It’s Green Careers Week!
It’s Green Careers Week!
8 November 2022
It’s Green Careers Week! A time to promote the many careers that are integral to changing our world for the better.
Around 60% of young people are ‘worried’ or ‘extremely worried’ about climate change, (according to a global survey conducted by Bath University in 2021) so Green Careers Week is an excellent opportunity to highlight the amazing career pathways they can follow to improve the future climate.
In celebration of the week, we would like to introduce you to our Environmental Advisor, Honor Hutson, who has kindly shared her story about how she began a green career!
Honor – “With this week marking National Green Careers Week, I feel it’s important to share my own experience in how I became an Environmental Advisor and encourage others to follow this career path.
There is a common misconception with STEM subjects, that if you don’t have the right A-Levels, or high grades, you can’t pursue a career within these subjects. However, my experience proves otherwise.
At secondary school I chose Triple Science (Biology, Chemistry & Physics) to bolster my GCSEs, thinking it would look good on my CV! Being dyslexic, as well as having attention deficit disorder (ADD) and dyspraxia, I struggled through Chemistry and Physics but enjoyed Biology, especially topics like ecology and global environmental issues (which weren’t huge topics in the curriculum at the time).
I realised that Environmental Science might be the career path for me and took Biology as an A-Level. Sadly, at the end of my first year, I didn’t have high enough grades to continue and decided to drop it, which was a really hard decision to make.
However, after speaking to my Sixth Form careers advisor, she told me about Foundation Years (FY), which changed my career outlook. I applied and got accepted into Environmental Science with an FY at the University of East Anglia with my A-Levels; English Literature (B), History (C) and Psychology (D). I achieved a high 2:1, which gave me self-verification that I am capable of pursuing this STEM subject as a professional career.
Once my job hunt began, I got offered a role as Graduate Environmental Advisor at an established construction firm, with no prior knowledge of construction and how environmental science fit within this industry.
After over a year of developing my knowledge and competence, I then joined the team here at BCM Construction, which gave me the opportunity to take the next step in my career as Environmental Advisor. I am now working in a team that drives innovative solutions within the construction industry, such as encouraging the use of renewable energy, improving waste management, and actively promoting positive environmental behaviour within the company and surrounding communities.
Through determination, I didn’t let my grades or learning difficulties hold me back and am proud to say that I am now helping to reduce global environmental impact and achieve both internal and external carbon reduction goals.”
Honor is an incredibly valuable member of our team. Her perspective on how we can work in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way is integral to our business. She is an important and inspirational ambassador for the future generation of STEM and her work is helping us in our contribution towards creating a better planet for all.
We appreciate you, Honor!
To find out more about Green Careers Week, visit https://nationalcareersweek.com/green-careers-week/