Click Here to Return to the Consumption and Waste Career Sector Overview
Interviewee: John Hambrose
Crystal Jennings: Can you share a little more information about yourself and Waste Management? What is your role there and why did you choose to work with them?
John Hambrose: I graduated from the University of Scranton with a degree in communications. Bird watching is what got me interested in this work. Prior to working with Waste Management, I worked as a newspaper Reporter and Editor. I’ve been with Waste Management now for 13 years.
Waste Management is part of the solution. We’re North America’s largest recycler and environmental service company. We’ve recycled more material than anybody else on the continent. We are doing tremendous things for the environment. Beyond what everybody knows – what we’re doing with waste disposal and recycling – we’re developing solutions to getting food waste out of the waste stream; converting our collection fleet to natural gas operation, which will make a huge improvement in air quality; and we’re committed to safe operations, both environmentally and in terms of all the people who work for us and interact with us every day.
It’s a tremendous company with a tremendous commitment to the environment.
My role here involves both internal and external communications. My internal communications include propagating to all of our people, especially our front line people, our business objectives so that these objectives have better prospects for execution and better prospects for helping us be successful. On the external side, I try to explain our business to our different stakeholder groups. Whether its school groups, community groups, civic clubs, environmental organizations, etc., there’s a lot of technology involved in our business and very often our neighbors don’t know what that technology is and how well it’s protecting them or the environment; therefore, part of my job is to make sure people understand how well engineered and how safely operated our businesses are.
CJ: What difference can graduates/young professional expect to make by working in the field of Consumption and Waste?
JH: I think they will make a great difference if they bring their individual talents and interests to the industry and use those to explain their business to the community in a way that’s understandable. The better our neighbors understand what we do, the easier it’s going to be for us to do our work.
CJ: What would you say to students and young professionals interested in waste management today? And what career opportunities do you see on the horizon?
It shouldn’t stop with the scientific and technology side though. Students should know history, know how the government operates and keep up with the news. This will make them more likely to be hired and it will give them as stronger background as they progress professionally and personally. They should always be reading a book. They should never be sitting in a job interview and not able to answer the question, “what book are you reading now.”
CJ: Do you ask that question often in interviews?
JH: I don’t conduct many interviews but I would ask that question. It shows the vitality of your intellect, that you are trying to learn more.
CJ: What career opportunities do you see on the horizon in the field of consumption and waste?
JH: I was at an environmental conference yesterday and I can tell you that there is a large community of people out there who really are putting a lot of energy into finding ways to reduce waste, recycle more things and to conserve resources. We certainly want to do all this and be as protective of the environment as we can so there are opportunities in environmental protection and all the sciences that are involved in safely espousing of whatever waste is left at the end of what new technology comes.
CJ: Are there any particular positions you can think of?
SL: I don’t know specifically but when there’s a great interest in the community and in society to solve a problem, I think that’s where creative people who know the right things can come up with the answers and create their own positions, jobs and companies.
CJ: What should students study? I know you mentioned various disciplines already but what else? Are there particular credentials of relevance?
JH: Well, I’m thinking about all the things I wish I knew better and I wish I took more than two years of Spanish in high school. People may argue with me about this but I think this is a bilingual country, or headed that way, and I go to sites where most of our frontline people speak Spanish. So, I would say learn a foreign language. That’s a great thing to put on your resume. In general, study whatever fires your imagination and your curiosity.
CJ: Any credentials?
JH: I don’t have the names of specific credentials but water quality is going to be very important. If you’re interested in water, then run down that alley as fast as you can because that’s really important stuff. If you’re a Chemist and can find a way to make plastics more recyclable or reusable, then study that chemistry. Learn everything you can about all these systems that make our equipment run and make them cleaner to operate. Whatever you’re being pulled to, become more conversant in that.
CJ: How does hands-on conservation experience, or experiential learning for students make a difference when hiring?
JH: I think the internship has become like a pre-employment screening system for many employers. Internships work well for both the student and the company because the student gets an inside look at what it’s going to be like to do a certain job and the company gets to look at people and gauge their talent level, their interest level, and their overall reliability and dependability as an employee. More and more I think internships are leading to job offers for the right people.
CJ: What are the fastest growing service lines for the Consumption and Waste sector?
JH: As we move forward, we’ll see more emphasis on trying to find ways to recycle and get more value out of the things we continue to throw away. There’s a lot of waste plastic that we can’t recycle now that probably has potential as fuel. It’s not happening now because of the price of oil and because we need to develop better ways to do this. There are some ways to reclaim energy out of old plastic but there’s probably better ways. I hope we discover them in the future.
We’ve got to find new ways to recycling plastics and maybe some of that is finding new ways to package things and to manufacture things that limit the amount of waste plastics.
CJ: How might certification as NWF EcoLeaders make a difference to employers?
JH: I think students and young professionals would have to demonstrate solid engagement with your program. Once that’s happened, then the hands on experience could be valuable when applying for any job. Any volunteer work you provide to your local watershed group or your involvement with a campus conservation team, all of this speaks to having practical experience to offer the employer and it will very often demonstrate to an employer that this person can work together with other people and can assert themselves into a new community.
CJ: Overall, what would you recommend to graduates who want to make a difference for community sustainability?
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Click Here to Return to the Consumption and Waste Career Sector Overview
Interviewee: John Hambrose
Communications Manager, Greater Mid-Atlantic Area; Waste Management
Interviewer: Crystal Jennings, NWF
Crystal Jennings: Can you share a little more information about yourself and Waste Management? What is your role there and why did you choose to work with them?John Hambrose: I graduated from the University of Scranton with a degree in communications. Bird watching is what got me interested in this work. Prior to working with Waste Management, I worked as a newspaper Reporter and Editor. I’ve been with Waste Management now for 13 years.
