7 Effective Ways To Build A Successful Career In Sustainability

The field of sustainability offers a variety of job opportunities to contribute to the health of our planet. As a result, you can do work that aligns with your values and priorities, while making an impact. If you’re wondering how you can make positive contributions to address the injustices we see every day by creating healthier and more equitable communities, working in sustainability may be the right choice for you. However, the concept of building a career in sustainability is still somewhat new, and exploring potential roles with energy sector employers can be a great starting point for finding meaningful opportunities in this field.  

Identify Your Area Of Expertise

Firstly, it’s crucial to take the time to develop clarity and a specific focus by researching a range of topics and identifying your area of expertise. You may want to focus on climate change, corporate social responsibility, environmental health, energy efficiency, habitat restoration, or something else. Keep in mind that these subjects are interconnected, so it may be helpful to identify a few that are of interest to you. Alternatively, you may want to look for a career path in the sector you already work in. For example, if you work in tech, you may want to consider building innovative tools to help businesses become more environmentally friendly.

Look At University Courses

People often wonder, ‘what is environmental science?’. Environmental science refers to physical, biological, and chemical sciences which allow us to study the environment. Therefore, if you want to progress in your career development and increase your expertise, it may be beneficial to study environmental science at university. For instance, the University of Stirling features a wide range of environmental science courses, that combines scientific knowledge and technical training. They can help you explore a variety of environmental science topics and discover creative solutions to environmental problems, such as climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Studying environmental science subjects will also help you to develop analytical, field, and laboratory skills.

Focus On Your Strengths

Reflecting on your skills and strengths, as well as the type of work you enjoy doing, will help you gain clarity about potential sustainability roles that you can pursue. For example, you may want to become a research assistant, community organiser, policy associate, sustainability coordinator, or corporate social responsibility manager. It’s advisable to work with a job coach or an advisor, if you struggle to understand your skills and strengths. Also, if you already have years of experience in a different role, you should take advantage of your existing transferrable skills. Be sure to use job descriptions as part of your search to narrow down potential job roles.

Gain Experience

There is no need to wait to secure a job in order to gain experience with organisations that interest you. Instead, you may want to consider volunteering, as this can be a great way to develop your skills and build your network. You will also learn more about what you want out of a sustainability job, all while contributing to a worthwhile cause. Moreover, many organisations look to volunteers when they’re hiring, as there is already familiarity. Even if your volunteer experience doesn’t lead to a job offer, it will still enable you to learn about key issues, add to your portfolio, and meet professionals in your desired field.

Build Relationships

Forming strong relationships is key to leading a fulfilling life, as well as building a successful career in sustainability. Bear in mind that people are more likely to hire and recommend people that they know and trust. Therefore, it’s important to ensure consistent communication with your current network and work on expanding your contacts whenever you can. For example, you can easily meet new people when you participate in webinars and online events, and then follow up with them after to get to know each other better.

Develop Your Skills

Once you identify what types of jobs best suit you, it will become easier to determine what skills you need to focus on developing. However, as with all jobs of the future, it’s essential to work on your soft skills, including creativity, adaptability, problem-solving, and critical thinking. However, when it comes to sustainability, you will also need to look at another category, which refers to green skills. For example, if you want to develop new products and solutions, you will need to gain engineering and technical skills. Alternatively, if you’re interested in physics or biology, you will need to possess strong science-based skills.

Apply To The Right Companies

Finally, it’s best to create a list of your target organisations and start to form connections by engaging online. Be sure to subscribe to their email newsletters, connect with them on social media, and read the content they post on their website and blog. Also, another effective way to become visible to potential employers and attract the right organisations is to create content about your area of expertise on a regular basis. Moreover, it can be beneficial to approach employers directly to find out if they have suitable opportunities coming up.