How to Start a Career in Climate

📘 If I were starting my sustainability career in 2025, here’s exactly what I’d do, step by step: I get asked this all the time: “Where do I even begin?” “Do I need a Masters?” “How do I stand out in a competitive job market?” Here’s what I’d do, no fluff, just a simple process: Step 1️⃣ – Pick your niche Don’t try to do it all. Focus. → Carbon? Circular economy? Nature? Sustainable buildings? Choose one area that actually interests you and start there. Step 2️⃣ – Learn the basics (properly) No need to get a degree, but you do need competence. → Sign up to an upskilling programme (link in comments) → Learn the frameworks: GHG Protocol, LCA, ESG, B Corp, CDP, etc. Step 3️⃣ – Build something You need to show what you’ve learned. → Create a simple case study, blog post, emissions audit, or slide deck → Volunteer for a local org or help a small business track their footprint Action > Theory. Step 4️⃣ – Optimise your CV + LinkedIn Most people just list buzzwords. → Instead, highlight what you’ve done → Use keywords (GHG, ESG, carbon, lifecycle, etc.) that employers search for → Don’t forget a simple, clear summary of your value Step 5️⃣ – Start showing up → Post what you’re learning → Comment on others’ content → Reach out to people working in your target space → Ask good questions, join events, follow UK sustainability trends Step 6️⃣ – Apply with intent → Choose roles/companies that align with your niche → Write applications that speak to their mission + language → Track what works, refine, repeat No one’s asking for perfection. But they are looking for people who take initiative, think critically, and show up. There’s never been a better time to build a career in sustainability, especially here in the UK. 🌱 If you’re taking the first step right now, I’d love to hear what it is, drop it below!

My career advice for young professionals and fresh graduates interested in the sustainability industry. After two decades in sustainability, here's what I wish someone had told me when I started. 1. Build your career at the intersection of sustainability and another field. Want to stand out? Don't just be a "sustainability person." Be the finance person who understands carbon markets. The supply chain person who knows circular economy principles. The marketing strategist who can avoid greenwashing. 2. Your degree alone won't cut it. The most successful sustainability professionals I know are always learning. You will face new frameworks, new guidelines, new regulations, and new technologies, very frequently in your career. This means you need to continously learn new things and keep updated on the latest happenings in the sustainability industry. 3. Focus on implementation, not theory. Don't focus on coming up with the perfect strategy or initiative. Start small, fail fast, gather feedback, and adjust quickly. You need to show results to build credibility and trust with internal and external stakeholders. 4. Master the art of measuring impact. In a world drowning in ESG claims and sustainability reports, those who can rigorously measure and prove impact will rise to the top. Learn impact measurement, carbon accounting, and life cycle assessments. 5. Build a personal brand around communicating sustainability solutions and stories. Don't just solve environmental problems. Share your success stories. Document your solutions. Create content about insights, innovations and breakthroughs. The sustainability space needs more sharing of best practices. What's your career advice? Share them in the comments below.

Most of the advice for breaking into a climate career is now dangerously out of date. For years, the playbook has been singular: learn about solar, wind and EVs. That advice just became a fraction of the story. Last week, the Australian Government released two landmark documents: the National Climate Risk Assessment and the National Adaptation Plan. More than simply policy papers, they are a formal declaration that a second, parallel climate economy is here. The '𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆'. Backed by a A$9 billion commitment, the focus is no longer just on preventing future change. It’s on managing the reality that’s already here. The Risk Assessment provides the sobering 'why', confirming in stark detail the cascading impacts on our infrastructure, economy and communities. The Adaptation Plan provides the 'how', like investing in nature-based solutions such as the mangrove ecosystems that protect our coastlines (pictured). It creates a vast new frontier for career-transitioners. And it’s already the lived reality of the professionals building this new economy, many of whom are members of our Climate Crew community. It requires the urban planning skills of leaders like Roland Chanin-Morris of Ramboll, who is designing our future resilient cities. But physical assets are only half the picture. True resilience is built at the community level, which is why the strategic engagement work of founders like Nicole Dennis of Cobalt Engagement – leading those complex on-the-ground conversations – is now an essential service. This new reality also demands a new kind of strategist. People like Josue Castro of BWD Strategic, who has pivoted his high-level government experience to help organisations navigate climate risk, and systems thinkers like Oliver Dykes at Deloitte, who redesign entire organisations for a resilient future. Underpinning it all is a revolution in finance, driven by innovators like Renate Crollini of Adaluma Tech, who is building the tools to embed risk into capital decisions, guided by the global expertise of policy architects like Linda Romanovska of Melomys Advisory, who co-authors the international frameworks that make this possible. If you are a career seeker, I encourage you to connect with the people whose work you find most relevant. This is what Climate Crew is for: to make the connections that build the future. The message is clear. We don't 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 need renewable energy engineers. We need builders, planners, financiers and organisers. Your skills are now climate skills. The opportunity to find your life's work in climate has never been greater. #ClimateCareers #ClimateAdaptation #GreenJobs #ClimateAction #CareerTransition #NationalAdaptationPlan #WorkOnClimate Image: Mangroves in Woy Woy, NSW. Sourced from the National Adaptation Plan (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water). © Commonwealth of Australia. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.

