Dan Charbonneaux (BS Environmental Geology, 2017)

I worked a short term job doing erosion control at a federal site out in Yakima, then spent about a year doing asbestos PLM analysis (just like in Mineralogy lab!) in the Seattle area.

Currently, I'm working as a staff geologist for GRAM Northwest in Richland along with a few other CWU Geology alumni! I spend most of my working hours following around drill rigs at the Hanford site but have had the opportunity to do a few other things off-site, such as assisting with archaeological surveys and consulting with a local laboratory to shore up their lab procedures. I'm very fortunate to have a boss who is supportive of me taking the initiative to get new training that will help both me and the business.

My advice for those soon to graduate is to find a job, any semi-relevant job, when first starting out. Even if it isn't glamorous or what you want to do, it'll help get your foot in the door and prove your worth when your dream job comes up. Working the erosion control job allowed me to get my foot in the door with the asbestos lab, which gave me good qualifications and experience when the geologist job at GRAM came up.

The department's job list emails have connected me with not only one, but two jobs post-graduation. Definitely an awesome resource, I very much appreciate it!