Working to Save the Environment

If you are a student on the verge of graduating, or if you are just looking for a change of career to something more worthwhile and rewarding, then the green industry is an excellent area to focus your search.  With the global recession affecting all areas of business, now is without doubt the hardest time in recent years to be looking for a job.  However, one area that is seeing sustained growth in the availability of opportunities is the green industry sector. 

The desire to ‘go green’ and live out a carbon neutral lifestyle is becoming more and more popular with individuals as it gets embedded into the public conscious and, most importantly, the massive corporations and industries that contribute to climate change are beginning to implement policies to address this issue.

The result is an influx of new and varied roles to help people and businesses improve their green credentials.  Take some inspiration from the areas below:

Charities

One of the easiest ways to make a difference is by taking a job within a charity.  Some of the charities that are specifically concerned with environmental issues are WWF, who aim to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment, Friends of the Earth, who actively seek out solutions to environmental problems, and Greenpeace, who support environmentally responsible and socially just solutions, including scientific and technical innovation.

Research

If you are looking for a job with a more ‘hands on’ approach to tackling environmental issues then you could look at roles that investigate and tackle climate change.  For example, jobs in biofuels research, solar energy, monitoring air pollution and low carbon building analysis are just a few of the areas where the research conducted will directly help to tackle climate change.

Technical

Finally, if you have specific skills such as engineering or IT and Technology, then you could put these to good use within a renewable energy company, where experts are needed to find alternative energy supplies.  Salaries for these roles are often highly lucrative.

These are just a few ideas of the kinds of roles that are available to those seeking jobs in the green industry sector.  For specific environmental roles take a look at a dedicated website such as Guardian Jobs, who offer an extensive range of graduate jobs.