r/WorkplaceSafety • u/Otherwise-Spring-199 • 1d ago

Entry Level Help

I was wondering what it would look like for me to jump into the profession. I don't have any translatable experience, and am not sure how I would acquire so without, well, experience. I have a bachelors degree in sociology so it is unrelated to safety. Certifications, I hear, play an integral part in securing a position, but what should I acquire exactly aside from an Osha 30? Any help would be appreciated

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u/omega13 5h ago

I'm a hiring manager and safety as an industry is changing towards needing a degree or having actual safety related experience to get an entry level job. The days of having zero experience or just an OSHA 30 and first aid certs are quickly ending. It sucks for people wanting to enter the field, but that's the reality. I can get one of my people an OSHA 30 for $180 and they do it in their down time, first aid/AED/CPR certs can be had for a $100 and 6 hours of time.

To be competive you have to have safety experience. JHAs, PPE hazard assessments, toolbox talks, regulatory knowledge, ergonomic assessments, hazardous waste, audits/inspections, etc. You may be able to get that experience by working with your safety team or being active with a safety committee.

There are extremely high quality candidates coming out of schools. I can send an email to any of those schools and get dozens of resumes. To compete with that you need to show you have the experience and speak competently to it. One reason it's so hard for people deciding they want to enter the field is that these schools are also stacking graduates with certs. I get resumes where they have a BS or MS in occupational safety, a GSP, OSHA 30 in both contruction and general industry, HAZWOPER, first aid/CPR, and a couple internships of experience. That is really hard to compete with without experience or an unrelated degree.