Working with Employers
What are employers like?
Describes different employment sectors, their size, culture, structure, and employment conditions.
UK Employment Sectors for Environmental Careers
Quite often the experience gained in the different employment sectors is transferable. Each sector has its own typical culture, pay, recruitment approach and employment conditions.
Employment Sectors for UK Environmental Careers
This PDF file describes typical employment sectors for UK environmental professionals as well as their own typical culture, structure, pay, recruitment approach and employment conditions. It also provides web links to a wide range of related websites.
Environmental Jobs and Employers
This PDF file describes typical employers from the government, voluntary and business sectors focusing on different environmental topics – biodiversity, open spaces, food production, pollution prevention, sustainable buildings, waste, energy, water, transport and travel, as well as environmental management, engineering, planning, sustainable construction and other indirect environmental careers.
Government Sector - The Regulators, The Policy-Makers, The Promoters
- Government Departments
- Government Agencies
- Local Authorities
Business Sector - The Producers, The Regulated, The Contractors, The Advisers
- Multinational Businesses
- Large Businesses
- Manufacturing Businesses
- Service Businesses
- Small to Medium Sized Enterprises
- Consultancy Businesses
Voluntary Sector - The Promoters, The Partners, The Managers, The Advisers
- National Voluntary organisations
- Local Voluntary organisations
- Local Community organisations
Education Sector – The Educators, The Trainers, The Researchers
- Schools, Colleges and Universities
- Research bodies
- Professional bodies and Learned Societies
Public Sector Pros and Cons
- Commitment to the customer, wanting to have a positive effect on people’s lives
- Job satisfaction from the public service ethos
- Guaranteed income
- Guaranteed pension linked to pay
- Increasing pay and social esteem (17% rise in public sector, 15% rise in private sector since 2000)
- Bureaucratic and sometimes slow to change
- Increasing burden of administration
- Lack of public appreciation
Private Sector Pros and Cons
- Better pay
- More compulsory redundancies
- Risk of economic downturn
- Entrepreneurial culture
- Wealth creation in a fast exciting way
- Opportunities for quick promotion, pay increases
- Long hours
Organisational Culture
In many ways culture is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing an employer. It is the beliefs, values and attitudes which influence how people work in the organisation. It includes morale, care, goodwill and respect. It is a very powerful force which is deliberately cultivated and passed on to new employees. Much of the job interview will to make sure you fit in with and continue the existing culture.
Many graduates are disappointed and unhappy in their first jobs. In many cases there is a clash between their personal values and those of the organisation.
