Most Important Skills for an Equitable Decarbonization Advocate at Natural Resources Defense Council
Olivia, an Equitable Decarbonization Advocate, emphasizes that strong "writing and research skills" are crucial for synthesizing information on policy and technology, producing advocacy materials, and informing colleagues. However, equally important, if not more so, are exceptional "people skills," particularly active listening, for effective communication and collaboration in the field.
Communication, Research, Writing, Problem-solving, Interpersonal Skills
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Olivia Walker
Equitable Decarbonization Advocate
Natural Resources Defense Council
Yale University, 2016
UCLA FEMBA
Environmental & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Climate, Environment and Sustainability
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Strong writing and research skills are crucial for gathering and presenting information effectively through reports, memos, and advocacy letters.
2. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including active listening, are essential for collaborating with colleagues and external stakeholders.
3. The ability to navigate complex issues and challenges is important for success in this field.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
Definitely writing and research skills are important. You spend a lot of time digging up the latest information on technological advances or other public policy efforts. Legal history can also be relevant, as there are sometimes legal challenges to policies you might be interested in working on.
Then, you consolidate that research into writing. This can include writing advocacy letters or memos intended for an external party, like a city staff member or a council member, to convey your research or point of view.
Sometimes the writing is for internal reference. For example, if something significant happens, people in your organization will want to know what's going on. You'll need to inform them so they can best represent the issue in their work.
Beyond writing and research, people skills are also crucial. This includes being a good communicator and, importantly, a good listener. Being a good listener is arguably the most critical part of communication, because if you're only talking, you're not truly communicating.
These interpersonal skills are perhaps even more important than writing and research. While you likely can't get a job like this without strong writing and research abilities, if you can't communicate effectively with people, you'll struggle in the role.
Ultimately, the key skills are being a good listener, a good writer, and a good researcher. Being able to articulate yourself thoughtfully and articulately is also essential.