Below are four key elements worth considering as suggested by the carbonjobs team who specialise in recruiting professionals into Climate Change, Carbon/Energy Management, Renewable Energy and Corporate Sustainability opportunities:

1. Mentor/s – the biggest influence upon the lasting value you stand to gain from your next position will be found in the quality of your peer and leadership groups. Your ability to gain a genuine understanding of new legislation, technologies, methodologies and the wider corporate landscape will be directly influenced by the combined skill set and strengths of your colleagues. Given this importance we recommend that you research potential direct, and indirect managers as well as your likely peer group before accepting a new job offer. In the case of your pursuing outright leadership positions, it will be important to understand the hiring potential of the group so that the ability to grow a technically diverse team is known from the outset.

2. Breadth of role – regardless of market conditions, we often advise against being pigeonholed into a very narrow line of work. Given the relative infancy of the Australian sustainability marketplace, this advice holds even greater importance. Your ability to pursue potential leadership positions in the future will be influenced by the breadth of responsibilities undertaken over the next 12-18 months. As such, those employers and positions offering a range of responsibilities and challenges should hold greater appeal to job seekers.

3. Prospective employer actions to date – the best intentions communicated throughout 2008/09 for businesses to go over and above their legislative remit have commonly been replaced by a theme of satisfying the minimal requirements and focusing on more immediate economic concerns. A lack of confirmed legislation certainly allows for one to empathise with this change in mood, but it remains important to gain an understanding of what has been done to date by your prospective employer in terms of cultural change, internal communications and genuine actions to meet any previously communicated corporate goals.

4. Training and development support – the sheer volume of critical information and legislative reforms expected to be delivered over the next 12-18 months puts an increased value on those employers who are prepared to invest in the continuous development of their staff. Confirming study support options and identifying previous examples of regular internal and external training sessions are two areas to consider when evaluating your next employer.

Naturally, a number of other considerations should be factored in when assessing your next employer but the ability to clarify these key areas to your own satisfaction should ensure that you are well on the way to identifying a career enhancing position in what remains a very competitive and rewarding employment marketplace. All the best with your job search!

John Revie – director
www.carbonjobs.com.au