By Ronica Stromberg
Eric Marrow, a 2015 alumnus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has seen the power of networking in his career—even in unlikely places.
Now an environmental scientist with JEO, Marrow propelled his science career forward twice by networking at a fitness club, which led to jobs in his field and further opportunities to network. He remains a strong advocate of networking today.
Marrow worked at the local gym in high school and college, as a lifeguard and in courtesy services, before landing his first job related to his major, fisheries and wildlife. He had been talking to a member at the club, and she told him about an internship with the Nebraska Department of Roads, now called the Nebraska Department of Transportation. The next week, she gave him an application and a contact name. Marrow applied and landed the internship his senior year.
He worked with the environmental sciences team on large state projects, getting familiar with environmental consulting through work with private consulting firms. The mix of office work and fieldwork piqued his interest in environmental consulting work, but he had no job lined up when he graduated. He started sending emails and resumes to prospective employers, asking about openings.
"It only took me about six months to find a job, but at the time when you're looking for something, it feels like forever," he said.
Near the end of the six months, his manager at the gym said her husband knew that Mainelli Wagner & Associates, a consulting engineering firm, had been seeking to fill a position. Her husband wasn't interested in applying but was willing to suggest Marrow as someone with an environmental background.
"He name-dropped me, and I think I had an interview the next week, and then about two days after that, I had a job at that company," Marrow said.
Hired for environmental fieldwork, Marrow served as a consultant to clients like the Nebraska Department of Transportation, federal agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and communities with construction projects. He traveled to areas where projects were planned to take place and researched whether the projects might affect threatened or endangered species or water resources. He worked on wetland delineations, stormwater pollution prevention plans, animal surveys and reports to help clients get permitted, comply with laws and regulations and protect the environment and its inhabitants as much as possible.
Follow Eric's story at https://snr.unl.edu/aboutus/what/newstory.aspx?fid=1328