Are you an engineer actively seeking to fill a position at a company that has its priorities straight when it comes to the environment? A global engineering firm named Arcadis might be the one for you. Their particular focus is on water, infrastructure and construction projects. And they're hiring.
John Jastrem, Arcadis' North American CEO, told CNBC: "We're looking to hire approximately 400 engineers and scientists this year." He also confirmed that payroll would increase by 10 to 15% for the next five years. The company currently works on cleanup of sites in the mining sector to ensure the environment is protected after the first phase of engineering is completed. They also investigate the impact an engineering project will have on the environment, especially in oil projects.
The company currently has 27,000 employees working in over 70 countries and improve the quality of life. They concern themselves with environmental and social impact assessment business.
A recent hire by the company, Allesandro Casartelli, told Arcadis' official website: "The impact of business on the environment and the communities it serves has never been more important. Having a better understanding of these issues will not only help make corporates make better decisions but will also improve the quality of life for those who these businesses touch. I am very much looking forward to getting started and helping to develop this key part of the Arcadis business on behalf of our clients."
The company also reportedly brings in high school students who are currently studying STEM subjects to shadow the company for a day and see how their future-focused engineering firm works. On top of that, they also recruit students who have just graduated from college and put them straight into a STEM career.
"We compete with Silicon Valley, we compete with the pharmaceutical industry," said Jastrem. "We really look for people who are on a lifetime mission to make the world a better place to live and have that desire to learn and innovate and to make some changes.
Regardless, if you work for Arcadis or whether you find another engineering company that actively cares for the environment, it must be a good feeling to be involved somewhere that doesn't include harming the environment. The importance of being happy in a job and knowing that it is contributing to the greater good is valuable.
The Dean of Engineering at the Engineering Institute of Technology, Steve Mackay, speaks about the rule of two third for happiness, in his 33rd episode of the Engineering News Network. He says: "If you are happy in your job, that's one, if you are happy where you live, that's item number two, and item number three is, if you're happy with who you're with...if you can achieve two of those three, then you are happy and should be very grateful."
Mackay puts this in the context of being in an engineering position. He also says that health is an important issue for engineers as well, an engineer should be healthy on top of being happy with where they are at in the engineering industry.
There are engineering opportunities out there but finding the right one that enables a balanced life and being comfortable in your workplace environment, is the tough part. Mackay concludes his cautionary words on happiness with a quote. He said: "One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important."
