Working at Valley Geotechnical

Emily Kirby is Valley Geo’s Administrative Assistant and Erosion and Sediment Control Monitor. She began working here in February of 2019. Emily left her comfort zone, managing a restaurant for five years to utilize her degree and finally step into her field. Emily takes care of a lot of the environmental work at Valley Geo. She designs ESC Plans on AutoCAD, writes Phase 1 Environmental Reports, and monitors sites for any environmental hazards. 

When asked about working at Valley Geotechnical she said;

“Today is my first day and everyone has been very welcoming and friendly. Higher ups have acknowledged my interest in lab and field work and have already told me that I will be involved in some of the exciting stuff. I can’t wait”.

Education & Experience

Emily received her bachelors degree in Environmental Studies at Simon Fraser University. Having worked various customer service jobs from serving, to managing, to hosting at BC Place, she loves working with people. She has years of construction background where she’s worked on sites installing and performing service work for high end wood windows and doors across the Lower Mainland. She also worked doing thermal imaging to determine whether houses were airtight and where leakages were coming from. 

The advice Emily would give to those that are nervous about getting into a job or career that they may not have expected;

“Don’t plan on getting your dream job right off the bat. I went to school for environmental studies and had a tough time finding a job in the industry. My boyfriend would joke that I would just end up being a fish counter for the rest of my life. I took this position as an administrative assistant because the company seems great, I want to grow with them. My foot is in the door and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store”.

Outside of Work

When Emily is not at work she loves to go camping or hiking. She enjoys getting outside whether she’s snowmobiling, ATVing, snowboarding, or simply soaking up the sun. Emily recently bought her first home with her boyfriend and enjoys doing projects around the house, collecting house plants, and cuddling her cats.

Current Favorite Movies:

  • The Lord of the Rings series
  • Jurassic Park series

Current Favorite Food:

  • Sushi
  • Pasta
  • Garlic bread
  • Any carb