The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative co-hosted an event with the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Women NYC program on April 24, 2024, to inform people interested in entering the sustainability field in New York City. The event began with a networking roundtable, where attendees met with sustainability professionals in small groups. Following networking, the New York City Economic Development Corporation presented highlights from New York City’s Green Jobs Action Plan. The program concluded with a panel discussion by sustainability professionals, including Monica Medina, former president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Miquela Craytor, vice president at Kearns & West; and Jully Merino Carela, program manager of sustainability and social innovation at IBM. The panel was moderated by Columbia University graduate student Anjaly Ariyanayagam.
Green Jobs Action Plan highlights include the following:
- Only 2% of venture capital funding goes to women-led firms.
- Despite women comprising 57% of the life sciences workforce, they only receive 2.6% funding.
- The “green economy” in New York City is already significant, with 133,000 jobs.
- New York City aims to have 400,000 jobs in the green economy by 2040.
- About 70% of job growth is in occupations that will transition to the green economy.
Panel highlights include the following:
- Career changers who want to transition into sustainability are encouraged to emphasize their transferable skills.
- Transferable skills are skills that can be applied across industry. These skills vary, but examples include communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.
- Achieving success in sustainability often relies on relationship-building and making connections.
- When people interview for a new job, they are also interviewing the company and should feel confident asking questions to ensure it is a good fit.
- A job can often be a stepping stone to another goal, and certain jobs can serve as strategic career moves. Even if the opportunity is not what is sought right now, it can lead to better things.
- Candidates should always negotiate salary and benefits.
- Building relationships with other women in the field and leveraging female-led sectors for resources is essential.
Many free resources, like IBM SkillsBuild, can help career changers build their skills for career growth or pivot to new industries.