If I Was 25 Again and Wanted a Career in Renewable Energy… If I could rewind time and give my 25-year-old self advice before entering renewable energy, this is what I’d say: 1️⃣ Don’t chase titles. Chase exposure. Your first years should be about learning EPC, O&M, grid, permits, and banking, not business cards. 2️⃣ Technical skill gets you hired. Communication gets you promoted. The best engineers don’t always become leaders. The best communicators do. 3️⃣ Learn the full lifecycle, not just your job description. Design. Construction. Commissioning. O&M. Asset Management. Understanding the full picture makes you dangerous (in a good way). 4️⃣ Renewable energy is not just about solar panels, it’s about risk. Contracts, safety, compliance, communities, finances, politics. If you can manage risk, you will never be unemployed. 5️⃣ Find mentors. But also learn from broken projects. Success is inspiring. Failure is the real teacher. 6️⃣ Protect your reputation like it’s your company. In this industry, your name travels faster than your CV. 7️⃣ Your body is also an asset. Look after it. Burnout is real in project environments. If you collapse, the project doesn’t stop, it replaces you. 8️⃣ Global exposure will change your mindset forever. Different countries, different grids, different rules, one global standard: execution matters. 9️⃣ Money will come later, skills must come first. Chase competence before compensation. 🔟 And finally… remember why you started. Clean energy is not a trend. It’s responsibility. If you’re 25 and just starting your energy career, You’re in the right industry at the right time. And if you’re already in it… You know this journey is anything but easy, but it’s worth it. 👇 What would YOU tell your 25-year-old self?

Stop chasing sustainability careers without a clear specialisation. The same story keeps playing out. People entering ESG with passion but no direction. In 2026, interest alone won't build your career. Organisations don't just need awareness anymore. They need people who can actually deliver results. Here's what to do instead: - Pick one sustainability vertical and go deep. - Understand how theory translates into real business decisions. - Stay close to regulations. GRI, ISSB, CSRD are moving fast. - Get hands-on experience, even if it starts behind the scenes. - Share your insights publicly so your expertise becomes visible. There's no shortage of verticals to master: - Climate risk and adaptation - Sustainable finance and banking - Circular economy and resource efficiency - Sustainable supply chains and human rights - Renewable energy and decarbonisation - Biodiversity and nature protection - ESG reporting and frameworks - Social sustainability and workforce wellbeing - Policy, governance, and regulation Staying broad keeps you replaceable. Going deep makes you indispensable. Pick your lane. Own it.

