Green industries are growing fast. More people are understanding the impact of climate change and are investing in eco-friendly goods and services. Could a career in the environmental sector be for you?
Why get a career in environmentalism?
Climate change is a real threat for the future. More and more companies are being set up every day to create a more sustainable means of living. This has left a growing market for jobs.
Not only are there bounteous opportunities here, but there’s also money. Investors are seeing the potential and sustainability of green industries and are pouring money into them. Many green industries have proven expensive to set up, which originally put off a lot of backers, but have since proven to be extremely lucrative. Take a wind farm as an example – building the turbines isn’t cheap, but unlike a coal power station very little maintenance is required after they’ve been built making them hugely profitable.
Salaries can reach over 100k a year in some trades such as urban planning, environmental law and meteorology. The environment and its retargets are always going to a priority making this a very stable career too and one that can invest your future into.
How to get qualified?
Qualifications depend largely on the nature of the job you’re after. Some require higher education. These include scientific jobs such as geospatial intelligence in which you may need to earn a masters in GIS from USC. Those interested in technology may pay to take an engineering course. And of course there are always jobs behind the scenes such as accountancy and marketing that can benefit from a degree.
You don’t always need higher education however to earn big bucks. There are manual trades such as solar panel installation which may only require a week long training course. There are also routes such as apprenticeships in careers such as environmental conservation and hydroelectric technician work.
How to find a vacancy?
There’s no shortage of vacancies in this sector. However, there are many ways in which you can improve your chances of getting your foot in the door into some of the higher places. It’s worth looking out for green job fairs. Here you’ll find environmental businesses actively looking to find new staff members.
Green technology conventions and environmental awareness events might be other good places to network and discover vacancies. You make new connections that can point you in the right direction. You’ll find these events scheduled throughout the year across the world.
Courses and workshops are also great places to meet new people in the field. Many university departments will have someone that specialises in careers and can point you in the right direction. People attending workshops meanwhile may already be in green industries looking to brush up their knowledge – make sure you’re networking with these people.
Finally, of course, there’s the internet. Don’t just stick to job listings sites. Find company websites and email them directly. Some may not have vacancies advertised but may be considering hiring and you might be able to get in their early. At the very least, you’ll show initiative and get in their good books.