How to make a career change to Renewable Energy?

This subject first appeared for me in 2016, but back then the question of how to make a career switch to Renewable Energy, was far and few between. Since then though, the question is very quickly taking centre stage amongst the global workforce. And this is especially so within the fast-changing Energy landscape. It's quite clear for many now, that the Renewables industry is where you may want to work as the world finally transitions to cleaner Energy. So, is it an easy move to make, or a difficult one? That depends on you, but for now I want to help you make this move if this is what you truly want.

I'll start by mentioning for those of you whom don't know, that around 4 and a half years ago, I myself had to make this transition. I made the decision to turn my recruitment business from Oil & Gas to Renewable Energy, when Oil prices took a tumble downwards at the end of 2014, and I was left with little choice but to find a new industry to work with. As I didn't want to leave the Energy space, which always felt like my home, moving to Renewables seemed to be the sensible move. Thankfully it has paid off, but back then there was a lot of hype but very little activity in this space. It was difficult to make the transition, and required deep commitment, perseverance, and effort that is still ongoing. But fortunately for you all and unlike 5 years ago, there is now strong Recruitment activity across the sector.

So, I will share 5 practical tips that if you undertake today, should give you the support required to make a career change to Renewable Energy.

1. Find out WHERE in the industry you will be needed

The first action that you really need to take is to find out where your place in the Renewables industry is going to be. To do this can probably seem daunting, particularly if you really haven't got much of a grip on the industry right now. But all you really need is to know where to start. One of the suggestions I often have is to let the technology do it for you, and an easier way for this is by setting up Google Alerts. If you set up google alerts with keywords like "Energy Storage AND Jobs" or “Wind Energy AND Recruitment", you receive a tonne of info for your lead generation. Once you start getting a feel for the types of activity, projects, technology, countries, key aspects, etc., of the industry, then you're better suited to identify where you could come in. If you're a Marine Engineer or in Shipping, maybe it's not the most practical to think you can work as a Technical Manager in Solar. But perhaps it's likely that you could work as an Technical or Commercial professional for the blossoming Offshore Wind industry. Be realistic and practical about what job you could get. Once you're confident of this, you can start moving to the 'what.'

2. Work out WHAT you're going to bring to the table

Here’s an example from the commercial side of things - You are working in Business Development for a big Engineering firm in Oil & Gas. In your career, you have developed a network of professionals with Fortune 500 companies. You then decide to evaluate your customer base with regards to their potential demand for a service from the Renewables value chain. You work out that since the majority of your customers are in Supply Chain, Procurement, and Facilities, this could be a match. After doing your homework, you know enough about the industry and you believe your customer base could be a great market for wanting Rooftop Solar across their businesses. Simply, bring this proposition to firms who are providing Rooftop Solar to Corporate and Industrial customers, and they may see your client base as a great source of business and growth for them. This will almost certainly guarantee some attention or at least curiosity from prospective employers. In fact, I have made recent placements with my candidates and clients in this exact scenario! This is where the Research element is absolutely key. By finding out what the industry really looks like, you can explore where the demand may be for what you have to offer. So, once you've nailed this, we got to find out 'who' exactly can you bring this to.

3. Get in front of WHO you need to

This point really should be the easiest, but it can also be the hardest. The easy part can be identifying the relevant contact you should be speaking to, as with tools like LinkedIn this can be quite simple. But the hard part can be getting their attention. Well to make it possible, I recommend using a platform like LinkedIn to find the right people, but then bringing the conversation away and engaging them at networking events in person, via a phone call, or a well written email. There are a lot of things you could do here where a creative approach is required, and whilst you should definitely approach people here on LinkedIn, you should do more. To get updated contact information, I suggest one of the many Google Chrome Extensions like Lusha that usually provide this. In today’s age, you've just got to do more than before, as there's too much noise in the market, and more job seekers are competing for attention. When you send a message to HR, the Hiring Manager, or a Recruiter like me, it may be just one of hundreds. You may need to connect and engage with multiple contacts within the one organisation and start dialogues with various levels of the business. Your goal here to should be to build good lasting relationships. I know it might sound obvious, but it has the risk of becoming overlooked as we're relying more on technology. This is the ideal time to capitalise on the potential of social media, while also doing the conventional approaches of cold calling, networking, and being persistent to get in front of who you need to. Keep at this and you will be fortunate if it doesn't take long, but anticipate a longer time frame. Eventually you will get results and once you're there, be prepared to show your 'why.'

4. Be clear on your WHY

The question gets asked to you from a potential employer in Renewable Energy, "Why do you want a job with us?" And your answer is, "Because I have so much passion for greening the world," or even "I want to help stop climate change." These are the answers that may be true and sound nice, but it's not going to help you land that role. You need to be absolutely clear on by why you joining that company, it will help them achieve their goals, all whilst staying true to where you're going in your career. Without a message that directly speaks to their interest, you’re probably not going to be considered. By showing that you have spent considerable time, effort, and thought on what you want from your next role, it's likely to be viewed as a hallmark characteristic of top talent. There are some brilliant coaches like Jodie Glickman who offer great content on this subject, and her videos can be viewed through LinkedIn Learning. This is really important in helping you create your value proposition, and the final step...

5. Know HOW to sell yourself

To the point, you have to know how to demonstrate your value, and in the case of finding a job in Renewables, you must be able to sell yourself. Even if you're an introvert, you have to get better at selling your skills, abilities, and value. The slightest improvement here could double your changes and reduce the odds to change the game in your favour. This is by far the one piece of advice which I want all of you to think about and do, because I guarantee it's going to help. By learning how to create your own Value Proposition, you can use this time and time again as you continue the job search, with this in your corner to rely on when an opening appears. This will improve over time as you refine your approach based on the response of the market and feedback. There are so many coaches, books, content, etc, available online and offline on becoming better at selling yourself, and what will work for some, may not work for others. But by applying new learns here will only help, not hinder, and just takes some effort, time, and a focused mindset. 

Finishing up, the Renewable Energy will need more great talent as the industry grows. Over time, perhaps the barriers to entry for transitioning candidates will be lower, but they may also raise even higher - I don't know. But for now, if you are set in your mind on making this move, take these tips with you and do the work. I have witnessed enough examples in my network of candidates recently and in the past, doing the very same thing a lot of you want to achieve. Believe me, it works and is achievable. Make 2019 your year to bring your career to the amazing industry that Renewable Energy is and let’s get you here. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my article, and I hope this helps you on your journey to land a career in Renewable Energy. I welcome any comments, thoughts, and of course questions below. Be sure to follow me here or on LinkedIn for regular updates and new job opportunities in Renewable Energy, and for upcoming events on this subject. Feel free to contact me directly, and I will do my best to respond.