Environment

About

Environment jobs include roles in sustainability, recycling & waste management, as well as environmental management, conservation and climate change.

Careers advice (general)

• Prospects: Environment and agriculture
• Prospects: What can I do with my degree in environmental science
• targetjobs: Green Careers and Environmental careers and how to get them
• EAUC Sustainability Exchange - career guide and webinars on sustainability, including understanding job roles, developing key skills and standing out to employers
• Institute of Marine Science, Engineering and Technology: Careers with Marine Mammals - includes the different fields and roles marine scientists and biologists can work in, case studies of inspirational people working across a wide variety of professions in the marine sector, and the essential skills required to become a marine mammal professional. 
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Careers advice (environment protection and control)

• AllAboutCareers: Environment, agriculture and conservation careers 
• AllAboutCareers: What departments are involved in environment, food & rural affairs - information on roles within government departments
• A career in environmental policy - article by Marianne Kettunen, principal policy analyst for the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)

Careers advice (environmental management and conservation)

• British Ecological Society - top 10 tips for getting a career in ecology. See also Rooting for a Career in Ecology or Environmental Management? (PDF)
• Mark Carwardine: Careers in conservation
• Naturenet: get a job working in the countryside industry - advice on applications and interviews

Industry news

ENDS Europe provides an environmental news and information service.

The New Scientist and Guardian: Environment look at the latest developments in this field.

edie.net is an environment and sustainability news centre. 

Professional bodies 

These represent people working in the sector, providing training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates.

They also provide development for people already working in the sector. Follow them and sector skills bodies on LinkedIn, or visit their websites for news, contacts, work experience and vacancies. 

Professional societies/institutes

• Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)
• Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA)
• British Ecological Society 
• The Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM) 
• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
• The Society of Environmental Engineers

Research councils/institutes

• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• National Oceanography Centre
• Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) – joint venture with Defra and Capita

Government departments and agencies

• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
• Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
• Environment Agency
• Forestry Commission 
• Natural England
• Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (includes remit for climate change)
• Committee on Climate Change
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Sector skills councils/industry groups 

• Lantra - awarding body for land-based industries in the UK and the Republic of Ireland
• UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA)
• Law & Your Environment - includes information on environment law, including links to specialist bodies 

Find professional bodies outside the UK on GoinGlobal by selecting ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each of the individual country guides. 

Making contacts

Talking to people working in the sector can give you an insight into roles and be useful for networking and making speculative applications. 

You could start with:

• Newcastle alumni on LinkedIn – find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice and inspiration
• ResearchGATE - professional online network for researchers across scientific disciplines
• Graduate Mentor and The 1 Hour Project - both platforms aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Sign up to be connected for a one hour meeting

Social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter, can also be useful for making contacts, finding employers and opportunities. Find out more about how to use social media for your career and subscribe to our Environment Twitter list. 

Events

Recruitment fairs, open days, talks and events give insight and opportunities to make contacts. Regular events for this sector include the British Ecological Society's Student Futures and Research Conference. 

For more events, see Employer & Sector Insights, Recruitment Events or the professional bodies listed above.

Related sectors 

You may also be interested in Agriculture, Energy & Utilities, Civil Engineering, Geomatics & Construction, Property & Surveying or Physical Science.

Roles & Skills

There are a range of careers found in the environment sector - from academic research and ecology to consultancy and policy work.

Have a look at Prospects and targetjobs to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the profiles available:

Environmental protection and control

• Environmental consultant
• Environmental manager
• Environmental health practitioner
• Environmental law solicitor - see Legal Professions for information on entry into law
• Policy officer

Environmental management and conservation

• Countryside officer/ranger
• Ecologist
• Nature conservation officer
• Energy manager
• Environmental manager
• Environmental consultant
• Environmental engineer
• Environmental education officer
• Energy conservation officer
• Field trials officer
• Marine biologist
• Marine scientist - also see Sea Grant Marine Careers for range of marine career areas
• Soil scientist
• Water quality scientist
• Water conservation officer
• Sustainability consultant
• Recycling officer
• Waste management officer
• Forest/woodland manager

Skills employers look for

Employers in this sector look for skills including:

• an ability to project-manage, prioritise tasks, meet deadlines and work with minimum supervision
• leadership and the ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams
• attention to detail and a logical and methodical approach to problem-solving
• an ability to research, analyse and communicate complex technical data to others
• numerical and IT skills
• commercial awareness and an understanding of local, national and global environmental issues

See the IEEM website for a guide to range of careers in ecology or environmental management. See also What a graduate should know: Survey skills.

Gaining Experience

Finding a job in the environment sector is very competitive. Relevant work experience is invaluable, and often essential, in developing expertise and demonstrating your motivation and commitment to this area of work.

Some large employers advertise summer internships and/or placement years, usually aimed at students in their penultimate year of study. Opportunities vary - from technical and engineering roles to those in sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Applications open early in the autumn and closing dates are usually between November and March.

Examples of companies that may be able to offer placements and/or summer internships include:

• ARUP
• Jacobs
• E.ON - year-long placements, past opportunities have included ones relating to carbon capture and pollution control
• Regen SW - have offered internships in the past for graduates relating to sustainable energy, based in Devon
• Balfour Beatty

For advertised opportunities, see Internships, placements & shadowing. You can also search for vacancies on MyCareer.

Professional bodies and research councils also advertise opportunities. See About for a list of organisations. 

However, the majority of work experience and/or voluntary opportunities in the environment sector are not advertised. You may need to contact an organisation directly, with a speculative approach. Do this early, as it can be very competitive. 

Paid internships in the environment sector can be difficult to find. For help with funding short-term low or unpaid work experience, see our Career Insights Bursary.

Finding companies 

Find companies that interest you and get in touch directly – ideally with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.

Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.

Finding experience in the North East

• Search for organisations on MyCareer - click ‘Search' then 'Organisations’ to find companies the Careers Service has worked with. Can filter by keyword, sector and region
• North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) - includes a member directory 
• Go Volunteer offer a variety of environmental projects to Newcastle University students
• Groundwork - South Tyneside and Newcastle offer voluntary opportunities
• Northumberland Wildlife Trust has a range of volunteering opportunities from surveying and conservation to community engagement and events
• Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust - see opportunities at their centre in Washington, Tyne and Wear
• Northumberland National Park - regularly offer short-term work experience opportunities for young people, aged 16 to 25, who are seeking a career in the environmental/countryside sector. See also their other volunteering opportunities.
• Natural History Society of Northumbria - wide range of voluntary opportunities including nature conservation and research.

Finding Jobs

Environmental roles can be found across a broad range of sectors - including industry, local and national government and voluntary organisations.

Typical employers for this sector

Higher education and research institutions, including research councils and research centres such as the British Antarctic Survey.

Intergovernmental and international organisations, including the United Nations (eg UNEP) and international think tanks.

Industry, for example, the energy industry or in construction, property and housing. 

Environmental consultancies (multi­disciplinary or specialist consultancies), and national park authorities are also typical employers.

Voluntary organisations and charities, including wildlife conservation charities, environmental NGOs and pressure groups, eg National Trust, RSPB, WWF, Friends of the Earth.

Local and central government and non-departmental public bodies, including:

• Defra
• Natural England 
• Environment Agency