Things You'll Need:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in civil or environmental engineering
- Membership in a professional organization in your field
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Step 1
Get a Bachelor's degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering. Keep in mind that you may be required to stay in school if you want to work for a large corporation. More and more companies are now asking for wastewater engineers to hold Master's degrees.
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Step 2
Be prepared to work your way up to become a wastewater engineer. Many large corporations require a minimum of 5 years experience for this position, which means you will probably have to get started working alongside a seasoned expert or get involved in a shadowing program in order to acquire enough background to apply for an independent position.
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Step 3
Be ready to be in charge of a large staff. Much of your work as a wastewater treatment engineer will involve handling junior staff and working with clients and technicians. You may also be required to represent the company in presentations, lectures and conferences, so it's important that you are comfortable speaking in front of the public and writing your own speeches.
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Step 4
Become a member of a professional society. This has become an important asset, since it's a credential that shows you are recognized as an expert and granted professional status by a national organization. Writing and publishing reports, articles and research accounts may be required in your job too, both as part of your job description and as a requirement to gain access to professional associations.
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Step 5
Take additional courses or continuing education credits in subjects such as power generation, water chemistry and waste equipment selection. This will help you keep up-to-date with new technology coming into the market. It can also give you an advantage if you want to work with private companies using the latest advancements in technology to manage and process wastewater.
