Building a career in the environmental sector can seem intimidating, especially if you don’t have a qualification in environmental science or policy. Here we’ve rounded up some resources for those looking to take their first (or next) steps into the sector and picked out some top tips for job hunters.

Where to look?

For environmental jobs outside of law…

Your first port of call is likely to be environmentjob.co.uk. This is the UK’s busiest environmental jobs site, advertising a wide range of roles from entry level to director, and from desk-based to fieldwork. They advertise vacancies right across the UK and the occasional opportunity abroad. There are plenty of filtering options to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, separate pages for volunteering opportunities, courses and events, and a blog.

The environmental sector isn’t just for graduates either. There are a range of apprenticeship opportunities with the Environment Agency, the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, and the Society for the Environment.

For the more politically minded…

A good starting point for aspiring politicos is w4mpjobs.org. Despite its name, this site doesn’t only focus on working for an MP. Although it is the primary port of call for vacancies in parliament and constituency offices, it also advertises a range of roles in policy, campaigns, public affairs and communications for charities, think-tanks, trade bodies and private companies, and offers some useful guides on getting started working in parliament. You’ll have to be a bit selective to find specific environmental vacancies, but if working in or around Westminster is your goal, this is the place to start.

If party politics doesn’t appeal to you but you still like the idea of working to develop government policy, you might consider a career in the civil service. The Fast Stream graduate programme does not currently offer a dedicated environmental stream (although there is a science and engineering option). However, the main civil service jobs site allows you to filter by department and job grade, so you could search for entry level roles in, for example, Defra, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, or the Joint Nature Conservation Committee

For aspiring environmental lawyers…

Both jobs.lawgazette.co.uk and jobs.thelawyer.com allow you to filter for vacancies in energy and environment, and both include a small number of trainee and graduate roles. ClientEarth also has a useful careers page, with advice on becoming an environmental lawyer and links to early career job opportunities, including internships at Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.

For those hoping to become barristers, there is a wealth of information available online about how to maximise your chances of obtaining pupillage. Pupillageandhowtogetit.com offers an invaluable guide to the process, while the September 2021 edition of Counsel Magazine offers lots of up to date tips and advice. The Bar Council and Legal Cheek also run annual virtual pupillage fairs, which give attendees the opportunity to chat to barristers from specialist planning and environmental chambers.

For future innovators…

If you are a budding entrepreneur, engineer or green innovator, You Matter offers a useful guide to the many and varied roles to be found in the sustainability sector. Meanwhile greenjobs.co.uk is another large job board with more of a focus on innovation and green tech roles than environmentjob.co.uk. And if you have a great idea for your own green business, startups.co.uk/sustainability has some great resources to help you get started.

Top tips for getting started

1. Do your homework

Whether you are a student or a career-changer, make sure to do as much research as possible into your chosen field before you start applying for jobs. While your passion for tackling the climate emergency or conserving threatened habitats will be an important part of demonstrating that you are well suited to a role in the environmental sector, you also need to show the people reading your application that you know what the job actually entails and be prepared to explain clearly why you would be a great fit.

2. Get some volunteering experience if you can

This might not always be an option depending on where you live and whether you work full time or have caring responsibilities, but if you can secure some experience volunteering for an environmental organisation it will help to demonstrate your enthusiasm and understanding of the sector. You can find voluntary opportunities on environmentjob.co.uk as well as paid ones. There are all kinds of flexible and home-based roles available for people with busy schedules and fun outdoor opportunities, such as species monitoring surveys, that families can take part in together.

3. Don’t forget your transferrable skills

Even if gaining volunteering experience is not an option, you can still demonstrate your aptitude for a career in the environmental sector by highlighting transferable skills gained through previous work or study. Maybe you previously worked as a teacher and have fantastic communication skills. Perhaps you trained as an accountant and your attention to detail is impeccable. Or maybe you worked in sales and are an expert at influencing people. These skills might equip you well for roles in communications, research and policy, campaigns, or public affairs. Think carefully about the types of roles you are applying for and focus on opportunities where you feel you can add value, even if you’re not a perfect match. Don’t shy away from your unconventional job history in your applications. Highlight what your fresh perspective can bring to the organisation.

4. Think laterally

Most medium-sized and large environmental organisations will have lots of staff working in roles which are not directly ‘environmental’ in character. Could you join an organisation whose mission you are passionate about in a role that you have more experience in? For example, if your background is in customer service, you might be a great fit for the membership team in an environmental NGO. Once you have found a workplace with a mission and culture you support, it can sometimes be easier to move sideways into your dream role, rather than applying as an outsider.

5. Get chatting

Talk to as many people working in the sector as you can, especially in the kinds of roles you wish to apply for. Take advantage of any mentoring schemes that are available. Sign up for free networking events and careers fairs and force yourself to speak to at least three people you don’t know. Reach out directly to people whose work you admire if you have questions about their experience of working in the sector. Just be polite and considerate in your approach and make it clear that you value their time. They may be too busy to respond, but they might be able to offer you some useful advice.

6. Get qualified

Hopefully this page has shown that there are routes into the sector for people without an environmental science or policy background. However, some roles will require specific qualifications. If you do decide that an environmental qualification is the right route for you, postgraduatesearch.com and postgrad.com both allow users to search for postgraduate qualifications in environmental law, policy, science, management and more.

7. Be patient

Breaking into a new sector can take a long time. Be patient with yourself and others throughout the process. Approach your research and applications with discipline but don’t hesitate to take a break from them if you are feeling burnt out. Go out and do something fun that reminds you why you’re passionate about the environment. The Olive Branch newsletter always ends with a suggestion for a fun outdoor activity to try…. why not sign up and be inspired!