Please stop chasing ESG careers without real specialization. I see too many people entering sustainability without direction. In 2026 interest alone will not build careers. Companies no longer need awareness only. They need specialists who can actually deliver. Do this instead: • Pick one sustainability vertical and commit deeply. • Learn how theory becomes real business decisions. • Track regulations like GRI ISSB CSRD closely. • Get hands on experience even behind scenes. • Share insights so expertise becomes visible. There are many sustainability verticals to explore deeply: • Climate risk and adaptation. • Sustainable finance and banking integration. • Circular economy and resource efficiency. • Sustainable supply chains and human rights. • Renewable energy and decarbonisation. • Biodiversity and nature protection. • Sustainability reporting and ESG frameworks. • Social sustainability and workforce wellbeing. • Policy governance and regulatory systems. Failure happens when people stay broad not skilled. Depth creates trust relevance and long term careers. Choose your lane and master it fully. #esg #sustainability #esgcareers #sustainabilitycareers #leadership #futureofwork #climaterisk #sustainablefinance #circulareconomy #supplychains #decarbonisation #biodiversity #esgreporting #socialsustainability #governance #policy #careergrowth #professionaldevelopment #expertise

Want to break into climate? I’ve had over 200 career calls with climate job seekers within the past year. Here are the 4 most commonly asked questions and my best answers: ⭐ How can I get a head start in college?  • Focus your coursework and internships on an expertise/industry pair, like marketing and sustainable fashion, business and regenerative agriculture, or data science and energy. • If you can’t decide on a niche, build versatile skills like finance, engineering, design, and sales. These skills are needed across climate-focused organizations. • Most recommended internship board: EDICT Internship Program by Elemental Excelerator 💫 How can I switch to climate from another industry? • Opportunities can be found in solution-focused organizations (e.g., Pachama, Kevala), sustainability/CSR teams (e.g., Carhartt, Adobe), and governmental offices (e.g., NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP), US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)). • Many people try to overhaul their entire career. Instead, try changing only one variable at a time: seek a similar role in a new industry or a new role in a familiar industry (eg; marketing in fashion → marketing at a SaaS company like Recurate). • Mentorship, freelancing, and certificates can bridge the gap in industry experience. • Most recommended mentorship opportunities: Third Derivative and GrowthMentor ✨ How do I choose a niche?  • Standing out in climate requires being a near-perfect fit. Find the intersection of what you're good at, what you love, what you can be paid for, and what's needed across climate efforts. • Hop on career calls with folks across domains and industries to learn more about the day-to-day of their roles. • Most recommended starting points for market research: Climatebase, Work on Climate, CareerOneStop, and Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) 🌎 Do I need to join a program like Terra.do, Work on Climate, or OnePointFive (opf.degree)?  • These programs are helpful but not necessary. Free resources like coaching calls, videos, and podcasts can be valuable too. • Remember that “climate” isn’t really a standalone job! Consider how you can provide value to a climate-focused team and focus on building credibility in your desired solution sector (energy, agriculture, etc.). • Most recommended programs: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Reforge, and Stanford University's certificates. -- Interested in a free careers session? • Check out the Work on Climate Expert Office Hours list and the #OpenDoorClimate list, launched by Daniel Hill. Interested in breaking into climate as a marketer? • Here's a comprehensive guide I put together: https://lnkd.in/gUqyFh_b I did my best to keep this post short. If anybody has more they’d like to add for climate job seekers, please add it to the comments. Thank you! Illustration by @tatooine_girl

