Breaking into the Environment Industry - CareerAlley

Breaking into the Environment Industry - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Most of us wish we could do more to help the environment and there are a few who get to aid the cause through their career. Given the correct experience and knowledge, there are the opportunities to work on wind farms, be a solar panel engineer, get into geological science or look for new materials to power our planet. However, like most industries, getting an actual job in the environment is no easy task and takes as much effort to get a role as any other industry. Volunteering Like most jobs these days, it helps to have some experience underneath your belt, as going straight into a job is rarely a luxury that is attainable. If youre on the lookout for a position anywhere across the industry, make sure to be looking for volunteering schemes. Find the ones that interest you and are related to the specific sector(s) you want to get into and send out a few emails and make some calls. Getting involved from the start of some projects will enable you to get a decent amount of access to the people behind it, whilst getting involved with the key parts of the project. The leaders of these schemes will be happy to reward those who show the most interest and initiative; so make sure to give the chance your full attention. Events and Conferences With the environment being such a big issue and one that is always changing, it is important that you keep on top of the latest topics and developments. A great way to do this is to attend the biggest and most important events, if possible. Some of these will be worldwide and not particularly accessible, but there will be those that are reachable and will be very rewarding. At these events and conferences, the people attending and speaking will be high figures in the industry and it is always a good thing to make contacts whilst youre there. Ask about the latest projects and any opportunities they might have for people interested in renewable energy jobs and the like. Gathering information This is a universally used initiative, but very important. Signing up to email alerts with job websites and newsletters with environmental bodies will ensure that you are up to date with the latest jobs and developments in the business. Keep an open mind Dont focus all you attention in one area; make sure you are open to other possibilities and look to vary your directions. Any employer will be more interested in an applicant who has shown that they can work in several different areas and are happy to be versatile in their role. Being flexible increases the amount of transferable skills for the long term and will broaden your horizons as your career develops through the years. About the author: Sam writes for Earthstaff who offers recruitment in renewable energy, the environment, as well as oil and gas jobs. You can also find specialist geoscience jobs with Earthstaff This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook