“I am looking for a career change into Sustainability. What are your tips I should do?”
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important, impacting nearly everyone as consumers, employees, or leaders of organisations. As a specialist recruiter for Sustainability and ESG roles, I am often asked this question. My first answer is that there is no one-size-fits-all path as jobs in Sustainability have evolved and diversified, offering many different avenues.
The second point I want to emphasise is: what’s stopping you from already working in Sustainability? A career change doesn’t necessarily mean changing your job or employer. In Sustainability, we have the unique opportunity to transform our current roles into more sustainable ones.
Everyone’s job should also incorporate Sustainability. Can you align your work with your values and priorities by adjusting your current job profile?
Whether you want to develop your current job into a more sustainability-focused one or start completely fresh, here are some tips on how to find your place in Sustainability:
- Clarify Your Interests
- Identify the specific areas within Sustainability that interest you the most. This will help narrow down job prospects and focus your efforts effectively. Consider the three ESG areas: Environment, Social, and Governance and find where you feel naturally drawn to. Alternatively, familiarise yourself with the tasks commonly performed in the Sustainability profession (see our blog) and find your favourites.
- Assess Your Strengths
- Evaluate your current skills and experiences to understand how they can transfer to a Sustainability role. Find our tips on how to assess your strengths and interests in this blog.
- Gain Relevant Experience
- Consider additional training or certifications in Sustainability to enhance your qualifications and stay updated with industry trends. Many training opportunities are freely available.
- Speak to your current employer and express your interest in Sustainability. You might gain hands-on experience as the Sustainability Champion of your department, supported by training and upskilling.
- Don’t underestimate the power of volunteering. While contributing to a cause close to your heart, you can test your skills, explore your interests and build your network.
- Network and Share Your Journey
- Connect with professionals in the field through networking events. To find the most suitable events, imagine you are already working in your chosen field and consider where people like you would be meeting and what issues they would discuss. These are the events you should attend now.
- Share your experiences on LinkedIn to expand your network of like-minded people. The sustainability topics that interest you will likely resonate with others in your network. Remember, Sustainability affects us all, developments are fast and no one is an expert enough to solve all the climate change, waste, biodiversity, resiliency, retrofit etc. problems alone.
- Highlight Sustainability in Your Job Description/Application
- Ask your employer to reflect your growing interest and additional experience in Sustainability in your job description and appraisals.
- If you apply for a new role, your CV and cover letter should highlight your relevant skills and experiences in Sustainability. Especially career changers must make a strong case for why they are the right choice for the role. A good recruiter can help you create the best CV format to reflect your strengths and motivations.
- Stay Persistent and Utilise Support
- Your motivation for positive change has brought you this far. Use the power of purpose to carry you through challenges and remain adaptable in your job search.
- Seek out supporting networks, work with coaches, and reach out to specialist recruiters.
Thank you for your interest in a career in Sustainability. I hope these tips help you get started, and I would love to hear your story – please share your journey!
