Panelists Respond to the Q&A:

After the webinar, the panellists read all the questions that came in, and responded to many of them. Here you can find additional wisdom about your climate career journey!

Communications skills you need in the climate space

Q: What are some of the most sought out communications skills that one should further develop (or highlight) in order to increase your candidacy in the climate space? Digital advocacy and/or engagement? Media/PR communications? Editorial communications? Etc…

Answered by Tammy: Every organisation, and every comms team, is unique and has very unique needs. One thing is true for many communications jobs: excellent writing skills are incredibly important. Also, if you want to stand out, develop your general understanding of climate communications, climate psychology and the latest research on how people are reacting to climate change. This precise knowledge about climate communications will be of tremendous value to the organisations you work for. You can add the trainings you complete to the education section of your CV. One Climate Action offers these climate communications trainings and you can view them here.

Climate communications courses + resources

Q: Can you share resources for learning about best practices for climate communications, persuasion, and storytelling — and how that changes internationally/contextually?

Answered by Tammy: One Climate Action's training teaches these exact elements. You can view the next communications trainings here. The One Climate Action programs are adapted to an international audience and are based on the latest research in climate communications, persuasion and human behavior.

Also, both the Resources page on our website, and the Climate Communications Hub offer links to additional resources. 

With regard to how these change internationally, this is not something that has a very quick answer. To create highly adapted message, focus groups must be held within the country in question, and with the specific group of people who are the target audience. Several organisations have done the preliminary work of identifying the appropriate subgroups for a given country. For example, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication has identified sub-groups of the US population, Climate Outreach has done the same for the U.K. population, and Re.Climate has done the same in Canada. In addition, check these links for Yale's international work and Climate Outreach's international work. There are other organisations that are working on this in other countries, though I don’t know all of them.

Contents of your CV/resume, cover letter, portfolio, and application

Q: What are the salient points that should be added to the resume when it comes to climate communications?

Answered by Tammy: Generally speaking, your resume should include all the different activities you’ve had that relate to climate change, including volunteering and courses you’ve completed. You could also add titles of writing samples, public speaking topics, or communications campaigns that relate to sustainability or climate-related issues. If you’d like an example of a CV focused on climate communications, you can download mine here.

Q: What does a good communications portfolio look like to you?

Answered by Sophie: Here’s mine in case useful to share it with the participants - it’s a simple one and could be refined and be much better, but I’ve had good feedback on it, with a few people in hiring processes telling me it helped to set my application apart. And on my end, when I’ve hired consultants, a good portfolio really made a big difference. Visit Sophie's portfolio here.

Answered by Tammy: The type of portfolio depends on the type of communications work you will be doing. Make sure you include in your portfolio the type of work you love to do, or want to do more of. The samples can be creations you built out on your own, academic work, or work created during your work experience. I have a professional website with writing samples on it. This is a portfolio of sorts. When looking at a portfolio, I prefer to see a standardized cover page on all downloadable examples. This is what you see on the writing samples you can download from my website linked above.

Q: How important is the cover letter or motivation letter? Are they really read from start to finish? What should we write in them?

Answered by Tammy: This depends on the organisation and their hiring process. When I was hiring, I would first scan the CVs to choose my top 20 candidates, then I would do a second review of the CVs and remove some before I read any cover letters. A poorly written cover letter can destroy a perfect candidate’s application, and an excellent cover letter can move a mediocre applicant to the interview process.

The best cover letters are one page long and have a 3-paragraph format, called “You-me-us”. The first paragraph (“you”) is about the organisation or the specific department: What do you understand about their work? Show off your understanding of what they do, and the impact they are having. This is a good place for complimenting them on their achievements. The second paragraph (“me”) is about you. This should be the shortest paragraph and should not repeat what ou have written in your CV. Here, offer new information about your professional profile that will interest the hiring manager, or write a strong argument about what you offer the department that is unique to you. Finally, in the third paragraph (“us”), explain why you want this position (what will you gain from this job experience), and describe what they will get from hiring you (what will you do for them, especially in the first 2 months? Sometimes the job offer will list other requirements that you include in your cover letter, like the date you are available to start. Follow all instructions perfectly.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) during the application process

Q: What do you think about the use of A.I. (ChatGPT and Bard) in writing cover letters and resumes for UN jobs?

