Some of the most useful local websites that list positions vacant as well as helpful jobhunting are listed below. You'll also find the notes taken from our 2006 "how to get an environmental job" workshop!
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Australia's leading online resource for environmental job seekers, professionals and career changers. They offer a unique and expanding range of services to the wider environmental sector including an Environmental Careers Office, Environmental Jobs database and events database.
Job vacancies and other opportunities in the environment, water and natural resource management field in Australia and New Zealand.
Advertises positions available in the environment management, natural resource, environmental engineering, environmental health and environmental science fields predominately in Government and industry across Australia
Waterjobs
Advertises simular type positions to Envirojobs, but those that are water based.
Eco-Shout "The internet portal to Melbourne's green underbelly". Advertises jobs, volunteer opportunities and courses in Melbourne. It also helps people to start their own projects by providing information and resources.
Victorian Government Job Search
See also:
"Careers in the Environment", a Gradlink resource
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How to Get an Environmental Job Workshop 2006
Notes
Many thanks to all for contributing towards an informative and inspiring event. Many thanks too to our partners, Environmental Jobs Network, and the Office for Environmental Programs for their support.
We’ve transcribed the input of participants largely verbatim, we hope you find it an accurate summary. We’d be pleased to hear your feedback on the PEN forums.
Your ‘Top 10 Tips’ For Getting An Environmental Job
- Develop skills
- Networking
- Gain experience
- Be willing to take a risk/be flexible
- Make any job a green job
- Research organisations and jobs
- Work on your resume
- Be persistent
- Learn how to sell yourself
- Be yourself
The full Workshop content is detailed below.
A. CHALLENGES TO GETTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL JOB
- Level of experience required
- Finding opportunities to network
- Flexibility – ability to travel etc.
- Specificity – many environmental jobs are highly specialised
- Organisational frameworks – sustainability is often poorly understood
- Obtaining funding – many jobs are voluntary
- The importance of environmental jobs is not always recognised
- Lack of understanding of triple bottom line outcomes
- Temporal scale – lack of futures thinking
B. TOP 10 TIPS FOR GETTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL JOB
1. Develop skills
- do some study eg. the Masters of Environment
- get qualified
- do a vocational course
- diversify build your skills
- keep re-educating yourself
- self-development courses
- transferring your existing skills
- diversify your skill base
- qualification advantageous but not necessarily vital
2. Networking
- attend conferences (networking)
- build your communication skills (networking)
- make network opportunities by attending community events etc.
- network – PEN, events, collect and hand out business cards
- networking
- networking
- networking
- using other networks
- coming to PEN events and other networking ploys
3. Gain experience
- volunteer – get experience
- do an internship
- take small/casual jobs to build up experience
- volunteer as a stepping stone
- make your own experience – volunteer, internship
- volunteer – be proactive and create opportunities
- involvement with local council – experience
- create your own sustainable career paths/jobs
- experience
- stepping stones
- volunteering
4. Be willing to take a risk/be flexible
- being gutsy
- take opportunities
- be flexible – be prepared to travel and live elsewhere
- take opportunities – think broadly
- be willing to take a risk
5. Make any job a green job
- make any job a green job
- make your own job
- create your own position – proposal
- try to tailor your own position in your current workplace
- environmental positions in non-environmental organisations
- start with something that isn’t perfect with respect to environment
- be entrepreneurial – create your own job
- change the corporate world
- take an environmental perspective to any job
- know how to apply for funds
6. Research organisations and jobs
- be aware of where to find jobs
- research organisations and types of jobs - prepare
- keep current
- research jobs
- identify future prospects
- target research to a work area or interest
- attend careers expos
- look into the future
- identify the company you want to work for
- contact people within the company you want to work for
7. Work on your resume
- resume building - develop and maintain references
- have your CV critiqued
8. Be persistent
- persistence – don’t take things personally
- get your foot in the door
- send your resume out/ cold call
- perseverance
- maintain contact with employees of choice
- cold call
- get your foot in the door
- persistence
- cold-calling – use your agent
- get out there and do something – be active
