How to get an environmental job
Whether you're passionate about conservation, sustainability, or land management, the environmental sector offers numerous career paths for you to explore
Do I need a related environmental degree?
Not all environmental careers require a degree. While some fields, like land-based engineering, have specific degree requirements, others offer more flexibility. For environmental management or conservation, a relevant environmental science degree is a strong foundation. Discover what you can do with an environmental science degree.
A background in science, agriculture, geography, or even business can also be valuable for many environmental careers. For specific details on entry requirements and qualifications, see our environment and agriculture job profiles.
In this sector, hands-on experience and relevant qualifications often hold more weight with employers than postgraduate degrees. However, a Masters degree with an environmental focus can be particularly valuable for research positions or highly competitive fields like environmental management and consultancy. A Masters can also give you an edge in a competitive job market. To find the right fit for you search for environment postgraduate courses.
What environmental skills do employers want?
Landing a job in the environmental sector requires more than just passion for the cause. This competitive field seeks individuals with a mix of technical and soft skills. Recruiters typically look for candidates with:
- an understanding of policy and legislation involving pollution control regulations, waste management guidelines, or endangered species protection acts
- a passion for environmental or sustainability issues
- strong project management skills for monitoring time and resources
- teamwork skills to achieve shared goals
- physical fitness for outdoor positions
- analytical skills as many jobs involve collecting and analysing data on air quality, water quality, or wildlife populations
- business acumen and commercial awareness for navigating a commercially driven environment.
How do I find a graduate job?
Many government and public sector organisations provide job opportunities at all levels, while the private sector offers a mix of advertised positions and opportunities for proactive individuals to carve their own path.
Public sector employers include:
The environmental job field is mostly dominated by smaller companies, so many opportunities may not be formally advertised. To increase your chances of finding a job that aligns with your values, consider sending speculative applications directly to organisations you admire.
Agriculture graduates have various career paths to choose from, including commercial or technical roles on innovative farms, or positions with global and regional companies involved in crops, livestock, machinery, and food production. The latest agriculture roles are typically advertised at environmentjob and IEMA Jobs.
While roles such as environmental consultancy, offer the opportunity for self-employment, it typically requires significant experience and expertise to establish yourself successfully. If you're interested in exploring available opportunities, you can search for graduate jobs in environment and agriculture.
To see what's on offer, search graduate jobs in environment and agriculture.
What environmental graduate schemes are available?
You can find graduate programmes at large environmental companies, including:
Beyond science and engineering, environmental graduate schemes offer exciting opportunities in fields such as:
- business management
- IT
- sales
- marketing
- accounts
- HR.
While a 2:1 degree is often preferred by some employers, most commercially focused graduate schemes are open to applicants with any degree subject.
For those with an academic background in environment, sustainability, forestry, land management, or business, Forestry England offers a two-year graduate leadership programme. Trainees will work across departments, from forest planning and land management to recreation. Graduates have opportunities for development, including a Level 5 Operational and Departmental Manager Apprenticeship and the opportunity to join the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF).
The EA also has a structured four-to-five-year graduate training scheme specifically focused on flood and coastal risk management. However, this programme requires a Masters degree in civil engineering.
If you're ready to apply for the next intake, search for environmental graduate schemes.
Can I do an environmental apprenticeship?
The environmental sector has a rich tradition of work-based learning, using apprenticeships to develop skills for tasks such as ecological monitoring or environmental restoration.
Land-based and environmental awarding body Lantra provides apprenticeships at Levels 2 (equivalent to GCSEs) and 3 (equivalent to A-levels) in fields like arboriculture, forest operations, and land-based engineering technician roles. To get started, you'll need to locate a local training provider and a suitable employer.
The EA apprenticeship programmes, include Assistant Scientist (Level 3) for lab-based training and Facilities Management (Level 2) for office-based roles, both of which offer paid on-the-job training.
For more advanced options, consultancy firm Mott MacDonald offer degree apprenticeships in a variety of areas relevant to the environment, such as civil engineering, transport planning, and project management.
To explore the full range of apprenticeships available in agriculture, environment, and animal care, visit GOV.UK - Find an apprenticeship.
Find out more
- Learn about horticulture courses.
- See what else the environment and agriculture sector has to offer.