Answered by Rune: I recommend standing out as you - not posting something generic and artificial.

Answered by Brent: No. I can spot it a mile away. Seeing a letter written by AI, would immediately make me question whether you will attempt to use AI to write your comms material and hence get the speaker sued.

Examples of good climate communications

Q: In communicating on climate, would the panel have recommendations on social media accounts that they personally follow which are good examples or have impactful story telling ?

Answered by Tammy: There is one person who regularly posts on social media in a way that follows the best practices in climate communications, his name is Sam Bently and he’s on Linkedin. Some other accounts post following best practices from time to time. There should be a solution or a model showing what is possible, like this example. Unfortunately too many social media accounts focus exclusively on the urgency and scaring people, without offering solutions or vision of a positive transition. Research shows that this turns people away from supporting climate solutions.

Speechwriting

Q: As an interpreter, I’m curious to know if the speeches are shared with the interpreters before they are delivered by the speaker?

Answered by Brent: Hi Skander, if the event is an official one such as COP, yes, all opening/closing speeches to the plenary are given to the interpreters first. Unfortunately, we make changes up until the speaker goes to the podium, so there is a lot of pressure for the poor interpreters! I greatly admire what they do.

Q: Do you have speechwriting courses to suggest?

Answered by Brent: Hi Renata, I used to take on a select few people to participate in a 10-week high-level speechwriting course that I would personally conduct. I'm not sure if I will offer it again in the future, but if you can gather five or six other people, I might be tempted to lead one this spring. Warning: I make participants write a LOT of speeches! Thank you for your question. [Contact Brent via his website.]

Communications on the job tips + tactics

Q: Are plain language and storytelling used by NGOs and sustainable movements to create inclusive, accessible, tangible communication and help the message stay front of mind?

Answered by Brent: Yes, plain language when required, depending on audience. Instead of thinking of plain language, think of clarity instead. Why should specialists suffer through endless jargon and dreck? They're humans too ;)

Answered by Tammy: The language and style of the communication depends on the audience that you’re trying to influence and the purpose of the communication piece. There is no simple answer to this. As Brent says, clarity is the most important, for any audience and any purpose.

Q: How to address critiques of communications (from technical staff) when the critiques are based solely on social media statistics?

Answered by Sophie: As comms specialists, we tend to receive a lot of criticisms from non-comms people. I think it's important to always "educate" non-comms colleagues and explain why you're doing what you're doing, and trust that you know what work in comms better than them.

Addressing climate change deniers

Q: Many people still deny that climate change is real. How can we deliver the message/science analysis and recommendation to touch upon their consciousness?

Answered by Brent: others may not share my opinion, but I prefer to stay away from the deniers and focus on those who are somewhere in the middle or who simply don't know what they should be doing. Getting into mud-slinging with deniers is a zero-sum game and, frankly, a waste of the precious time we have left to address climate change. Yes, I know this is simplistic....very difficult to answer this in this short space -- likely need a few more webinars!

Answered by Tammy: The best practice is to not focus your communications on deniers. Most deniers will never change their mind, however, there are groups who are ‘on the fence’ - people who are doubtful or disengaged, or cautious (to take the wording used by Yale’s Six America’s research). These people are much more likely to be convinced than deniers! Why spend your time on people who are unlikely to be convinced (the deniers), when you could spend the same amount of time convincing 5 people who are doubtful or disengaged?

Getting a job as a consultant

Q: Many organizations look for external consultants/ freelancers/ experts. How would a comms person position themselves to get their first projects with an international organisation in that capacity?

Answered by Tammy: When I was the Communications Manager for REN21, people would send me an email to offer us their services. This usually led to me putting them on a list that kept for when a need for that service came up. Also, here is some information that may be useful: I was given this advice by two separate individuals who worked for the OECD about how to get a consulting job there. First, identify the unit or department that you want to work for. Then, download the recent reports that seem interesting to you. Usually the author’s names are written in the first few pages, sometimes with their email addresses. Explore the website to learn more about how that report was communicated, check social media to see if there were posts there, and generally try to learn more about the way that this report was communicated. As you explore all this, come up with some ideas for projects you could take on as a consultant that would be of interest to the department, and would be of interest to the report authors. Finally, send an email or a LinkedIn message to the report authors complimenting them on their work, and sharing your project idea and your profile. Sometimes this can lead to them hiring you to execute your idea, or a similar project.

