If you are thinking about a career related to sustainability or the environment – it’s as easy as ABC.
Assess Yourself
Determine which combination of “Green” Occupational Themes interests you the most to see how you can best apply your interests and skills to a Green Sector. See “Career Interest Inventory” within Focus2.
- Realistic – Hands-on, technical, builder, install, sample, be outdoors.
- Investigative – Analyze, natural science, research, innovation, and theory.
- Artistic – Creative, unstructured, intuitive.
- Social – Teaching, helping, with people.
- Enterprising – Persuading, selling, leading, managing, economic gain.
- Conventional – Details, data, numerical ability, information.
Branch of Green Industry
Explore which “Branches” or Green Sectors interest you the most. See descriptions of these at the O*NET Resource Center.
- Renewable Energy Generation (Solar, Wind, Geothermal, etc.)
- Transportation
- Energy Efficiency
- Green Construction
- Energy Trading
- Energy and Carbon Capture and Storage.
- Research, Design, and Consulting Services
- Environment Protection
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Manufacturing
- Recycling and Waste Reduction
- Governmental and Regulatory Administration
Connections (Network) with professionals who are in the green sectors that interest you so you can get internships and use your class projects to help a green business. 80% of all jobs and internships come from networking. Identify companies and agencies related to sustainability and reach out to professionals who work at these companies and schedule an informational interview with them. Ask them how they got started and get career advice from them.
- Check out the UB Sustainability
- Find out about local green networking events at the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable and the Western New York Environmental Alliance and the
- UB students and alumni can log into Bullseye powered by Handshake at to post a resume, research employers and search for jobs/internships related to industries such as Energy and Environmental Services.
- Start a LinkedIn profile and then search for professionals working in companies related to sustainability and find UB alumni who graduated with environmental-related majors. Meet with them to get career advice.
Degrees (Majors) at the University at Buffalo:
Start with UB’s Department of Environment and Sustainability
- Environmental Geosciences
- Environmental Studies
- Environmental Engineering
- Environmental Design
- Plus… Biological Sciences, Geology, and Geography
Experience by doing a class project to help a local green organization, volunteer, and get internships.
Need more help? Schedule a Career Design Appointment by going to Bullseye powered by Handshake.
