Climate change initiatives are impacting all facets of life — including the tech industry. Climate tech startups are designing new technologies to combat the climate crisis innovatively. These new business models are reaching every sector, such as e-commerce, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, renewable energy, urban planning, and beyond.
What is climate tech? Climate tech is any digital or physical system that aims to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainability through technology. Climate tech goes beyond harvesting renewable energy and carbon capture to facilitating widespread climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Want to start a career in climate change technologies? This guide will explain how to use your transferable skills and learn about climate tech. Become part of the growing climate tech revolution and find environmental startups disrupting fields in your wheelhouse.
Transferable Skills
You may assume that your current skills aren’t valuable for a career in climate technology. But, your professional and academic experience can make you a worthwhile contributor to climate action — as long as you know how to use them.
Entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and big businesses alike need tech experts like you. Effective climate action requires professionals with I.T. skills in computer engineering, project management, data analysis, communication, or R&D. Many climate tech companies need personnel with these backgrounds to bring their programs and initiatives to life.
To use your existing skills in a new job for climate tech, you should:
Grow your understanding of sustainability and energy-efficiency principles.
Look for organizations in your current field disrupting the system with climate initiatives.
Show stakeholders how your contributions can align with the company’s vision.
Know how to harness your experience to accelerate successful strategies.
Cleantech companies may already seek contributors with your skills. Or, you may need to convince companies why they need someone with your competencies. Be prepared to pitch your know-how to employers, so they see the potential value in your services, such as project management.
Expand Your Search
If you don’t find any climate innovation opportunities within your current industry, broaden your search to other fields.
Taking on work that doesn’t match your CV can be intimidating, but you should be open to trying new things. Striving to follow a precise career path can limit you from finding opportunities to fight the impacts of climate change. Leaving your current profession and entering a new field can open more doors in the climate tech industry.
Be willing to embrace change. Look for work outside your comfort zone, acquire new skills, and exceed your preferred job description. Ways you can expand your search include:
Look for startups and venture capital initiatives in desperate need of tech experts.
Find existing products or services on the market that align with your passion.
Seek job roles that match your current skills even if the company’s field diverges from your career path.
Don’t discourage yourself from applying to jobs that don’t 100% match your background.
Find a still developing field that would benefit from talent and perspectives in diverse areas.
Vision, commitment, and contributions are the top three concerns of most climate tech enterprises. If you commit to the cause, you’d be surprised how many chances you’ll get to combat global warming.
Learn Climate Tech
You’re interested in climate tech, but what if you don’t know where to begin? Learning more about the climate tech revolution should be your first priority.
Familiarize yourself with climate tech by delving into all the available resources. The more climate-related content you consume, the more prepared you’ll be for a career that helps mitigate the effects of climate change. Ways you can learn more information are:
Listen to podcasts
Follow influential bloggers
Read books
Watch documentaries
Attend lectures and classes
Subscribe to news and data outlets
These resources will educate you about how companies are combating climate change — and where you could use your talents to make a difference. Use these various multimedia sources to learn about topics like:
Cleantech inventions
Decarbonization strategies
Clean energy for carbon dioxide mitigation
Fossil fuel alternatives
Renewable energy, like solar power
Greenhouse gas emission data and reduction
Preserving natural ecosystems
Global emissions standards
Carbon sequestration methods
By immersing yourself in informative resources, you may also find a new field you’re interested in, such as electric vehicles, supply chain sustainability, or curtailing greenhouse gas emissions in your neighborhood. Cultivating your knowledge is the best place to start when pursuing a career change.
Resources
Boost your chances of breaking into a new career in climate tech by joining online communities, poring over job listings, and following industry leaders. These resources can open doors to the next phase of your career.
Recruiters
Why would using a recruiter accelerate your ability to break into climate tech? A recruitment agency can bridge the gap between you and your future employer. They stay at the industry forefront to find qualified workers who can fit vacant positions in companies.
MVP Match is an excellent example of this. We connect tech professionals with startup companies and large organizations that suit their skills and interests. We understand your priorities and aim to find job openings that are a good fit for you.
Recruiters are vital in the climate tech job market. Deep tech startups need recruiters to get job seekers to notice them; otherwise, much larger companies will overshadow them and steal potential talent. Similarly, job seekers need recruiters to lead them to job opportunities off the beaten path, that they wouldn’t find on their own.
Decarbonization and electrification efforts are rising, but this job market is still niche. Flexible staffing is widespread in climate tech, and industry-specific recruiters can help you navigate the ins and outs.
Find Jobs
Your newfound knowledge and community support should propel you toward finding a new job that complements your passion and skills. However, locating such openings can be difficult if you don’t know where to look.
How can you get a job in climate change solutions? Find an organization that manages job boards and directories; they can connect tech professionals like you with companies seeking climate tech personnel. You’ll have access to more jobs that match your skillset and exclusive opportunities to engage with climate tech leaders.
Popular job boards and directories you can browse are:
Climatebase
Climate Tech Careers
Climate Jobs List
Climate People
ClimateTech VC
ClimateDraft
ClimatEU
Climate Resolve
My Climate Journey (MCJ Collective)
Climatescape
You can also browse forums managed by Climate tech incubators and accelerators. Some platforms simply post job openings as they’re available, while others ask you to create a profile that prospective employers can view and contact you.
Online Communities
Want to know about the latest developments and opportunities in climate tech or green tech? Enter digital spaces where you can connect with other professionals. Joining online communities for climate tech advocates can provide these benefits:
Share ideas for inspiring change in your field
Helping you spot signs of greenwashing in a company
Built relationships with like-minded people around the world
Provide support and motivation for fellow climate activists to combat burnout
Post valuable resources, breaking news, and exclusive opportunities
Organize meetups with local professionals who want to incite action in your community
You can find climate tech professionals by joining channels on digital platforms like Slack and Discord. Some of the most popular climate tech online communities are:
Climate Town
MCJ Collective (My Climate Journey)
DER Task Force
Work on Climate
Terra.do
Voyagers
ClimateAction.Tech
New Energy Nexus Network
You can join online groups through social media platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Find a niche community dedicated to inspiring climate change in your profession, such as product design.
Connect With Climate Tech Leaders
Now is the time to join the climate tech industry, whether you’re beginning your I.T. career or want to shift directions to a job with positive environmental impacts. Recent multibillion-dollar climate tech investments have opened many new doors for professionals like you. Talent is quickly migrating to pursue new job opportunities in climate tech, so don’t get left behind.
MVP Match can help you break into climate tech if you’re a tech professional in Europe, the United Kingdom, and beyond. We’ve helped countless tech pros find freelance and long-term contract work with companies seeking talent.
Apply now to join the MVP Match community and begin your new career in climate tech.
