If you're an early career climate professional, now is your time to shine. In the United States, the broader societal shifts toward sustainability and social responsibility have brought rapidly growing opportunities for those wanting to venture into climate career paths. Indeed, as the urgency of addressing climate change becomes increasingly apparent, more emerging leaders seek careers that allow them to make a tangible difference. Whether you're just starting out or looking to pivot to a new role where your skills can be used meaningfully, the landscape is rich with opportunities. In this blog, we share with you a comprehensive guide to help you seize the opportunities and launch your career with purpose.
Understanding Purpose-Driven Careers
Your career will make up a great deal of your time, and it is up to you how you want to feel about the time you spend building your professional life. As such, a purposeful career gives you meaning and allows you to enjoy what you practice while helping to make change happen. In essence, purpose-driven careers align with personal values and contribute positively to our society. Careers filled with purpose go beyond traditional job functions and instead, integrate social and environmental goals with professional responsibilities.
Purpose-driven careers are becoming increasingly popular, and such rise is attributed to a growing awareness of global issues and a desire among professionals to provide solutions to said problems. According to a 2020 survey by Deloitte, millennials and Gen Z prioritize purpose over profit, seeking work opportunities that align with their values and, equally, make a positive impact. This is perhaps why you've seen so many people successfully build careers online, in many industries, leveraging digital platforms that allow them to reach like-minded individuals and make an impact through sharing educational content, for example.
Pursuing a career with purpose offers both personal and professional benefits. From a personal development standpoint, it can lead to greater job satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment, and improved mental health. Professionally, purpose-driven roles often foster a more efficient and collaborative environment, encourage innovation and foster opportunities for growth and leadership.
How to Identify Your Passion and Purpose
Embarking on a purpose-driven career starts with self-assessment, and the first step is an awareness of where you are and what you want. You must know it is totally fine to change your career. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, 30% of the total workforce in the United States will now change jobs every 12 months. From there, understanding your interests, values, and strengths is crucial to identifying the right path for you. Follow these tips to get started:
Reflect on your interests.
Start by considering the topics and activities that get you excited. Write these down on a list. Ask yourself questions like, 'What am I passionate about? Is it environmental conservation, social justice, or community development?'
Assess your values
Think about the principles that guide you. Do you value sustainability, equity, or innovation?
Identify your strengths
List down your skills and talents, and perhaps also include areas you'd like to improve. Are you a natural leader, a creative thinker, or an analytical problem-solver? Are you a people-person or prefer isolated work?
Aligning your passions with purpose-driven career opportunities can be transformative. By doing work that resonates with your values and leverages your strengths, you can make meaningful contributions while achieving personal and professional success.
Many individuals have successfully aligned their careers with their passions and have had significant impacts in their fields of work. For instance, Jane Goodall, an English zoologist, turned her passion for wildlife into a lifelong career in primatology and conservation. Similarly, social entrepreneur Muhammad Yunus channeled his passion for poverty alleviation into founding the Grameen Bank, pioneering the microfinance movement. These examples illustrate how identifying and pursuing your passions can lead to impactful and fulfilling careers and, many times, make you a world leader in your field.
The world of impact careers is vast and varied. Below, we share some key areas where you can make a difference.
Non-Profits: Organizations that focus on social, environmental, and humanitarian issues.
Social Enterprises: Businesses that prioritize social and environmental goals alongside profit.
Sustainable Businesses: Companies committed to sustainable practices and reducing their environmental footprint.
As we mentioned, the landscape of impact-driven careers is continually evolving. The Circular Economy is one of many emerging trends, and it focuses on the development of career paths that create sustainable systems that minimize waste and maximize resource use. Another example is careers in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), where positions are dedicated to integrating social and environmental considerations into business operations. Lastly, careers in Renewable Energy offer roles that oversee the development and implementation of clean energy solutions.
Ultimately, these and many more opportunities have both local and global impact. When considering impact opportunities, it is essential to weigh the benefits of global versus local initiatives. While global roles often involve working on large-scale projects with widespread impact, local initiatives focus on community-based solutions that address specific regional needs. Both types of opportunities offer unique challenges and rewards and the right fit depends on your interests and goals.
If you'd like to learn more about building an impactful career, check out this blog.
Finding and Securing Impact Opportunities
Once you've settled on your purpose and passions, the next step is finding and securing impact opportunities. Specialized job boards like Idealist, Devex, and the Net Impact Jobs and Internships board frequently list opportunities in the social and environmental sectors. Networking is a great way to connect with professionals in your field offline at events or online in forums and social media. Lastly, if you're doing an internship, this is a great way to gain experience and build connections in impact-focused organizations.
Developing Skills for Impact Careers
Besides aligning with your values, interests, and passions, success in impact-driven roles requires unique skill sets. For example, being a good leader is key to inspiring and guiding teams toward common company goals. Understanding and addressing the needs and perspectives of diverse stakeholders requires a certain level of empathy and an open mind. Adaptability will help you navigate changes and uncertainty in dynamic environments.
To build hard and soft skills, consider enrolling in relevant courses, workshops, and certifications. While the course curriculum will strengthen your technical skills, working in dedicated career-relevant environments will help you develop the soft skills needed to succeed in your chosen career in the future. Moreover, resources like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and other professional development programs can be invaluable in enhancing your capabilities.
Voiz Academy is a leading organization dedicated to empowering climate professionals. Voiz Academy specializes in helping individuals understand the climate jobs landscape and getting upskilled to not only land the job, but thrive on the job.
As a platform, Voiz offers comprehensive programs that cover a wide range of climate topics, including environmental science, policy, and sustainable business practices. Our partnership with Voiz Academy exemplifies our commitment to empowering emerging leaders. With this collaboration, Net Impact aims to provide aspiring professionals with the tools and support needed to thrive in climate careers.
This resource, brought to you in collaboration with Voiz Academy, will help you:
Additionally, you'll also receive tailored guidance on preparing for interviews with organizations focused on social and environmental change.
Net Impact is offering a special discount on Voiz Academy programs that contains all of Voiz Academy’s upskilling and certification tracks for the following climate roles: Net Zero Consultant and Sustainability Analyst Programs. Subscribers gain unlimited, self-paced access to the platform for one year. To learn more about the program and access our discount code, check out the program page.
With more people prioritizing purpose over profit, the landscape of climate careers continues to expand, and so do the number of opportunities that come with it. Embarking on a purpose-driven career in the climate sector offers a unique blend of personal fulfillment and professional growth. Self-awareness will lead you to identify your passions, explore diverse opportunities, and develop the essential skills you'll need to succeed in impact-driven careers. Net Impact's collaboration with Voiz Academy amplifies this journey, providing invaluable resources, expert guidance, and networking opportunities to help you succeed in building a more sustainable and just world.