post-16 officer

Name:

Jamie Clarke

Location:

Oxford

Company/College:

People & Planet

• Tell us about your job – where do you work and what do you do?

  My job is amazing. I work for People & Planet, a charity that works with young people across the UK who are taking action to improve the environment and reduce poverty across the world. My specific role involves managing a team of young people who visit schools and colleges, delivering inspirational and fun workshops on sustainability issues such as Climate Change. We then support students who want to take action to make a difference in their communities.

• What inspired you to do what you do? How did you get into it, did you have a plan?

  At school I was concerned about the environment, and particularly the destruction of the rainforests. I started a recycling scheme, as I thought it was a real waste to throw away so many things that could be used again. When I was at university I visited Brazil, and witnessed the massive scale of rainforest deforestation first-hand - and was really shocked. I was also shocked by the poverty that existed in the country, and the fact that poor people had no other choice than to chop down their forest to be able to feed themselves - and much of the reason behind this was to provide goods for people in rich countries like ours.
  
  I knew I wanted to work for an organisation that made a positive difference, but also one that helped people to understand the links between poverty and the environment. I decided I'd try to get any job in a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in order to gain the experience that would then get me a job that I really wanted.
  That's what I did; I got a temporary administration job with the charity Crisis, which gave me the experience to get an administration job with Amnesty International and, eventually, led me to apply for this job.

• Why is your job meaningful? Both to you personally, and in how it benefits the wider world in terms of climate change and other environmental challenges.

  It's very satisfying to do a job where I spend much of my time talking to young people about the issues that I care about passionately. Helping others to understand the topic, then supporting them in turning their passion for the environment into actions that they can see make a real difference, is really inspirational.
  
  I know that many people care about the environment but often they are confused about what to do, or it's seen as something that only a certain type of person cares about. Working with young people - who are the next generation of voters and decision makers - to overcome these issues is vital if our society is going to be able to tackle climate change and other environmental challenges.

• Many jobs in this sector are very new, how long has your job existed?

  People & Planet has been working with university students for 40 years, but only started working with schools and colleges 10 years ago, when my job was created.

• What personal qualities do you think have got you where you are today?.

  Passion for the issues of environmental and social justice.
  The desire to push myself to learn new skills that would help me in the jobs that I wanted.
  The foresight to realise that doing more mundane jobs would give me the experience necessary to get the roles I was aiming for.

• What are the essential skills for your job?

  Presentation skills; to enable me to create and deliver workshops that are effective for their audience - particularly, knowing how to make complicated subjects interesting and engaging, and motivating people.
  
  Organisational skills; to manage a team of 6 as well as my own time – so, time management, prioritisation and administration skills.
  
  Communication skills; to successfully work with a whole range of people – from politicians to students, to head teachers, to other members of staff.
  
  IT skills; covering all the basic office systems - from spreadsheets to word processing, plus understanding of social media.

• What qualifications do you have? Are these typical for people in your role?

  GCSEs including Geography, which I've found to be the most relevant to the environment; A-levels in Physics & Geography; AS-levels in Maths & Theology; a BA in Human Geography; and a Masters in Latin American Studies.
  I'm also a qualified cycle teacher - this gave me experience of teaching and working in schools.
  
  Many people in this sector do have similar academic qualifications but, from what I've seen, it's relevant experience - such as teaching or being involved in an environmental project – that's really key to success.

• [What do you think most helped you get where you are now?]

  My passion for the issues of social and environmental justice; it meant that I wanted to learn about these issues and talk about them to others.
  
  An ability to see that relevant experience in the sector was really important - meaning that I applied for jobs that weren't exactly what I wanted, but which I knew would open doors for me.
  
  Also, not being focussed on wanting to earn loads of money; seeing the rewards of working for an organisation that I believe in as being compensation for not earning a large salary.

• Please describe a typical working day.

  A typical day might start by having a meeting with my team. We'll discuss how groups in schools and colleges are doing, what successes there have been, and ways to improve any areas that students have said could be better. We'll also update each other on any important changes in the world - such as government decisions, recent scientific reports, or information from other similar organisations.
  
  In the afternoon, I often visit a school or college to deliver a workshop about climate change to around 150 pupils – what's happening, why it's important, and how we can support them in taking action to stop it.
  
  Throughout the day I'll answer the phone to general enquiries, and I may phone teachers to book more workshops. I'll also answer emails from students asking for advice, or from other organisations that we work with. I'll probably be entering the names of students who want to get involved with People & Planet onto our database, and possibly writing a story for our webpage about the latest things happening within the organisation.

• [What do you enjoy most and least about what you do?]

  My favourite part is visiting young people at schools and colleges, inspiring and supporting them to take action on environmental or poverty issues.
  
  I'm not the biggest fan of data entry, but I do understand that such administrative tasks are important to the successful work of the organisation.

• What kind of people do you meet through your work or do you work alone?

  I meet loads of interesting young people in schools and colleges, as well as their teachers, and people from other similar organisations who work on related issues. I also get to meet university students who are involved in campaigning about the issues. Finally, I get to work with an amazing group of people in the office who care about the same issues as me. It's particularly good at People & Planet because we have a paid 10-month internship programme - which means that every year we have new members of staff who are full of energy, passion and new experiences.
  
  Occasionally I also get to meet politicians and well known eco-celebrities!

• Do you feel well paid for what you do, or is it not about the money?

  I think I'm very lucky to get paid to do something that I care about so much. No, money isn't the most important thing to me, and working for a charity is unlikely ever to pay well compared to corporate jobs.

• Finally, what do you know now about jobs, careers and the future that you wish you'd known when you were at school?

  Relevant experience is more important than qualifications a lot of the time. Having the confidence to talk about what you've done, and make it relevant to the job, is vital. Finally - and most importantly - if you get a job in an area that you care about, it may not be financially rewarding, but it will be fun (just not all the time) and fulfilling.