How to Land a Sustainable Summer Job
As more jobs are created in the sustainability sector, more students can gain work experience in pursuing social and environmental activism. If you are looking for a summer job that provides valuable work experience and that addresses climate action, this post will guide you to maximize your chances of landing a sustainable summer job!
Step 1: Find and Research Job Opportunities
To find sustainable summer job opportunities, find job platforms that provide opportunities relevant to your interests. A few resources that can help with that are the Green Career Centre’s Wage Subsidy Matching Tool and the Youth Green Jobs Network. The Wage Subsidy Matching Tool can help connect youth to more than 100 federally funded subsidies and work-integrated learning opportunities. You can filter through this tool to find opportunities that you are eligible for and best suited for.
The Youth Green Jobs Network LinkedIn group allows youth to find entry-level green jobs and networking opportunities. We post daily opportunities and also have a bi-weekly green job round-up for you to check out on our LinkedIn page.
There are various industries to choose from for a sustainable summer job. Some of the following to keep in mind include:
Government and Policy
Clean Energy Transition
Clean Technology
Social Enterprise
Sustainable Finance
Sustainability and Social Impact Consulting
Regenerative Food Systems
Climate Advocacy
Philanthropy
Environmental Restoration
Environmental Justice and Services
Circular Economy
Sustainable Transportation
Environmental Law
Eco-Marketing
Environmental Mobilization and Education
Indigenous Economy and Economic Reconciliation
When researching job opportunities, it is important to research what the organization does, fully understand the job requirements, and determine whether it is best suited to your interests and skill set. You can look through the company website and social media accounts to understand the company values and culture to determine whether it is a right fit for you. You can also research staff and/or hiring managers to know who to contact when applying, and also how to apply for the job.
Step 2: Develop a Shortlist
While researching job opportunities, developing a shortlist to organize all the job opportunities you found makes it easier during the cold emailing/applying process.
The first step is to determine the shortlist criteria. Start with identifying what is necessary for you in a job and a company. This could range from the wage, company values or even the work environment.
Next, you should also identify what are the deal breakers for you in a job and a company. This could include job location, working hours or job responsibilities as the hours and work may be too demanding. You can also include desirable criteria, which would be nice to have in a job and a company such as the types of benefits that a company offers.
Once you have determined your shortlist criteria, you can score each job opportunity and then rank them to determine your most desired jobs as well as those you are not as interested in. This will help when applying to jobs as you have your top picks,what you will work towards and also backup options. Keep in mind though that you should still be putting in effort when applying to backup options!
Step 3: Cold Emailing
To start cold emailing, find the best person in the company to contact. You can do this using Wonsulting.Ai’s Network.Ai software by searching for the position you’re interested in on LinkedIn and then directly filtering the company you’re applying to. This will allow you to find people in your desired job to connect with on LinkedIn. Once you do and plan to email them, introduce yourself first and try to build a connection. You can ask for a meeting or a coffee chat, rather than straight up demanding a job. It is really important to build that connection and let them know why you would be a good fit for the job so that they can vouch for you. Also, make sure that in the email you send you include your availability and how they can reach you. Make it easy for them to contact you if needed.
When cold emailing or applying, it is important that your resume stands out from the pile. To do that, you have to differentiate yourself from others in the industry. So think about what makes your resume memorable - whether that's through your resume design, the impact that's made or the lessons you've reflected on in your previous work experience. Be sure to effectively communicate what you've achieved as well as what you've learned. And finally, you really want to show and prove how you might have acquired a particular skill set.
The best resume format is one that is pleasant to look at. It's not overwhelming paragraphs of text and is not identical to the last resume that resume reviewers saw. Canva, Wonsulting’s ResumAI, and Hi Counselor’s Creative Resume Builder all have great, customizable resume templates. Use your intuition and select one that's simple, clear and clean in its design.
The best resume format is one that is pleasant to look at, concise and is unique compared to previously submitted resumes. and is ATS-scannable. An ATS-scannable resume is one that can be easily scanned by an Applicant-Tracking System (ATS) for keywords, which requires clear formatting..
The resume template you use might differ depending on the type of job you apply to. For example, Marketing and UX/UI designer position resumes might prefer Canva-made resumes. Use your intuition and select one that's simple, clear, clean in its design, and is relevant to the type of job you are applying to..
When including awards or achievements, try to frame it in a way that someone, without any context, can understand what you were awarded and why since employers may not know what the award is. You should ensure that you include many possible metrics and numbers behind what you've done. For example, stating how much money you were able to bring into the company/organization. Also, proofread your resume and ask someone else to proofread it for you.
Step 4: Networking
Networking is crucial to finding a summer job! When researching companies, it is helpful to look through their social media profiles or websites to see if they have any upcoming events. You can also take a look at past events they attended and see if the event is going to happen again.
LinkedIn is a great networking tool, and the Green Career Centre has developed a LinkedIn Optimization Guide which has tips and tricks to optimize your LinkedIn profile and find green jobs through LinkedIn’s various features. I’m going to go over some of the important parts of the guide.
The first tip is to have a really good LinkedIn profile picture - putting a face to a name. Make sure that your face is in view, that you have a clean and neutral background with good lighting, get dressed up like you’re gonna go to a meeting, and don’t forget to smile!
Next, we have your headline. Having a really clear headline helps recruiters find you for roles. Make sure your headline is unique, and not generic. Seek to include, rather, the positions that you’re interested in working in.
One of the other basic elements of your LinkedIn profile is your profile summary section. In this section, introduce yourself and your lived and work experience, list your key skills and competencies, and point out any technologies or methodologies you might know.
When you want to build a network through LinkedIn, it's important to connect with people you know first. This can be people that you’ve worked with or even met at conferences. Keep in mind that every connection can be a valuable one, and as you grow your network the more people you meet, the merrier your LinkedIn network will be!
You can also connect with our LinkedIn Sustainability Influencers for coffee chats, mentorship, or career coaching. You can see on the website what each person is open to according to the emojis. Feel free to reach out and connect to them to further your professional development and broaden your network.
The Green Career Centre has lots of opportunities through which you can network: we run webinars and workshops like these and also have yearly green career fairs. You can attend these events to meet people in the sustainability field and widen your network. You can also join our Youth Green Jobs Network and meet like-minded green job seekers.
Landing a sustainable summer job requires being proactive, diligent, and motivated. It is also competitive, but by securing a summer job that aligns with your values and promotes sustainability, you can make a positive impact on the world while gaining valuable work experience. Join us at our ‘How to Land A Sustainable Summer Job’ webinar offered in both English and French.
