How do you network with other environmental professionals to share best practices?

Online environmental communities not only enable networking and knowledge sharing for professional but also promote innovation, advocacy, and bridging the gap between research and application. They inspire practitioners with successful projects and solutions, providing a holistic approach to addressing environmental challenges.

This is my core networking activity. I much prefer meeting people at events that align to my profession and interests. It also builds up your knowledge of current industry trends, terminology and key players. Start at the bigger free events where you can focus on learning more about your industry. From there you will be able to build awareness about current conversations so that when you move to smaller events you potentially have more to talk about and contribute. Look for environmental aspects of your current industry - eg Marketing, Technology, Manufacture. This way you can match up your current experience to emerging problems. It will give you a good start on where to research and who to speak to.

Referral marketing is so powerful. I know plenty of people who feel embarrassed to ask for one, but are always willing to give them! Don't be shy. If you have a good relationship with a peer and have delivered great work for them - they will be happy to introduce you to their contacts. Then it's up to you to get them to know, like & trust you. Remember to offer your own introductions back. Every few months, I think about great collaborations, and send them a LI reference as a polite thank you to highlight their great work. If you need one back in the future, don't be afraid to ask. If you want a more professional approach, feedback is equally good and you can use it as testimonial to demonstrate your expertise.

I got my first start in sustainability through volunteering as a Trustee for a local mental health charity. This allowed me to contribute my skills to people who needed them at low risk from both participants. It was a great start to cut my teeth. It then gave me the confidence and experience to expand my volunteering and networks. Since then I've focused on giving back as much as possible either through other volunteer positions such as steering committees for NetZero projects (including a prestigious one for the Royal College of Engineers) mentoring at schools and colleges or large committees such as OCP or interest groups on behalf of the EU Commission. You need to build a body of work that showcases your strengths early doors.