Are you working in an unrelated field and motivated to put addressing climate change front and center in your next chapter? If so, here are a few tips: #1: spend some time learning about the nature of the problem first! It’s a megatrend that will play out over decades and it’s hard to get your brain around! The foundational knowledge will serve you well. Both the overall problem, but also the sectors and sub-sectors that are contributing to it. #2: once you have a sense of the nature of the problem, spend some time learning about the types of levers that can help. Those could be in the mitigation bucket (reducing new emissions), the removal bucket (removing emissions already in the atmosphere), or the adaptation/resiliency bucket (better resilience and planning for functioning in a warming world). Helpful to look across sectors for this one as well, to understand what it will take to decarbonize each sector individually and make them more resilient. #3: look at what companies, organizations etc are doing work in these areas to get a sense of the types of activities, the types of business models, the types of technologies, the risk profile and timelines, etc that are out there. #4: look at your own skillset, risk profile, career goals, etc and see how those map to the industries and orgs you learned about in #3. #5: trial and error! Attend events. Write. Read. Consult. Do a project. Take a job. Start a company. Run for office. Take whatever steps feel natural to you to get closer to the action. Some may choose to jump in the deep end and others may take small steps that lead to bigger ones and either can work. These are not meant to be linear, several of them can happen in parallel. And everyone’s process is different. Just kind of a mental model I used that I figured I’d share in case helpful for others.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙀𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙋𝙞𝙫𝙤𝙩 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙? Yesterday’s post focused on job leads and resources. Today, let’s talk about you. This is about how to pivot, not just react. Let’s get real: Losing your role at the EPA or a mission-driven org isn’t just a career hiccup; it’s a gut punch. But here’s the raw truth: Your impact isn’t tied to a badge or a title. I’ve watched colleagues turn layoffs into launching pads (yes, even in this messy climate). Here’s how to pivot without losing your purpose: 1. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 "𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞" 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 "𝐀𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲" 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 Stop saying, “I only did permitting/compliance/fieldwork.” Example: Your EPA regulatory expertise? Private firms salivate for that. They need people who can navigate NEPA reviews like a second language. e.g., a friend reframed “enforcement officer” into “risk mitigation strategist”. 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧: 𝙒𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨-𝙤𝙣-𝙩𝙝𝙚-𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚. 2. 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 (𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞!) The private sector isn’t the enemy. Utilities need pros who understand water equity and infrastructure gaps. NGOs don’t care if you’re ex-EPA—they care that you can fight for clean water in courtrooms and boardrooms. State roles are hiring like crazy for climate resilience. Pro tip: Use ECO-USA.net to find hyper-local gigs where your federal experience = instant credibility. 3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 Join LinkedIn groups like “Environmental Consulting Network” and “Sustainable Jobs.” Attend industry webinars (many are free via ACS, AWMA, WEF). Find mentors outside EPA. If you only network with former colleagues, your search stays too narrow. Forget LinkedIn spam. Do this instead: Slide into the DMs of NEIWPCC or NAEP webinar speakers. Say: “Your talk on PFAS regs resonated. I’m pivoting from federal work—any advice?” (Works 10x better than “Looking for jobs!”) Join WEF’s “Young Professionals” Slack. They’re 24/7 hype squads for water nerds. 4. 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 It’s okay to grieve. But: Your “why” still matters.  You don’t need another degree, but micro-credentials & certifications can boost your resume. Certified Environmental Professional (CEP) GIS for Environmental Applications Project Management (PMP) Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻: Rewrite your LinkedIn headline: “EPA Alum | Bridging Regulation + Innovation in Water Equity” Pick 3 firms from the previous post. Research their projects, then email a manager: “I helped streamline EPA permitting for [X]—can I share insights on your Y project?” #Environmentaljobs #PivotWithPurpose #MissionDrivenHustle

I helped someone get hired yesterday. They had ZERO relevant experience for the role. Here's what they did that 99% of job seekers never think to do: They applied for a job that didn't exist yet. Let me explain... Sarah wanted to work in sustainability but had a background in accounting. Instead of applying to 200 "Sustainability Coordinator" jobs (and getting rejected for "lack of experience"), she did this: She researched 10 companies with weak sustainability programs. Then she wrote to each CEO: "Hi [Name], I noticed [Company] doesn't have a dedicated sustainability role yet. Based on new regulations coming in 2025, you'll likely need someone to handle compliance and carbon reporting. I've created a 90-day plan for how this role could save you $200K in potential fines while improving your ESG rating. Would you be open to a 15-minute conversation?" 8 out of 10 CEOs responded. 3 wanted to meet. 1 created a position for her. Starting salary? $85K. For a job that didn't exist 30 days ago. You're not just competing for existing jobs. You're competing for problems that need solving. Every company has pain points they haven't turned into job postings yet. The question isn't "What jobs are available?" It's "What problems can I solve that they don't even know they need solved?" Stop waiting for perfect job postings. Start creating your own opportunities. What's one problem you've noticed in your industry that companies aren't addressing yet? #JobCreation #CareerStrategy #Entrepreneurship #JobSearch #Innovation P.S. I am currently offering free personalized critiques of resumes and LinkedIn profiles. If you're interested, please comment below, send me a direct message, or email me at gulrukh@perfectpitchresume.com.