How do I get a graduate job in the environment sector?
Since the Kyoto Protocol came into force in 2005, 'environmental awareness' has been a buzz-phrase for graduate careers and current affairs alike. The government is bringing in legislative and economic strategies with regard to the supply, demand and use of energy and to protect our conservation areas. These strategies are creating an increasing number of environmental career opportunities across a wide range of sectors.
Environmental concerns bring more graduate career opportunities
Heightened environmental awareness brings increasing opportunities for graduates to work in a wide variety of areas within the environment sector, from agriculture to engineering and research to law. The range of careers available spans environmental, sustainable and ethical areas that are enormously diverse. People working in any area within this field will be primarily concerned with the impact of people and industry on the environment and how this affects human lives.
In order for businesses to meet the government's targets, big changes are necessary. This means new graduate roles in the environment sector are being created every day in areas such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) and power generation. The more traditional environmental employers are recruiting graduates for roles in flood management and conservation too.
What kind of environmental graduate role can I have?
The traditional graduate route into the environment sector is to choose to work in an organisation concerned with protecting the environment. These employers recruit for support roles in finance and human resources as well as for hands-on environmental work and research positions. It’s also possible to work as an environmental specialist within another discipline such as engineering, business, law, finance (environmental audit) or retail.
Large organsations are realising it is both practical and responsible to develop more efficient processes, use fewer natural resources and produce less waste. Accordingly, they have created positions for graduate environmental specialists to address such concerns and help to implement measures such as reducing, reusing and reycling in roles as CSR officers and managers.
How can I get a green graduate job?
There’s such a variety of roles in the environment sector that there is not one application process to fit all. However, you can be sure that you’ll need to submit some sort of application and attend an interview, so it's important that you prepare and present to the best of your abilities. It is also very common for graduate job-hunters in the environment sector to write speculative applications.
Many graduate opportunities for environment jobs arise within other career sectors, so don't forget to check out our graduate careers advice.