Careers in Maine

WRITTEN BY EMILY BAER

Shaped by tight-knit communities, abundant natural resources, and an evolving economy, Maine offers a surprising range of career paths for both new job seekers and seasoned professionals. Whether work is rooted in the land, driven by innovation, or inspired by community, careers in Maine reflect the unique character of our state and the people who call it home.

Eben Baker

Senior Wetland Scientist 

Brunswick

What got you started in your field? I always knew I wanted to do work that was science oriented, ideally something that would allow me to be outside a lot. I worked as a lab technician and explored nursing and teaching before settling on what I do now. I’m glad that I spent the time exploring. 

Tell us about your work: In the beginning of my career, my work typically involved surveying areas for wetlands, streams, vernal pools, or other plant and wildlife resources. The work was often in remote areas and involved lots of hiking and travelling.

These days you can usually find me helping clients navigate local, state, and federal permitting processes for projects ranging from renewable energy developments to dredging projects or conducting natural resource surveys. These include rare and invasive plant surveys, wetland and stream delineations, and vernal pool surveys. I’ve worked on energy and transportation projects, utility and transmission projects, dredging projects, and other development sites throughout Maine and the United States. There is always something to learn or a challenge to solve. 

What do you love about it? We’re lucky in that local land trusts throughout Maine often offer free or low-cost classes and nature walks where you can learn about plant identification and ecology. I love that my work gives me the opportunity to gain experience in something new and solve different challenges nearly every day.

Julian Bishop

Freelance Storyboard Artist and Illustrator 

Bucksport

Tell us about your work: I create storyboards for commercials, film, and television. I work with directors to translate their script, shot list, or vision into a sequence of drawn frames that form the plan of what they intend to shoot. I also do other kinds of commercial art — like character design or concept art — when the opportunity arises.

What got you started in your field? When I graduated high school I had no idea that there was a job so well suited to the skills I was developing and the things I was interested in. I didn’t know that being a storyboard artist was a job. I had grown up wanting to draw comics so I moved to LA and got an internship as a production coordinator at a small advertising agency. I stayed there a long time and eventually worked my way up to being an art director. We would sometimes hire storyboard artists and eventually I decided to try my hand at it!

I’ve always had clients all over the country but I would love to find more local clients. There’s less opportunity for networking in Maine but we came here wanting a slower more peaceful environment and an affordable house to raise a family in. I’m very lucky that I was in a position to be able to work remotely and that we found this beautiful town in this beautiful place.

Jessika Hyde

Senior System Analyst

Sanford

Tell us about your work: I build and optimize electronic medical record systems for an out-of-state hospital network. I work from home and provide software support for inpatient services applications and labor and delivery teams.

What got you started in your field? My career path wasn’t linear. I was a bedside nurse for about nine years and a home hospice nurse after that, but I needed a better balance between my personal and professional life. A colleague suggested that my experience would be helpful on her information services team. It’s been a great fit. I can still use my nursing skills and I can help caregivers adopt new technology to improve care.

We came back to Maine because it is a great place to raise a family and most of my family is still here, but it can be very challenging to grow and gain experience here. When we moved back [to Maine], nursing pay was drastically different and the cost of living was much higher than it had been when we lived out of state. One of the good things to come out of the pandemic was the opportunity for remote work, because otherwise I’m not sure I would have had this career opportunity otherwise.

What do you love about it? The flexibility with my schedule is really great and I love that I’m constantly learning. I know I’ll never get bored because technology is always evolving.

Tami Bunt

Pre-school teacher

Orland

What got you started in your field? When my son started going to daycare I got to know the staff and teachers at the center. I had been working as a property manager for a private estate and a house cleaner, but I liked everyone I met and I applied for an assistant teacher position. I moved up from there. 

Tell us about your work: In my classroom we focus on teaching social skills, emotional regulation, and foundational learning skills like shapes, colors, letters, and numbers. A typical day is helping grow little minds by teaching them manners, how to use their words, and to gain independence. We help children build confidence by teaching them things like putting on shoes, using the bathroom, and washing their hands.

What do you love about it? I love seeing the kids learn and be proud of themselves when they accomplish something they have been working on.

Answers have been edited for clarity and concision.