Green Careers Week: Build your career, make connections and shape a better future
This Green Careers Week, explore the IES careers support and resources available to help you develop your skills, build your professional network and discover new opportunities across the environmental sector.
Our relationship with the climate and the natural world is shaped by the actions we take. Building a more positive future means connecting people, sharing knowledge and supporting the skills and expertise needed to make a difference.
Whether you're just starting to explore your career options, looking to develop your professional experience or thinking about your next move, the IES has a range of resources to support you.
Here are five ways to get started:
1. Make your experience count with our CV Clinic
Your CV is an opportunity to showcase your skills, experience and potential. Getting a fresh perspective can help you identify where to strengthen it and how to communicate your experience effectively.
Our CV Clinic offers tailored feedback to help you make the most of your CV.
How to access it:
- Prepare a copy of your current CV
- Email it to education@the-ies.org
- Receive tailored feedback to help you strengthen your application and present your experience with confidence.
Whether you're applying for your first role, exploring a career change or looking to progress, our CV Clinic is here to help.
2. Explore different career pathways
Not sure where a career in the environmental sector could take you? Sometimes the best way to understand the opportunities available is to hear directly from the people doing the work.
Our Careers in Environmental Science playlist on YouTube brings together recordings from professionals across the sector, sharing their career journeys, experiences and insights into different roles (top tip: engaging with these videos counts as valuable CPD, make sure you record the activity and reflect on what you have learnt).
There is no single route into an environmental career. Hearing different perspectives can help you identify possibilities you might not have considered.
3. Build your network with the IES mentoring platform
Professional connections can open doors, build confidence and offer valuable perspectives as you develop your career.
The IES mentoring platform helps members connect with others, share experiences and learn from one another.
Whether you're looking for guidance, keen to share your perspective or interested in developing your professional network, mentoring is a great place to start.
How to access it:
- Visit the IES Mentoring platform
- Register using your name, email address and IES membership number (top tip: Make the most of mentoring by reading the IES Mentoring handbook before you get started)
- Start exploring the platform and building connections.
It's completely free as part of your IES membership.
4. Record your CPD and take ownership of your development
Professional development doesn't just happen in formal training sessions. It happens whenever you learn something new, reflect on your experience or develop your understanding of an issue.
From attending an IES webinar to reading a journal article, engaging with technical guidance or taking part in an event, there are plenty of opportunities to develop your knowledge.
Why not start with an IES event, such as a webinar or our upcoming Burntwood Lecture? Alongside developing your knowledge, events provide valuable opportunities to meet others, exchange ideas and build your professional network.
Your IES membership opens the door to a variety of CPD opportunities, including:
How to record your CPD:
- Take part in a learning activity, whether that's an event, webinar, reading, research or another professional development opportunity (top tip: The IES has 5 CPD categories so when choosing activities, try to engage with a range of different categories to ensure you have a breadth of experience)
- Once you've completed your activity, visit your Members' Area to record the activity and reflect on what you have learnt
- Take time to consider you've learnt, what you've gained and how you might apply it to your work. Not sure how to write a CPD reflection? You can read our article on CPD reflection to help you get started.
5. Find a role that suits you
Whether you're starting your career, looking to take the next step or exploring a new direction, the IES Jobs page brings together opportunities from across the environmental sector. Explore roles, discover potential employers and find opportunities to put your skills, knowledge and experience into practice. Your next career move could be closer than you think.
Not yet a member?
If you are a student studying on an accredited programme, you can sign up for free student membership of the IES for the duration of your studies. If want to support the work of the IES, you can become an affiliate, or if you’re a professional in the environmental sector working with science, consider joining the IES.
Header image credit: © Kalyakan | Adobe Stock
