. This time of year is poplular for meetings for environmental and geology groups, but it would be better if they were spread out a bit better. Also better and earlier notification of upcoming meetings on the websites would be helpful especially when so many organizations have meetings within a few weeks of each other a it is unfortunately not usually possible to attend them all.

Done with the ASBOG

2009-10-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

I took the ASBOG test on Friday up in Raleigh. It was difficult but not to bad, there was a lot on earthquakes & faults and lots of mining that are not areas I am that familiar with. It did not have as much Hydro or mapping as I thought and there were not as many problems needing math formulas as I thought their would be. I thought the fundamentals part was the easier of the 2 and am sure I passed, I will have to wait on the practical part to know for sure if I passed that but overall I think it went well.

After that I went to the Raleigh International Festival and had a good time and some very interesting food. I also went down to Wilmington, NC on the way to Raleigh (not exactly on the way from Charlotte but better than a separate trip) to get my TWIC Card application, photo, and fingerprinting done. They tried to do enter me for over 2 hours but kept having computer problems. It would get part way through and they would have to start over (They have no way to save it until they process the entire application) this happened 5 times. In the end I wasted about 5 hours and will have to go back and start over when they fix their computer which is ridiculous since they have so few facilities and it is about a 4 hour drive each way. Maybe the Federal government needs to get some computers that are not antiques and actually hire programmers to design a program that works and doesn't require a restart anytime they don't finish entering it. The mess in Wilmington cost me a couple of hours I could have used for some last minute studying for the ASBOG.

On a side note, I found an interesting site of blogs all focused on geology:

http://geoblogs.stratigraphy.net/?action=list

Outsourcing well Sampling-Career objectives

2009-09-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

After getting let go due to downsizing during the economic downturn I stumbled upon SampleServe. I was intrigued by the concept. Having been in the environmental consulting field for a number of years I saw the value of their business model too aid environmental professionals. I often spent more time that was practical generating tables and figures to go along with a short monitoring report with a limited budget. I instantly saw the value of outsourcing the well sampling and the automated reporting that SampleServe.com included with the sampling. I thought it was a very good concept and there were many times as a consultant that a service such as SampleServe would have saved time and preserved the project budget for other more important tasks. After doing a little research I decided to join SampleServe while continuing to pursue other career options.

Now I am trying to grow a new office for SampleServe here in Charlotte, NC while I continue my job search. If it works out it could be a good opportunity for me going forward. If not it will provide me with good management and marketing experience which will benefit me in the future. It is also a good opportunity to develop contacts, gain experience, and continue working in the environmental field while I continue to search for a permanent position in the environmental consulting industry.

About Brian

2009-09-17T05:52:00.001-07:00

Mr. Olin lives in the Charlotte, NC area and has approximately 15 years experience in the environmental field as a Geologist and Project Manager. During this time he has been responsible for a diverse range of projects in numerous states. He has extensive experience generating technical reports, and diverse experience in environmental site assessment and remediation. He has saved clients significant time and money by developing innovative remedial strategies. He just started up an office for SampleServe.com which is a monitoring well sampling company that provides per well sampling costs at reduced rates by focusing only on monitoring well sampling. SampleServe can work with existing consultants or is a great way for consultants to save money by outsourcing their well sampling. Their proprietary web based reporting system will automatically generate a report. I am also looking for a permanent position in the environmental field where I can use my diverse experience to help develop effective environmental strategies for my company and their clients.