9. Learn how to sell yourself
- build your interviewing skills
- know your strengths
- prepare for interviews
- know how to stand out – be memorable
- don’t undersell yourself
- self-promotion
- be observant
- use a service – recruitment agency
- check out EJN
- find a mentor-guru
- communication – bluffing
- lie
10. Be yourself
- be confident
- be passionate
- be authentic - lead by example
- inspire others
- know your direction-passion
- walk the talk – practice what you preach
- believe in what you are doing
C. REFLECTIONS OF THE SPEAKERS ON THE NIGHT
Scott White
- Importance of making your own job
- Create opportunities in the job you have, this can be added to your CV and essentially create experience
Networking - Even if people aren’t doing an environmental job, they might now someone
-
Need good communication skills and confidence
Persistence - Don’t take no for an answer
- Track companies
- Go for a coffee with people at the organisation
- Be positive
- Go outside your comfort zone
- Be willing to travel - it won’t be forever
Ian Porter
The job isn’t everything
Tips for how to have a career…
- Have vision
- “Don’t be afraid to care”
- Be a part of society and community
Live the vision -
Show integrity regarding people and the planet
Be pragmatic - Learn about people, their strengths and weaknesses
- Understand politics, systems (environmental), organisations
- Network, communicate
- Understand that there are many paths
- Understand change (systems, people, organisations)
- Be yourself
- Bring joy to what you do
- Read well
- Open your mind up, learn more
Catherine Hollywell
Be a “whole person”
- Happy, positive, engaging
Getting a job in area where you can get a variety of experience -
Easy to get job from within
Be reflective of strengths and weaknesses - It’s not someone else’s problem
Cara Horner
- Be passionate, love what you're doing
- Be positive, go in there like you’ve got it already
- Be confident, be yourself, be reliable
D. GROUP NOTES
Group 1
- do some study eg. the Masters of Environment
- volunteer as a stepping stone
- attend conferences (networking)
- build your communication skills (networking)
- awareness of where to find jobs
6. research organisations and types of jobs - prepare - resume building - develop and maintain references
- build your interviewing skills
- persistence – don’t take things personally
Group 2
- make your own experience – volunteer, internship
- interview preparation
- make network opportunities
- have your CV critiqued
- keep current
- research jobs
- know your strengths
- be passionate
- get your foot in the door
- make any job a green job
- make your own job
- send your resume out/ cold call
- identify future prospects
- target research to a work area or interest
- be authentic - lead by example
- know how to stand out – be memorable
Group 3
- networking
- don’t undersell yourself
- volunteer – be proactive, create opportunities
- start with something that isn’t perfect with respect to environment
- be willing to take a risk
- take opportunities – think broadly
- confidence
- keep re-educating yourself
- be flexible – be prepared to travel and live elsewhere
- be entrepreneurial – create your own job
- change the corporate world
Group 4
- volunteer – get experience
- get qualified
- do a vocational course/internship
- try to tailor your own position in your current workplace
- network - PEN, event – collect and hand out business cards
- perseverance
- diversify build your skills
- environmental positions in non-environmental organisations
- take small/causal jobs to build up experience
- maintaining contact with employees of choice
Group 5
- involvement with local council – experience
- transferring your existing skills
- knowing your direction-passion
- creating your own sustainable career paths/jobs
- knowing how to apply for funds
- networking
- self-development courses
- being gutsy
- walk the talk – practice what you preach
Group 6
- experience
- qualification advantageous but not necessarily vital
- coming to PEN events and other networking ploys
- inspire others
- diversify your skill base
- look into the future
- find a mentor-guru
- stepping stones
- taking environmental perspective to any job
- communication - bluffing
Group 7
- networking
- broaden scope of research
- volunteering
- cold-calling – use your agent
- identifying company you want to work for
- create your own position – proposal
- do you know anyone who has a position in the company you want to work for
- get out there and do something – be active
- believe in what you are doing
- lie
Group 8
- using networks
- persistence
- self-promotion
- get your foot in the door
- be observant
- take opportunities
- attend careers expos
- cold calling
- use a service – recruitment agency
- check out EJN
E. WHITEBOARD NOTES
- Use your networks – your own networks and those of people you know
- Persistence
- Self-promotion – believe in what your doing
- Get your foot in the door
- Be observant
- Take opportunities
- Attend careers expos
- Cold calling – using your agent
- Use recruitment agency
- Check out EJN
- Volunteering