This article discusses the growing demand for climate-tech professionals, highlighting the key skills and qualifications sought by companies in the industry. It also provides insights on alternative paths to land a job in climate-tech and get a job in sustainability.
Tip #1 - Gain an understanding of the sustainability industry
So you’d like to enter the climate-tech industry? A good starting point is to start reading up about the basics of climate science, global warming and what climate change actually is. In order to get inspired and make sure you’re not overwhelmed, a good resource is Project Drawdown, which gives you an overview of carbon emissions and potential solutions to each sector.
You don’t need to be an expert in climate change to join the industry, but it does make a difference to have an understanding of the science and solutions.
If you want to access some free climate change classes scroll to the bottom of this article for the links.
Tip #2 - Rebrand and Position yourself for the climate-tech and sustainability industry
If you are making a career change into sustainability or the climate-tech industry you have to make a sustained effort to re-brand and position yourself into the sector.
Firstly, understand what your current skill-set is. If the job function is fairly typical, for example you are a Finance Business Partner, you should then showcase your understanding and passion for the industry.
If you’ve had a varied career and not sure if you can make a switch doing the same function but in a new industry, you need to take a more considered approach.
The first step is to understand your current skills set, the second is to understand your transferable skills. The last step is to understand how to “sell” your transferable skills to the potential employer. You may be able to do this yourself, but if you need extra support, having a session with a career coach can help.
It's important to understand your own reasons for joining the climate-tech industry and why you want a job in this sector, this will prepare you for initial interviews in the climate-tech industry.
Some key things you should do to help you make your career change are:
Showcase your interest in climate-change on your CV by highlighting any courses, volunteer work or board memberships
Showcase your passion and knowledge of the topic
Showcase your ability to learn a new industry, perhaps you already made a career switch in the past from one industry to another.
Tip #3 - Network for hidden jobs in climate-tech
The sustainability industry is highly competitive, so you may be faced with tough competition in the job market. One way to ensure you are not competing against hundreds of other applications is to access the “hidden job market. The best way to do this is to become aware of new opportunities before they are advertised, and for that you need to start networking.
First, start with people you already know and let them know you are looking for introductions to companies within the climate-tech or sustainability space.
Second, join networking or sustainability interest groups either online or in person.
Depending on how quickly you want to switch into the climate-tech industry, in order to make sure you make some headway, try to set a goal of a few networking coffees or meetings every month.
Tip #4 - Reach out to a sustainability recruitment agency
If you’ve done steps 1-3 and are still struggling, it may be time to be very proactive in your search and reach out to specialised sustainability recruiters or recruitment firms.
Here at Jobs for Planet, we can advise you on the various areas of the climate-tech and sustainability industry, share trends we see in the market and help you find the perfect opportunity that fits your skills set. Reach out to specialised sustainability recruiters who can help you on your journey.
Remember, you can make the change to climate-tech and sustainability if you take some time to make the switch
Keep these tips in mind when wanting to make a career change into climate-tech. With enough persistence you can also join this industry. Feel free to leave any comments on our article below. If you still need some help you can email us on hello[. ]jobsforplanet.com
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