Driven By Impact: Recap of COP28

Driven By Impact 🌱

Edition 35: December 14, 2023

Navigating Climate Job Search Hurdles

Climate change is an eminent issue, and the demand for professionals in the climate sector is rapidly growing. As more companies are taking strides towards sustainability, the opportunities for climate jobs are expanding. From large corporations to innovative start-ups, climate action has become a universal mission. However, transitioning into the climate sector can be challenging without a proper understanding of the landscape, the skills required, and the techniques for job discovery. This blog aims to guide you through the process of securing a job in the climate industry, highlighting the importance of transferable skills, unveiling the hidden job market, and emphasizing the role of networking. Below we outline to the top 5 climate job seeker struggles + their solutions.

1) Decoding the Climate Landscape

Before you can begin your job search, you need to understand what a climate job is. Many people associate climate jobs with small, innovative start-ups that are working on tangible solutions for climate change. However, the reality is much broader. Climate jobs can be found in large corporations that are making positive changes to their environmental policies and practices. It's also possible to transform any job into a climate job by incorporating Project Drawdown's Job Function Action Guides into your work. To help navigate this landscape, familiarize yourself with climate venture capitalists like CTVC, Activate, Breakthrough Energy, Elemental Excelerator, and others. CTVC's list of accelerators, along with learning cohorts such as Terra, OPF, Climatebase, and Climate Vine, can also provide valuable insights and resources.

2) Unraveling Transferable Skills

The climate industry is still relatively new, which means there aren't many professionals with direct experience in this field. However, many companies are still looking for candidates with relevant experience. This is where your transferable skills come into play. You need to show how your skills from other industries can be applied to climate roles. For example, if you've worked as a product manager in a healthcare SaaS company, you could bring skills like managing small teams, adapting to emerging industries, and multi-tasking to a climate start-up. The key is to identify where you can make an impact and align it with your existing skills.

3) The Challenge of Job Discovery

Finding a job in the climate sector isn't as simple as typing "climate job" into a search engine. You need to know where to look and how to structure your search. Consider using resources like Climate Tech List, Green Jobs Board, Climatebase, Climate Draft, and Climate People. For premium LinkedIn members, there's also a green jobs filter that can help narrow down your search. To use it go to the job board and click on “all filters,” then scroll down and select “green jobs.”

4) Unveiling the Hidden Job Market

Many jobs aren't advertised publicly, but are filled through networking. To tap into this hidden job market, you need to be proactive. Start by identifying three climate solutions that interest you, then do a market map for these areas and reach out to relevant companies. Remember, you're not just looking for job postings, but opportunities. Even if a company isn't currently advertising any positions, they may have an opportunity that aligns with your skills.

Just this week we submitted a stellar product manager to one of our clients, they didn’t have the capacity to hire her so we pitched her profile to another company who wasn’t even hiring a product manager position. They saw her profile and now want to have an interview with her because her skillset was too aligned to pass up.

5) Building a Robust Network

Having a strong network is often crucial for landing a job in the climate sector. However, successful networking isn't just about taking - it's about giving as well. Approach networking as a mutually beneficial relationship. Make it enjoyable and fruitful by offering something valuable to the other person, such as insights or connections, while gaining opportunities and advice in return. In the new year we are hosting a networking mini-series with Laurie McGinley on the power of effective networking, you can register here! We also put together a Networking Notion Template so you can keep track of your conversations.

Navigating the climate job market might seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach and resources, it can turn into an exciting career opportunity. Understanding the scope of climate jobs, identifying your transferable skills, and using effective job discovery methods are crucial steps towards finding your place in this sector. Remember that the hidden job market is a significant part of the job search, and building a robust network can open doors to many opportunities.

→ Natalie and Brendan go live every Thursday at 3 pm EST. Join us for an open Q&A session next week! Send any questions you want answered to [email protected].

→ Every month we host an intro to climate webinar! Have you attended one? Register here.

→ Our LinkedIn Learning course, “How to Get a Job in Climate” has surpassed 30,000 learners! Come see for yourself, we’ve made it free for you with this link!

→ Have you gotten your hands on a copy of our newly released Climate Job Seeker Playbook? It’s a 30-page guide that will help you best position yourself and increase your chances of landing a job in climate. Check it out!

→ Missed last week’s edition? It was a jam-packed one! Check it out here.

→ Looking to make an impact in your non-climate company? Project Drawdown recently release some “Climate Action Guides” to help you pinpoint the impact you can make through your current role!

