Career Resources
We’re already planning for your success
Virginia Tech’s Career and Professional Development staff works to empower all undergraduate and graduate students at Virginia Tech to discover and attain a fulfilling career. They are located in the Smith Career Center, so this should be your first stop when you are ready to start — or continue — your career planning.
Then, you’ll want to make sure you take advantage of all the help available to you in CNRE, including the fall and spring career fairs, internships, your advisor, faculty members, and the director of employer relations.
Thinking about major options? Our Degrees & Majors page provides information about career options and employers for each major in the College of Natural Resources and Environment.
Get connected at a CNRE career event
The College of Natural Resources and Environment holds career fairs each spring and fall that are open to all Virginia Tech students. Students and employers also have the chance to attend networking events and on-campus interviews. Don't miss your chance to find your future employer or next hire!
Experience Virginia’s thriving manufacturing industry
Manufacturing is alive and well in the commonwealth, and CNRE graduates are finding rewarding opportunities in this career field. The college’s Manufacturing Academy introduces students to the manufacturing sector and fosters engagement with industry leaders. The culmination of the program is a weeklong tour of diverse manufacturing companies and environments such as a lumber mill, car and truck manufacturing facilities, a bourbon cooperage, a glass manufacturing plant, and packaging companies.
Check out these quick links to career resources
Go directly to the platform at cnre.vt.edu/jobs. You'll have access to postings grouped by interest, location, department, specific skills, and even historical job postings. Please note that alumni can also access and utilize this site; you’ll just need to log in using your Virginia Tech credentials.
Here are some quick tips for navigating the CNRE Jobs and Opportunities Board:
- Departmental pages: Each CNRE department has a page that features jobs and opportunities related to our majors.
- Research opportunities: Current undergraduate and graduate research opportunities are listed in this section for students seeking experience in natural resources research.
- Past job postings: This page shows job postings that are no longer available, so you can get an idea of which companies have been hiring for positions of interest.
- External job boards: This area features career-related websites for our federal partners, state agencies, and individual private organizations. Plus, you can find a variety of additional natural resources job boards linked in this area.
- Professional associations: Explore this list to learn about professional associations in your field of study. These groups often have relevant internships, career opportunities, and professional development trainings.
Each semester, the college offers our CNRE Career Ready series. There are in-person, hybrid, and Zoom sessions with invited guests and alumni designed to help students connect with employers and prepare for and conduct a successful job search. Watch for email announcements.
You can also email John Freeborn, director of employer relations, at freeborn@vt.edu to learn what’s on the schedule for the current semester and to access recordings of past sessions like the following:
- Utilizing LinkedIn
- Take Charge of Your Future
- Ask Me Anything, hosted by John Freeborn
- Following Your Passion, hosted by CNRE alumni
- Learn about USAJOBS
- A Day in the Life of a Procurement Forester
- Careers with the National Park Service
Handshake is the platform used by Virginia Tech Career and Professional Development to help connect current students and employers. You can use Handshake to apply for jobs and internships, see career events, schedule advising appointments, interview with employers visiting campus, and more.
The college is committed to building strong relationships with our forest industry and natural resources partners. As a central point of contact, John Freeborn, the director of employer relations, assists employers who are recruiting future employees, as well as students who are seeking unique career prep opportunities and ways to connect with potential employers.
Contact John at 540-231-1138 or freeborn@vt.edu.
Connect with alumni and employers, learn about upcoming events, and build your professional network.