General hiring tips

Q: What does recruitment most look for in candidates?

Answered by Sophie: They want to see that you understand the job you're applying for, and that you have some of the skills to do it well, or a willingness to learn these skills. That's why it's very important to tailor your applications to the job you're applying for.

Q: How should we prepare for the interview?

Answered during the webinar: One recommendation is to use the STAR technique to prepare stories about your previous work and volunteering experience. STAR stands for situation, task, action you took, result.

Where to find jobs and internships?

Q: Where can I find paid internships in the UN system?

Answered by a webinar participant: There is a list of UN organisations and affiliated institutions which offer paid internships. Visit the list on LinkedIn.

Q: What is the situation regarding remote positions in this field? I'm a human rights lawyer based in France and am finding it challenging to find positions in the climate / human rights space with an international outlook.

Answered by Brent: I think it's going to be tricky to find remote work internationally as a lawyer (but not impossible). I know the UNFCCC has an entire division dedicated to legal, so check into the consultancy opportunities on their website at this link. Make sure you fill everything out as thoroughly as possible.

Answered by Tammy: Sometimes a job may not indicate that it is remote, but for the right profile, the hiring team will adapt. If you feel you are a perfect fit for a job that is not listed as remote, reach out (via email or LinkedIn) to see if you can have a 15-minute call with someone in the organisation. You don’t need to talk to the hiring manager specifically, and you could speak to multiple people. Focus at the beginning of the call on asking what the other person thinks about working there. Ask questions to show your interest. Then, give a sentence or two (be brief to describe how amazing you are), and a sentence or two about how passionate you are about working for this organisation. Then, explain that you’d like to apply, but would need to work remotely. See how they respond to the idea. Ask if you think there might be some flexibility on their side about remote work. Thank them for their time.

Another thing that comes to mind is that there are a multitude of jobs boards and communities related to finding jobs in the climate sector, and many of the jobs can be done remotely. Some examples that come to mind are, Euro Climate Jobs and the Work on Climate community on Slack. But keep in mind, that many organisations never post their jobs online, because the job is filled before there is a need to do a call for candidates. Thus, spontaneous applications are highly valuable, as is networking.

New graduates + starting one’s career

Q: How can new graduates or interns get their first formal communications job in the climate change sector? International organisations are known for requiring at least two years experience for entry level positions, and applicants are frequently overqualified.

Answered by Brent: When it comes to speechwriting, the most important thing is to have a portfolio. To build one, volunteer wherever you can. Write your own speeches -- give them at community events. Think of municipal representatives -- they often have a small staff and are always in need of help. Try to begin with a ribbon-cutting event or something low-risk, and work your way back up. Use these speeches to leverage other opportunities as well. Volunteer to MC events (the person who introduces the speakers). Join a Toastmasters group in your area or create one. The good news is that speechwriting is a fairly easy entry point as so few people believe that they can (or are willing to) do it.

Answered by Sophie: I think a good way in is an internship or graduate program. Consider the following: (a) accepting an entry level consultancy that might not be exactly what you want, but could open up broader opportunities. (b) applying to lesser high-profile organisations: apart from the UN, you can get great experience in smaller NGOs or private sector consultancies, (c) applying for an internship in a duty station abroad. Experience in country offices is highly regarded, plus you'll learn A LOT when working in a country office. I cannot recommend this enough!

Career transitions + gaining more experience

Q: I don’t have a portfolio or a climate or environmental background, but I am looking to transition. How can my current communications skills stand out, or what can I do to stand out when applying to climate jobs (like joining a local chapter that relates to climate, etc.)?

Answered by Tammy: Creating new opportunities for you to gain experience and create a portfolio of work is the best solution. Volunteering for climate organisations is helpful, but it can also be highly valuable for you to create or join a related group in the company you currently work for, or in the town you live in. Offer your support to anyone in your company or in your town whose job is dedicated to sustainability or climate-related topics. Connect with people who are already working in a related field (by email, by LinkedIn, at events), and get to know them. Tell them that you’re interested in getting involved, and considering a career transition. See what ideas they share with you. Eventually, add your volunteer experiences to your CV.