→ Daniel Hill posted on LinkedIn about his favorite climate job resources, check them out!

→ Natalie will be speaking on a careers panel with OnePointFive on tomorrow. Interested in attending similar events? Learn more about their upcoming cohorts here.

→ Struggling to keep track of all your networking conversations? We put together a Notion board CRM template where you can take notes, tag profiles, and get reminders for when it’s time to follow back up with a connection. Get your copy here!

COP28 in REVIEW

The 28th Conference of Parties (COP28), despite controversies surrounding fossil fuel companies and greenwashing, served as a crucial platform for global climate action. Held in the UAE from November 30 to December 12, 2023, the conference attracted over 70,000 participants, including industry leaders, state heads, and youth representatives. The event aimed to assess nations' progress towards the Paris Agreement goals, with a particular focus on limiting global warming to 1.5°C. However, the lack of progress in this area was a major concern, calling for immediate attention and action from all nations.

COP28 brought forth potential solutions like tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, phasing out fossil fuels, and investing in climate technologies. The outcomes highlighted the urgent need for environmental responsibility among corporations and the role of various industries in mitigating climate change. Key outcomes included the growth of Climate Tech, a winning debate on phasing out fossil fuel usage, and countries pledging to triple renewable energy capacities by 2030. While these pledges are promising, the success of COP28 ultimately depends on the execution of these commitments, emphasizing the importance of immediate and direct climate action.

🪴 HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
➵ Our client, a global consultancy that helps companies secure large-scale grant funding for high-impact, climate-related ventures, is looking for a Business Development leader. The company has found its product-market fit and is in a phase of accelerating growth. The ideal candidate will be responsible for developing sales strategies, maintaining the sales pipeline, collaborating with business operations for performance improvements, and supporting business development initiatives. The candidate should have a 'builder' mentality, be analytically inclined, and possess innovative problem-solving abilities. They must have 4+ years of consultative sales experience, 2+ years in a closing role for $20k-100k deal sizes, and 1+ years of people management experience.

🪴 FUNDING RESEARCH LEAD
➵ A global consultancy firm is seeking a Funding Research Lead with at least 3 years of experience in grants identification, writing, and management. The candidate will be responsible for the initial stages of the grants lifecycle, including identifying and assessing funding opportunities. They will also lead the Funding Ecosystem Map process, manage the work of Funding Research Analysts, handle client relationships during individual projects, and assist in developing policies to streamline the Ecosystem Mapping process. The ideal candidate should have a technical or scientific background in climate, energy, or life sciences, with experience in the private sector and international grants. Excellent attention to detail, writing, communication, organization, and execution skills are required.

🪴 TECHNICAL PRODUCT MANAGER
➵ We're partnering with a successful, remote climate tech startup that's developed a software platform for renewable energy projects. We need a Technical Product Manager to lead new product development, work directly with users, and ideate features. You'll collaborate with the CTO on new features and product plans, launch new market features, and build MVPs for new products. Ideal candidates should have 2+ years experience in technical SaaS products, be product-minded, comfortable in ambiguity, and possess skills in Figma, Agile, product research, prototyping, UX, A/B Testing, and Data Analysis. Experience in the utility industry is a plus.

🪴 FULL STACK ENGINEER - FRONT END LEANING
➵ We're seeking a remote Full-Stack Engineer to lead new product initiatives. This role involves user interaction, feature ideation, design feedback, and hands-on development. You'll work directly with the CTO on projects like launching new features in US markets and building MVPs for potential expansions. Ideal candidates have 2+ years of product-oriented software engineering experience and proficiency in React, TypeScript, and Python. Experience in the utility industry is a plus.

🪴 SALES DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE
➵ Our client, a leading global technology and climate impact organization, is seeking a talented individual to join their team. Specializing in quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) gains and losses related to land management, they provide GHG data-model integration software that is used by various stakeholders in the FALU sector. The candidate will work with the Head of Business Development to formulate strategies that identify and convert prospects. This includes being the first point of contact, overseeing customer development, building pipelines across key segments, and experimenting with outbound strategies. The ideal candidate should have 1-3+ years of experience in sales or sales development, a passion for climate and sustainability, and the ability to take extreme ownership of customer's first impressions. They should be diligent, focused, adaptable, and bring a growth mindset every day.

That's all for this edition! Stay tuned for next month's roundup. Thanks for doing your part in mobilizing a workforce transition to work on climate!