u/Sufficient_Rope_3571

I’m a potential career switcher looking to get into more hands on work that helps people. This career seems like a great fit for me. The only problem is that none of the community colleges near me (Denver) have a BMET certificate or associates program. I also don’t have any equivalent experience (I’ve been working data analytics desk jobs since I finished grad school).

Any recommendations for how to pursue the training required for entry level positions? Are the fully online programs good (like cbet.edu)? Is it better to do a related in-person associates (like electrical engineering or similar)? Thanks for any advice!

Hi all, thanks for all the work you do to keep me alive every day. I’ve been considering career switching into water or wastewater treatment for a while. I studied residential water demand management in grad school but never really feel like I’ve made an impact and want to do work that actually helps people for once. I’m also pretty tired of sitting at a desk all day. I’m in the Denver area. Looking at taking a community college certificate to prep/take the Class D certification before starting so I feel like I have some knowledge before starting.

I have some questions for people who have actually done the work:

1. Do most entry level hires start on night and weekend shifts?

2. How hard is it adjusting from desk work to a more industrial setting? I’ve been doing desk work my whole career (not long, but I’m in my low 30s now)

3. How long did it take you to find your first operator job after starting the job search?

4. Does doing a community college certification or getting the class D certification ahead of time help land a job?

5. Do you enjoy the work long term?

6. Anything you wish you had been told before you got into the field?