What a Climate Advocate at Natural Resources Defense Council wishes they had known before entering the climate industry
Olivia, an Equitable Decarbonization Advocate, advises recent graduates to "talk less and listen more," emphasizing the importance of observation and learning from experienced professionals rather than immediately asserting oneself. A manager's blunt advice to "be seen and to watch, but not to be heard" during the first year proved invaluable, highlighting the need for humility and focused learning in a specialized field like energy policy advocacy.
Communication, Observational Skills, Mentorship, Industry Knowledge, Professional Development
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. In any industry, focus on observing and learning from others rather than immediately trying to share your own opinions.
2. Many college degrees provide a general foundation, and specific industry knowledge is often gained through on-the-job experience and observation.
3. Early career professionals should prioritize learning and observation over self-expression; becoming a subject matter expert takes time and immersion in the industry.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
I'm going to sound like a broken record, but I'm going to say: talk less and listen more. I think this is true for many recent college graduates. Your university has really crafted you into this confident, upstart type of person, and they want you to believe that you are the, like, you are manna from heaven. You're God-sent, there to save everyone, and you have the right thing to say.
The best thing you can do, again, this is probably true of any industry, is just be a sponge. Really focus your time not on speaking, but on observing and watching. Make note of the behaviors you want to emulate and the behaviors you don't. You are not going to learn by talking.
In an industry like mine, it's often very focused on subject matter expertise. It doesn't matter what you majored in in college; you probably don't know what you're about to get into because college degrees are often much more general. I majored in geophysics with a focus on energy and didn't know the first thing about energy efficiency policy when I started at NDC, but I learned by watching.
When I started, I had one manager who used a bit of rough language, but it was something I needed to hear. She said, "You are there to be seen and to watch, but not to be heard." She told me to keep this in mind for my first year because no one wants to hear what I have to say yet.
It was rough and hard to hear, and I didn't like hearing it at the time. I thought she was so wrong. I couldn't be more grateful that I had a manager blunt enough to tell me that. That was literally my first week on the job.
If I could lovingly and gently tell every recent grad looking to get into advocacy, which is a role based on talking, that, oh my gosh, I feel like I could save them so much grief.