How to get an internship in….The Environmental Sector

Amy Townsend

Placement and Internship Officer

Contents

• An Introduction to the Environmental Sector• Types of Roles• Sectors to look for vacancies and some

examples of current internships• Top tips & insider info• Where to find advertised opportunities• Hidden opportunities.. and how to find them• A note on unpaid internships

An Introduction to the Environmental Sector• Very broad and growing! Why?

• Increase in environmental legislation• The Energy Act 2013• The Energy Act 2011 – ‘Green Deal’• The Climate Change Act 2008

• Greater public awareness• Employers wanting to develop more efficient

processes• Rising cost of energy• Rising scarcity of natural resources• Extreme weather

• High level of competition• Lack of low-level jobs

Types of Roles

• Environmental Conservation

• Climate Change• Renewable Energy• Carbon Management• Environmental

Protection and Control• Environmental Scientists

and Engineers

• Eco-Tourism• Environmental Law &

Litigation• International Environmental

Cooperation• Organic Agriculture• Pressure Groups• Sustainability advice

Typical Employers and examples of Internships

• Voluntary & Charity Sector• Public Sector• Intergovernmental & International Sector• Private Sector

Voluntary and Charity Employers

• Environmental NGOs• Wildlife & Habitat Conservation

Charities• Pressure Groups• Trusts• Expeditions

Carbon disclosure project

Charity Internships available…. Charity Insights• Careers Service internship scheme for

undergraduates • A chance to experience work in the UK non-

profit sector• Bursary of £245 per week for a four week

internship• You choose the charity and project• Applications open very soon, deadline 16 May

• www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/internships/charityinsights

Charity Internships available….

Charity Internships available….

Charity Internships available….

• www.charitychoice.co.uk• www.do-it.org

Volunteering is also a great way to get experience!

Find Voluntary and Charity Employers

Intergovernmental and International Employers

• United Nations • Environmental research institutes and think tanks• Commissions• Consultative bodies

Environment Directorate

• Policy Library list of world think tanks - www.policylibrary.com/• Another list of world think tanks - bit.ly/ttanks14

Find Intergovernmental & International Employers

Public Sector Employers

• Local Authorities• Regulatory Bodies• The Environment Agency• Met office• Research Institutes• Education• National parks• MPs - www.w4mpjobs.org/

Public Sector Internships available….

Public Sector Internships available….

31 Jan deadline

Find Public Sector Employers• http://www.jobsgopublic.com/• http://www.lgjobs.com/

Private Sector Employers

• Multinational Companies• Resource management (water, forestry,

gas, chemical, nuclear, electricity, oil, mining)

• Environmental or low energy consultancies

• Research• Eco-Tourism• Alternative Energy

Private Sector Internships available….

24 Feb deadline

All in Reykjavik, Iceland, 2 March deadline

Private Sector Internships available….

Private Sector Internships available….

Find Private Sector Employers

• Low energy consultants directory - www.crc-compliance.co.uk/directory/• ENDS Directory (environmental consultancies) – www.endsdirectory.com

Top Tips - Getting Started

• Keep up to date with the New Scientist and The Guardian’s Environment section.

• http://careers.theguardian.com/environment-careers • http://www.iema.net/access-environment-careers-advice • Join a relevant society• Volunteer part-time• Choose relevant modules• Use social media

Top Tips – Insider Info 1“Be flexible. You are unlikely to get your ideal job straight away, but most employers will allow you to mould your workload to a certain extent (especially if you're taking on extra projects), and you can build up your work experience that way.

Build up good relationships with contacts. I found being known in the area incredibly helpful in getting both my internships.

Think in terms of human impact of your work/expertise. There is an increasing recognition that for environmental projects to succeed, they need not only to be beneficial to the natural environment, but also have to be workable culturally, economically, and in terms of local impact.

If you can't get the work you want in a paid manner, think about working in a paid part-time job and volunteering part-time on relevant projects. Even if you have to make do with less money now, you'll probably be glad you did in a few years.”

Susan McNaughton

Activity Project Officer – Rouken Glen Park Environment Department

“As a conservation charity, conservation experience is obviously important, but it depends on the position. We recently recruited for an Events Manager and in this case conservation interest was an added bonus rather than a requirement – we would always hire someone with events experience over someone just with a huge conservation interest.”

Cath Lawson, Save the Rhino International

Top Tips - Insider Info 2

How to find advertised opportunities

• JobsLive• www.environmentjob.co.uk • Stopdodo – www.environmentjobs.com • Organisation/ Council Websites• College emails or departmental noticeboards/intranet• Many more resources on hand-out

Finding hidden opportunities

• Who do you know?• Networking• Some organisations may

advertise internally (amongst current employees and volunteers) before advertising a vacancy more widely.

• Social Media

5 steps to making a speculative application:

1. Find a company• Use your network of contacts• LinkedIn• JobsLive organisation search• Trade shows/Events• ENDS Directory and other resources

mentioned today & on hand-out

2. Research the company• Google news• Annual report

Finding hidden opportunities – speculative applications

3. Find a contact name• HR team on careers website• Lots of recruiters are on LinkedIn

4. Prepare a targeted CV and covering letter

• Use your research to specify the department you wish to work in and what you have to offer

5. Send your application• Keep records!

Finding hidden opportunities – speculative applications

A note on unpaid internships…

Think about:

• Do you need the experience?• How much time will it take?• Can you afford it?• Will it lead to paid work? When?

A note on unpaid internships…

Summary

• An Introduction to the Environmental Sector• Types of Roles• Sectors to look for vacancies and some

examples of current internships• Top tips & insider info• Where to find advertised opportunities• Hidden opportunities.. and how to find them• A note on unpaid internships

Summary

• Competitive but rewarding• If you’re interested in an environmental career it may well be worth doing

a post-graduate qualification in a relevant subject• Keep on thinking about gaining experience as early as possible – one

internship may not be enough

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