Members Give Their Top Tips on Scoring an Environmental Role

First results taken from 2015 Practitioner Survey promote the profession. Read more

Experienced members have today offered their advice to those thinking of moving into the Environment & Sustainability Profession. They have given their top tips on what a new Graduate or Career changer would need to do to get their foot on the career ladder, and given a hint as to what they can expect in terms of satisfaction and variety.

Members say career movers can look forward to a rewarding role that makes a difference, and offers a range of opportunities and options for progression. The advice comes from the first set of results extracted from the IEMA 2015 Practitioner Survey which closed on Friday 15^th January. This specific section on advice and guidance was offered by those who have been in the Environment & Sustainability Profession for five years or more. Further statistics generated by those with less than five years’ experience will be released later this week.

New Year, New Job

Environment and Sustainability Roles Become Career Change of Choice

The New Year is one of the best times to look for a new job and with 54% of people looking to change careers, now is the time to consider a new profession.

One area that has become increasingly popular with those looking for a change of direction is environment and sustainability. According to IEMA, 90% of IEMA members who have moved into the profession report high levels of satisfaction with their choice of new career.

Environment and Sustainability roles are becoming the career change of choice, with 42% of professionals who now work in these roles consider themselves “career changers” according to IEMA’s annual Practitioner Survey. Those entering the profession come from a wide variety of backgrounds including finance, operations, marketing and communications and R&D.

So what makes a career in environment and sustainability so attractive? According to a recent survey of IEMA members, this is an area where you will have a rewarding career that makes a difference (35%) and offers a lot of variety (28%). 59% say these roles are challenging, reflecting the diverse and fast-moving pace of the profession as more and more businesses and entire industries are waking up to the scale and scope of environment & sustainable opportunities.

Tim Balcon, CEO of IEMA, says: “Environment and sustainability roles are rewarding careers – with high job satisfaction levels. With the economy becoming increasingly dependent on environment and sustainability skills, it’s great to see that many who boast these skills are enjoying their roles to such a high level. The new skills and people that are entering the profession have a vital role to play in enhancing and supporting business action in this area.”

• Top tips for those considering a change of career this year:
• Do voluntary experience/an internship within the industry.
• Study for an environment/sustainability related degree.
• Get the right qualifications eg. IEMA Associate Certificate
• Look at your existing transferable skills and assess what kind of role would best suit you.
• Seek mentoring from someone already doing the job you want.
• Use IEMA’s Environment Skills Map to plot your career path
• Network, network and network again!