Climate tech career pivot: 5 steps to get started
As the buzz continues around climate tech, I’ve had the pleasure recently of chatting with quite a few people who are contemplating a career shift into this space. These conversations make me happy, and I’d love to help as many people as I can. Seeing this level of interest is a 180 degree pivot from where things were in 2016 when I first entered the cleantech space, and almost everyone looked at me like I was either stupid or crazy.
At this time, there is a lot of noise and a bit of froth in the market, which is mostly a positive sign of long-awaited momentum, but it can be overwhelming nonetheless. If you are new to the sector and contemplating a career in climate tech, I’ve put together a list of what I have found to be the most helpful resources and the five steps you should take to get started.
Step 1: Contemplate whether a career pivot into climate is right for you
If you’re considering switching to a career in climate tech but aren’t sure yet, read my blog that includes a decision matrix for this potential career pivot (it’s targeted at people currently in the tech industry but most of the blog it is applicable to business and technical professionals in any industry). As I mention, switching careers is not for the faint of heart so take some time to reflect on it before plunging in.
Step 2: Find a climate tech sector (or two) that pique your interest
Read either Drawdown or Regeneration, both edited by Paul Hawken. Both books go through a wide breadth of solutions for climate change, from microgrids to regenerative agriculture to preserving wetlands to educating women. There is a fair amount of content overlap between the two books, so I recommend just picking one to read. Then see if any of the specific solutions sparks your interest.
Drawdown (2017), while a bit older, is good if you are more analytical as each solution has a quantified estimate of cost, dollar benefits and CO2 reduction impacts.
Regeneration (2021) is more recent and has a strong social and environmental justice angle.
View the recordings from January’s Climate Career Week, a series of webcasts aimed at introducing the climate space to those who want to break in.
Review the climate tech landscape– this framework by HolonIQ provides a breakdown of the different sectors and shows relative investment levels. For those coming from software, also read my blog on which climate tech sectors are most software-focused.
Step 3: Keep up with the news
Sign up for the CTVC (climate tech venture capital) newsletter. The weekly newsletter includes both topical articles and news of investments/fundraising among climate tech companies, as well as industry events and job postings.
Sign up for the Bloomberg Green daily newsletter. Note that accessing the full stories on Bloomberg requires a subscription, but the newsletter has good summaries that are still useful to read even without a subscription. If you prefer podcasts, Carbon Copy is a good option for deeper reporting and analysis on a variety of topics.
Step 4: Listen to inspiring and enlightening podcasts. These podcasts feature stories about people and organizations who are making a positive impact on climate and communities already, or provide in-depth expert analysis on the market. I listen to these to counteract the doom and gloom about climate in the mainstream media that can lead to anxiety and paralysis.
Political Climate (this is politically oriented but it’s a bipartisan, respectful discussion format which is refreshing)
Step 5: Find companies, network and look for jobs
Check out Climatebase and sign up for their weekly newsletter. They post dozens of companies who are hiring and hundreds of jobs, mostly in US and Europe. And every few weeks they host live virtual events where 6 climate tech companies provide an overview of what they do and who they’re hiring for, and then host breakout rooms for job seekers.
Join the Work on Climate (WoCl) Slack community. There are dozens of new job postings daily spanning the globe, plus a very active community of folks who help each other out. They also have a great starter pack for those ramping up on the space.
Join the MCJ Collective. You have to apply and there is a modest membership fee, but this community is also particularly relevant if you are a more senior/seasoned professional.
If you are looking at startups, many climate tech VCs post aggregated job listings across their portfolio companies.
If you are looking for a job at a larger, more stable company, then it’s important to first identify a sector (or two) in which you are interested, and do the research to create a list of companies to target. For example, if you are interested in energy, you can pursue utilities and energy/power companies. If you are interested in agriculture, you can look at agriculture and food companies. For mobility, you can look at vehicle manufacturers, transportation/logistics companies, as well as energy/power companies.
I realize even this curated list is a lot to go through. But a career change deserves research and reflection, and requires time, effort and some hustling. I’m looking forward to hearing about more people finding their purpose and career in climate tech. And if it’s not for you, don’t feel guilty. There are many other ways to have an impact on climate beyond your job. Find your own path.