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xty enthusiastic attendees turned out to network and to learn more about opportunities in the sustainability sector at the “Green Career Workshop” event on March 28, 2018.
The event was facilitated by Elena Jusenlijska, Manager, Corporate Engagement at ACCES Employment, and former Headhunter at Delta Management, specializing in recruiting Green Professionals.
The complete video can be found here.
The five featured speakers were:
Indra Maharjan: Program Manager, Energy Conservation, Resource Recovery and Climate Change at Ontario Clean Water Agency
Indra spoke of his journey from Nepal to Canada in 2010 with two Masters degrees, and the steps he took to find a career in his field. Indra started as an Energy Analyst with the City of Toronto before ultimately landing his current position as a program manager with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (part of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change).
Indra recommended that newcomers and those looking for a career in sustainability find a mentor to help them sort through the noise of available information and understand what’s important. He also identified networking as a key activity.
He noted that the Ontario Clean Water Agency expects to see about 20% of staff retire in the next two years, leading to opportunities for younger people in an area of secure employment. However, since it’s a regulated industry, appropriate training and licenses are necessary.
Lily Lin: Sales and Marketing Coordinator at Panasonic Eco-Solutions Canada, and President of Toronto Renewable Energy Network
Lily discussed her experience in coming from China in 2008 and how her dual passions for nature and problem solving led her to involvement with various sustainability and environmental groups. She noted that working in various customer-facing roles early in her career provided her with valuable experience in dealing with people which can be used in any job.
As current President of the Toronto Renewable Energy Network, Lily talked about plans to rebrand that organization, including a new name and expanded focus.
Akhil Sivanandan: Co-Founder of Green Story
Following an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Akhil finished his MBA at the Rotman School of Management . He worked in several roles before taking a position with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change as a program advisor on cap and trade and other programs.
He subsequently decided to venture out on his own, founding Green Story. Green Story works with companies to assess the sustainability value of their products and services .and present that information in a straightforward way to their customers. The goal is to encourage consumers to understand and to make greener choices.
Green Story has grown from 1.5 people to 8 since its founding in March of 2016.
Ana Zotovic: Support Assistant, Economic Development and Culture, City of Toronto
Ana spoke to the way that the City of Toronto breaks down the sustainability sector in terms of achieving efficiencies, reducing risk, and studying and managing environment impacts. At the high level, these include Clean Energy, Green Buildings, Sustainable Transport, Resource Management & Environmental Protection, Bio-Products.
The Economic Development Office is works to create green jobs in two ways: indirectly via the Sector Development Office Core Activities, and directly via the Green Market Acceleration Program (GMAP).GMAP accelerates the development of Made-in-Toronto Green Technologies through collaboration with the City.
Sahra Shojaie: Sustainability Consultant at Sustainability Consultant Network
Sahra has a Masters in Environmental Applied Science and Management from Ryerson University, specializing in Biomass research. She works with numerous environmental groups, including the Ontario Community Energy Co-op, Women in Renewable Energy, International Renewable Energy Academy, and the Water Environment Association of Ontario.
Sahra provided an overview of several programs which provide opportunities for sustainability/impact jobs. These include Natural Resources Canada – Science and Technology Internship Program, Bmeaningful, and the Professional Access Into Employment (PAIE) Bridge training program.
Sahra works directly with the Sustainability Consultant Network Consultant Internship Program, which provides real world training with consultants helping small to medium sized enterprises improve their business through sustainability.
Q&A and Breakout sessions
The speakers were followed by a question and answer session which focused on how to get started in a sustainability career.
Key points:
- Networking is a cliché, but a true one. Find a niche where what you’re passionate about intersects with what you’re good at, and focus on networking there. (Sahra)
- Create a personal brand and enhance it constantly. Look ahead to what the market will need in the future, not just at what it’s doing now. Train and educate yourself for that future. (Indra)
- Reputation is key. When networking and asking for a meeting , be sure and have a plan so that you’re not wasting that person’s time. (Akhil)
- Develop a combined skill set and understand its value. Having a sales background was very valuable when working in project management. Define your strengths and what skills you want to apply. (Ana)
- Use all avenues to develop your career, including online applications, social media, and networking events. There are many different avenues to career goals. (Lily)
The evening closed with breakout sessions, facilitated small-table discussions, and networking which gave the attendees a chance to meet with and ask questions of the speakers.
Watch the complete event video here!
Funding provided by the Government of Ontario.