Q: How is possible to get shortlisted for climate communications positions if one doesn’t have the required degree in journalism, communications, or international relations?

Answered by Tammy: If you have some years of experience working in communications, but you are only missing the degree, sometimes you can bypass this issue. However, in many online job application systems, the system will remove your profile from the list of applicants if you don’t meet the exact criteria set by the hiring team. The best way to get around this is to contact various people in the department you wish to work for (by LinkedIn or email) and let them know that you applied, highlight your relevant experience and highlight other reasons why you’re a perfect fit for the role. If you are truly a good fit, these extra steps may lead to your profile being hand-picked for review.

Answered by Brent: The easiest answer is to say: "get them". If not, sometimes the hiring team will consider the number years of work experience that you have. A bit of a Catch-22, I know. So, if you can spare the endless cash and time that it takes to get those degrees, I'd suggest getting them. But remember, there are often communications jobs at state/provincial/federal levels that do not require these degrees.

Answered by Sophie: It is possible if you have a genuine interest in communications. However, I would avoid applying to communications jobs just as an "entry point" in the organisation. You can demonstrate comms interest by having an engaging personal social media profile, for instance.

Q: Hello, I've never worked in UN organization and have no experience in this field, but I would love to be involved in dealing with climate change. Is there any chance for me to become really involved? Is it a good idea to start from being a 45 year-old volunteer? I'm a teacher of geography.

Answered by Brent: You'll be happy to know that I'm 48-years-old and I still have no clue what I want to be when I grow up! Don't think about age, think about what you have to offer. To me, teaching is an excellent base for both climate change and communications in general. I would suggest you could -- depending on flexibility of your school district of course -- try to organize some climate-related class activities or model UN coursework (perhaps around COP). You could split the students up in a comms format where some try out some speeches and some try out a press release and perhaps others could try out conducting interviews. I'd also take a look at programs such as Action for Climate Empowerment at the UNFCCC which focuses on education. Are there jobs there? Not sure -- that's research for your end, but it's a good place to start. Also contact NGOs to see what they have in terms of providing climate change training material (or if they need people to volunteer). I would definitely consider this when choosing to hire someone.

Answered by Tammy: Working on climate change is important in every sector, every job, every institution. So, bringing more climate topics to the job you already have is a wonderful way to start. Yes, volunteering (at any age) is valuable for both your CV and for the impact you’ll have on the crisis. To integrate more climate topics into your work as a teacher, I recommend the Office for Climate Education, Action for the Climate Emergency, and Yale’s resources for educators. There are many more organisations offering resources for teachers, too many to name here.

Q: As a senior communications professional who's bilingual, curious how much private sector (Fortune 500) experience is valued when trying to transition to large international program climate comms?

Answered by Brent: I have a feeling you know the answer to that question. Of course this background is helpful. The greater question is: are you ready for a significant pay cut? Are you ready for decisions that take weeks and months instead of minutes? Bureaucracy at the UN and other international orgs can be a challenge.

Answered by Sophie: In my opinion, private sector experience is highly valued! I started in the private sector myself and have learnt a lot. I know that it's an experience that's been received well in UN/NGO sectors.

Q: Can communication experience as a civil servant ease one's search for a UN job?

Answered by Rune: UN is a political org, civil servant jobs are highly relevant in that context.

Answered by Brent: Yes.

Volunteering as a retiree

Q: Are there opportunities for retired environmental professionals in climate communications perhaps as volunteers and, if so, how to proceed in seeking those opportunities?

Answered by Tammy: Yes! There are certainly roles for you. The answer to this question depends quite a lot on where you live in the world and what skills you have. For example, you could volunteer for the local sustainable development or green transition office in the town you live in, or you could contact public departments and nonprofits (NGOs) in other regions, who may be able to work with you remotely. Also, there are groups (often NGOs) that have a delegation they send to UN events, and you could potentially support these groups. There are thousands of these groups around the world. How to proceed: look for the groups you want to help, send them email or telephone them, and let them know what you can offer. These two resources may also interest you: Third Act (climate nonprofit in the US for retired and mature adults), and this film called The Grey Power.