How to grow your career in sustainability

If you’ve secured your first sustainability job, you might be wondering how to grow your career in this dynamic space. If so, you’re not alone. Our latest Salary & Recruiting Trends guide shows that two of the most common reasons that sustainability professionals leave their roles is a lack of fulfilment (38%) or career development opportunities (30%).

This is why we made it our mission to speak to leaders in the sustainability sector, as part of a panel discussion with IEMA, to learn more about how they’ve built successful careers. The speakers were Peter Bragg, Sustainability and Government Affairs Director at Canon, Amelia Woodley, ESG Director at Speedy Hire, Toby Shaw, Director of Marketing and Strategy at IEMA and Victoria Chater-Lea, Sustainability Manager at Berkeley Group and Chair of the London and South East IEMA regional network.

Here are the key takeaways from the discussion:

• Discover your strengths and interests through volunteering and other responsibilities
• Experiment with different sustainability roles in a wide range of organisations
• Look for opportunities to develop your skills, especially those in high demand
• Build your network and reach out to potential mentors

Discover your strengths and interests through volunteering and other responsibilities

If you’re still finding your feet in your sustainability career, volunteering and taking on additional responsibilities outside of your current role can help you discover your strengths and areas of interest in the sector. As an example, volunteering for conservation and climate action groups might help prepare you for a job focusing on climate change or biodiversity.

Amelia Woodley is an advocate of this – she has volunteered and undertaken pro-bono work throughout her career. She explains how taking on responsibilities, be it additional roles, chairing forums or attending sustainability events, can give you the edge over other candidates when applying for your next sustainability role. Amelia is currently an Advisory Board Member to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and a member of IEMA’s Sustainable Finance Steering Group, alongside her ESG Director role at Speedy Hire.

Experiment with different sustainability roles in a wide range of organisations

Another way to discover which type of sustainability role and organisation suits you best is to experiment. Testing out jobs in different areas of sustainability, be it in corporate sustainability or sustainable buildings, can teach you about yourself and how you work best. The sustainability sector is ever-evolving, with new regulations being introduced regularly, so it’s important to be adaptable and open to opportunities when they arise.

Peter Bragg explains that it won’t always be the case that your next sustainability job will be a step up on the corporate ladder – instead you might be forming a ‘career lattice’ by moving into a role at the same, or lower, seniority level as your current one. Although you may not be following a traditional career path, a sideways step can enable you to learn new skills and work in a new area of sustainability or a different type of organisation, like a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), a large corporation or a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

Look for opportunities to develop your skills, especially those in high demand

It’s important to look for opportunities to develop your skills, especially those in high demand, to ensure you’re ready to take the next step in your sustainability career. You can develop your skills through volunteering, undertaking relevant training, taking on additional responsibilities, seeking mentorship or taking part in a variety of projects in your current role.

Not sure where to start when it comes to developing your skills? Here are a few pointers:

• The IEMA skills map specifies the key technical and soft skills needed at each stage of your sustainability career.
• The panel discussion highlighted the benefits of having knowledge of the circular economy, regulation, governance and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) as a sustainability professional.
• Our salary guide shows that the most in-demand soft skills for sustainability roles include communication, the ability to learn and upskill, coordinating well with others and flexibility.
• The speakers at the panel discussion named negotiation, the ability to influence others, stakeholder management, self-awareness, emotional intelligence and tenacity as important transferable skills for sustainability roles.

Build your network and explore possibilities for mentorship

Never underestimate the role that your network and personal connections can play in growing your career in sustainability. Having a large network of sustainability professionals will prove invaluable during your job search, as they’ll be able to flag any relevant opportunities they know of, either within their organisation or elsewhere, and perhaps even provide a reference for you.

Toby Shaw recommends exploring the possibilities for mentorship among your connections. You can speak to sustainability professionals at events or reach out to them on digital platforms like LinkedIn, showing an interest in their career and asking them more about their role. It’s important to emphasise your specific areas of interest during these conversations, so they can understand what you’re looking for in a mentor and whether they’d be a suitable match for you.

Victoria Chater-Lea appreciates that networking sometimes can be daunting, especially for more introverted individuals, but she believes that each time you step outside of your comfort zone your confidence builds and it gets a bit easier. Networking can help to raise your profile and build your own brand, Victoria explains, which will prove useful throughout your career.

Interested in learning more about how to grow your career in sustainability? Speak to one of our specialist consultants today or explore our latest sustainability job opportunities.