Sustainability Job Resources
In honor of graduation this month, we want to share some ideas for finding jobs in the sustainability field. A career focused on taking care of our planet may sound hard to come by, but there are plenty of resources and job boards to help. We’ve compiled a list of a few places to look for jobs with purpose and some ideas for sustainability jobs – get brainstorming!
As we mention at the end of this blog, we want you to keep in mind that finding a career in sustainability is not the only way you can live out your sustainability values – in fact, most people who care about our planet don't have a career directly related to sustainability or the environment. Even as you put your skills to work in other industries, you can always bring your passion for our planet into your daily life - and who knows, maybe you'll be the one that sparks change in a place that needs it most!
Resources
Terra.do
Terra.do is a very resourceful website with the goal of “getting 100 million people working on climate in this decade,” and it’s a great place to start your search! Sign up for climate courses and job fairs, apply for their climate fellowship, and explore over 88,000 jobs on their climate job board.
Green Jobs Board
Green Jobs Board is filled with tips and tricks for landing a job in sustainability, along with thousands of green job postings. Their mission is “to empower all job-seekers with the education and tools needed to build impactful careers that solve the climate crisis,” and they do that by providing resources for resume writing, interviewing, communicating, job searching, and more.
ClimateBase
ClimateBase is another great resource to help you “make climate your career.” This comprehensive database is well-organized with a variety of categories including featured organizations, trending jobs, climate sectors, and jobs by location. It even has a new feature which allows you to make a profile to help you find jobs that match your interests and skills.
Green Biz Group
Green Biz Group focuses on sharing environmental news and events to accelerate sustainability efforts, but their sustainability job database is where you’ll want to go for career searching. You can filter by category, company, or location to find your next (or first!) job in sustainability.
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Defense Fund’s green jobs hub has a variety of resources to help you find opportunities in sustainability, including a weekly job newsletter, job boards, podcasts, networking groups, and more.
AmeriCorps
*Temporarily facing shut-down issues with federal funding cuts. Many current and future AmeriCorps programs have been cancelled at this time. However, we hope to see it revived in the future - 24+ states have sued the Trump administration over AmeriCorp cuts.
AmeriCorps is a national service program in which members work for a term (3 months to a year) in a service capacity and are paid a living allowance to support their work. There are tons of Americorps opportunities in environmental work, and it’s a great way to start your work in sustainability and gain experience – and get connected with some amazing organizations! Searching for opportunities in East Tennessee? Check out CAC Americorps for more. FoodCorps is another great division focused on food education, nourishment, and equity.
USAJobs
USAJobs has a variety of federal job resources, which includes environmental-related jobs with National Parks, Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, and other federal agencies.
Sustainability Jobs… a brainstorm!
Though sustainability and climate jobs may sound niche, there are a WIDE variety of opportunities out there. Below are just a handful of ideas, but the opportunities are endless — and many of these jobs have associated entry-level positions.
- Sustainability Director, Coordinator, Specialist, or Intern of a city or municipality
- Park Ranger or Guide at a National Park
- Waste and Resources Manager for a city or municipality
- Environmental Technician for the government
- Soil Scientist for a company, government, or an organization
- Sustainable Landscape Architect
- Urban Planner
- Sustainability Specialist or Consultant for a company or organization
- Sustainable Farm Manager
- Conservation Scientist
- Wildlife Biologist
- Adventure Guide (for a sustainability-minded organization)
- Any position for a sustainable company or organization
- Entrepreneur – start your own business related to sustainability!
- Composting company - check out Green Heron Compost
- Refillery / zero waste store - that's us!
- Community farm / garden - check out Beardsley Community Farm or BattleField Farm
- Recycling program - check out Fourth & Glass
- Sustainable design (fashion, homes, upcycling, products, etc)
Sustainability in Other Ways
Having a sustainability-focused career or finding an entry level job in environmental work aren't the only ways you can live out your sustainability values. Especially as the job market ebbs and flows in the sustainability realm, keep in mind that there are plenty of ways to support environmental efforts outside of a career.
Stay up-to-date on environmental news and share with others; volunteer at your local environmental organizations; contact your representatives about climate concerns; make personal sustainable lifestyle choices; push for sustainability initiatives in your office or workplace.
As we said before: Even as you put your skills to work in other industries, you can always bring your passion for our planet into your daily life - and who knows, maybe you'll be the one that sparks change in a place that needs it most!
Other Noteworthy Resources
Ed’s Clean Energy and Sustainability Job List
UTK Office of Sustainability