Career Advice from an Energy Executive and Conservationist

If I Was 25 Again and Wanted a Career in Renewable Energy… If I could rewind time and give my 25-year-old self advice before entering renewable energy, this is what I’d say: 1️⃣ Don’t chase titles. Chase exposure. Your first years should be about learning EPC, O&M, grid, permits, and banking, not business cards. 2️⃣ Technical skill gets you hired. Communication gets you promoted. The best engineers don’t always become leaders. The best communicators do. 3️⃣ Learn the full lifecycle, not just your job description. Design. Construction. Commissioning. O&M. Asset Management. Understanding the full picture makes you dangerous (in a good way). 4️⃣ Renewable energy is not just about solar panels, it’s about risk. Contracts, safety, compliance, communities, finances, politics. If you can manage risk, you will never be unemployed. 5️⃣ Find mentors. But also learn from broken projects. Success is inspiring. Failure is the real teacher. 6️⃣ Protect your reputation like it’s your company. In this industry, your name travels faster than your CV. 7️⃣ Your body is also an asset. Look after it. Burnout is real in project environments. If you collapse, the project doesn’t stop, it replaces you. 8️⃣ Global exposure will change your mindset forever. Different countries, different grids, different rules, one global standard: execution matters. 9️⃣ Money will come later, skills must come first. Chase competence before compensation. 🔟 And finally… remember why you started. Clean energy is not a trend. It’s responsibility. If you’re 25 and just starting your energy career, You’re in the right industry at the right time. And if you’re already in it… You know this journey is anything but easy, but it’s worth it. 👇 What would YOU tell your 25-year-old self?

I frequently get asked by friends, colleagues, and even strangers how to pivot or start a career that moves the needle on climate. Most recently, I had a conversation with Hari Kukreja, a recent Cambridge sciences graduate, and realized my guidance has changed over time. It’s no longer about sacrificing income or lifestyle to make an impact; the landscape has shifted dramatically. Full article: https://lnkd.in/gb-pYrsX I grappled with the same question thirty years ago. I was passionate about the environment but couldn’t find a clear path forward that matched my skills and needs. I ended up building a global career in tech, occasionally working on projects like solar in Japan, wind energy in Quebec, and zero-emission mining in Ontario. I tried to get my global company to put serious time and resources into the low-carbon economy of the future, and failed. Today, the opportunities in the low-carbon economy are vast. Whether it's in electric vehicles, renewables, or energy efficiency, there’s room for almost any profession—engineering, law, finance, software development, and more. You don’t have to compromise on salary or location anymore to make a meaningful contribution to solving the climate crisis. My mentoring advice boils down to three key principles:  1. Know your five priorities—what drives you and makes you want to get up in the morning. 2. Always be learning three new things—keep evolving as the world changes around you. 3. Don’t close doors prematurely—explore opportunities, even if they don’t seem like an immediate fit. Hari, for example, has a strong foundation in STEM, team and leadership experience as captain of Cambridge’s top-level cricket team, cleantech alignment and networking via his co-presidency of the Cambridge University Energy Technology Society, international exposure from his time in Singapore and the UK, and clearly the willingness and drive to cold call people to make stuff happen. He’s already positioning himself for success in the clean economy, and I’m confident he’ll thrive. If you're in the climate or clean energy space, I encourage you to open a door for him. For those of you feeling stuck or wanting to make a difference, this is your call to action: understand your core priorities, keep learning, and be open to new opportunities. The low-carbon economy is growing fast, and there’s no shortage of ways to make an impact while building a fulfilling career. #career #gigeconomy #future #change #climateaction #business

💭 Advice for Young Professionals in the Energy Sector 💭 As all countries push to decarbonise their energy systems at speed, the role of emerging talent in the sector has never been more vital. Having spent over 20 years working on numerous large-scale energy projects, here are three critical pieces of advice for young professionals looking to drive the change we need:  ➡ Have a Global Mindset The global energy industry is deeply interconnected, with companies including Limak Enerji managing diverse portfolios across different markets. To succeed, it's essential to go beyond technical skills and stay informed about emerging global issues and investment principles. Embrace the opportunity to learn about different markets, policies, and emerging technologies. This will enable you to make more informed decisions and identify new opportunities that intersect economic growth with the energy transition. ➡ Take Ownership to See a Project Through No matter which industry you are in, being a proactive team member can set you apart. Seek out projects, volunteer for challenging tasks, and take responsibility to deliver them to the end. This approach will help you to build experience and develop essential leadership skills. Ownership is not just about managing tasks but also about being invested in the outcome, even if this takes a considerable degree of time as many energy projects do. It demonstrates commitment to your role and the larger goals of your organisation. ➡ Have a Solutions-Oriented Mindset The path to achieving the net-zero target is a challenging one that is fraught with critical challenges across the value chain, from decarbonising hard to abate sectors to connecting new renewable energy infrastructure to the grid. Young professionals play a critical role in this journey by bringing dynamic ideas to solving these issues. By combining bold ideas with a solutions-oriented mindset, young people will play a critical role in the sector’s future resilience and sustainability. It has never been a more important time for young talent to enter the energy industry as the ideas and actions they offer today will become the building blocks of the 2050 target. When technical skills are complemented by a global perspective, proactive engagement, and a relentless drive for solutions, I have full confidence that the future is bright.