Waste Management is part of the solution. We’re North America’s largest recycler and environmental service company. We’ve recycled more material than anybody else on the continent. We are doing tremendous things for the environment. Beyond what everybody knows – what we’re doing with waste disposal and recycling – we’re developing solutions to getting food waste out of the waste stream; converting our collection fleet to natural gas operation, which will make a huge improvement in air quality; and we’re committed to safe operations, both environmentally and in terms of all the people who work for us and interact with us every day.
It’s a tremendous company with a tremendous commitment to the environment.
My role here involves both internal and external communications. My internal communications include propagating to all of our people, especially our front line people, our business objectives so that these objectives have better prospects for execution and better prospects for helping us be successful. On the external side, I try to explain our business to our different stakeholder groups. Whether its school groups, community groups, civic clubs, environmental organizations, etc., there’s a lot of technology involved in our business and very often our neighbors don’t know what that technology is and how well it’s protecting them or the environment; therefore, part of my job is to make sure people understand how well engineered and how safely operated our businesses are.
CJ: What difference can graduates/young professional expect to make by working in the field of Consumption and Waste?
JH: I think they will make a great difference if they bring their individual talents and interests to the industry and use those to explain their business to the community in a way that’s understandable. The better our neighbors understand what we do, the easier it’s going to be for us to do our work.
CJ: What would you say to students and young professionals interested in waste management today? And what career opportunities do you see on the horizon?
JH: Pursue those interests. When your career path and your personal interest run together you’ve got a great recipe for success. Get as rounded in education as you can. I would stress the importance of public speaking. I think public speaking is the most important skill that anyone can take into the workforce.
They should be able to write intelligently and be well rounded. Know mathematics and some business background is probably good. They certainly need to know science (biology, chemistry, and physics). They would all be useful in this business.It shouldn’t stop with the scientific and technology side though. Students should know history, know how the government operates and keep up with the news. This will make them more likely to be hired and it will give them as stronger background as they progress professionally and personally. They should always be reading a book. They should never be sitting in a job interview and not able to answer the question, “what book are you reading now.”
CJ: Do you ask that question often in interviews?
JH: I don’t conduct many interviews but I would ask that question. It shows the vitality of your intellect, that you are trying to learn more.
CJ: What career opportunities do you see on the horizon in the field of consumption and waste?
JH: I was at an environmental conference yesterday and I can tell you that there is a large community of people out there who really are putting a lot of energy into finding ways to reduce waste, recycle more things and to conserve resources. We certainly want to do all this and be as protective of the environment as we can so there are opportunities in environmental protection and all the sciences that are involved in safely espousing of whatever waste is left at the end of what new technology comes.
CJ: Are there any particular positions you can think of?
SL: I don’t know specifically but when there’s a great interest in the community and in society to solve a problem, I think that’s where creative people who know the right things can come up with the answers and create their own positions, jobs and companies.
CJ: What should students study? I know you mentioned various disciplines already but what else? Are there particular credentials of relevance?
JH: Well, I’m thinking about all the things I wish I knew better and I wish I took more than two years of Spanish in high school. People may argue with me about this but I think this is a bilingual country, or headed that way, and I go to sites where most of our frontline people speak Spanish. So, I would say learn a foreign language. That’s a great thing to put on your resume. In general, study whatever fires your imagination and your curiosity.
CJ: Any credentials?
JH: I don’t have the names of specific credentials but water quality is going to be very important. If you’re interested in water, then run down that alley as fast as you can because that’s really important stuff. If you’re a Chemist and can find a way to make plastics more recyclable or reusable, then study that chemistry. Learn everything you can about all these systems that make our equipment run and make them cleaner to operate. Whatever you’re being pulled to, become more conversant in that.
CJ: How does hands-on conservation experience, or experiential learning for students make a difference when hiring?
JH: I think the internship has become like a pre-employment screening system for many employers. Internships work well for both the student and the company because the student gets an inside look at what it’s going to be like to do a certain job and the company gets to look at people and gauge their talent level, their interest level, and their overall reliability and dependability as an employee. More and more I think internships are leading to job offers for the right people.
CJ: What are the fastest growing service lines for the Consumption and Waste sector?
JH: As we move forward, we’ll see more emphasis on trying to find ways to recycle and get more value out of the things we continue to throw away. There’s a lot of waste plastic that we can’t recycle now that probably has potential as fuel. It’s not happening now because of the price of oil and because we need to develop better ways to do this. There are some ways to reclaim energy out of old plastic but there’s probably better ways. I hope we discover them in the future.
We’ve got to find new ways to recycling plastics and maybe some of that is finding new ways to package things and to manufacture things that limit the amount of waste plastics.
CJ: How might certification as NWF EcoLeaders make a difference to employers?
JH: I think students and young professionals would have to demonstrate solid engagement with your program. Once that’s happened, then the hands on experience could be valuable when applying for any job. Any volunteer work you provide to your local watershed group or your involvement with a campus conservation team, all of this speaks to having practical experience to offer the employer and it will very often demonstrate to an employer that this person can work together with other people and can assert themselves into a new community.
CJ: Overall, what would you recommend to graduates who want to make a difference for community sustainability?
JH: Start yesterday. Whatever it is where they think they can make a difference. Make yourself part of the answer to things. The more I go along, the more I think the key to our future is how well we interact with each other, talk to each other and listen to each other, and share information with each other and come up with solutions together. Everybody has some compulsion to do something positive and they need to act on that drive.
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Click Here to Return to the Consumption and Waste Career Sector Overview
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Consumption & Waste
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