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Step 1
Lay a firm foundation starting in high school if you want to become a hydrologist. Excel in math, geology, chemistry, biology and statistics. Computer science is important. In the office, much of the work in hydrology involves processing enormous amounts of data.
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Step 2
Go to college and study subjects that will give you a solid background to help you in communicating with scientists and other experts, government officials and the general public. Environmental law, government policy, public relations and economics are some helpful courses.
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Step 3
Take writing and public speaking classes. You must be able to write clearly when you prepare reports on water quality and problems associated with water supply. You must be a good verbal communicator in situations where you make public presentations concerning water issues.
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Step 4
Work on your people skills. You must be able to work well with engineers, politicians, other scientists and the neighbor upset over broken water mains.
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Step 5
Prepare for outdoor work if you want to become a hydrologist. Field work includes collecting physical data from lakes, rivers, wells and sanitation plants. Field sites can be anywhere from the backyard of a home in a suburban subdivision to a remote part of the world.
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Step 6
Travel well. You must be prepared to travel across town or around the world at a moment's notice to collect samples, evaluate water supply problems and find solutions.
