You may feel a little overwhelmed if you are a young professional or looking for a second career. After all, there are dozens of different options and fields that you can delve into, whether you want to follow a specific course or start looking for a job immediately.
With all the news about green energy in recent years, you might be wondering if you want to get into the energy industry.
Is energy a good career path for 2023 and beyond?
Contents
The importance of energy in the future
The world runs on electricity and energy will only become more important in the future as industry shifts, global warming accelerates and more people are born. According to Stanford University, fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil make good 80% of the world’s energy.
However, renewable energy technologies and extraction techniques will need to be developed soon.
If the planet is to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, so should global emissions halved by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. In other words, the world will need a lot of people working in the energy industry in the near future.
People will not stop using lights, heaters, vehicles and other technological advancements. Instead, global society must develop new ways to harness and extract energy from the environment. Energy will certainly become even more important in the coming years than it is now.
So, is energy a good career path?
Therefore, it is a good idea to assume that energy could be a wise career choice. This is true whether you are starting your professional life or looking to change careers.
Related: The best careers for your personality type
Working in the energy sector can allow you to learn skills or tackle issues such as:
- Installation of solar panels
- Energy research
- Development of energy technology
- Climate control solutions
- And more
You will have to determine whether you want to work on these problems and solutions for your professional future. If you enter the energy sector, you can expect long-term success and numerous career opportunities.
But it is a far cry from the arts or more creative pursuits. Consider your degree, personal and educational interests, and other factors before embarking on this path.
Benefits of choosing energy as a career path
There are many benefits to choosing energy as your career path in 2023.
Working environment
For starters, you’ll probably be working in a wide variety of different work environments, not just in a cubicle or the same office every day.
For example, as a wind turbine mechanic you sometimes work in the office, in a garage and the rest of the time outside at various wind turbines.
The same applies if you become an energy consultant or a similar professional. Energy consultants help companies determine how to maximize their green energy consumption and minimize their carbon footprint.
Related: How to Start a Consulting Firm: Your One Page Business Plan
As a result, they travel around the country, visiting many different people and places and developing new solutions in terms of architectural design or access to the energy grid.
If you’re looking for a bit of variety in your professional life, the energy sector might be the place to find it. Of course, keep in mind that if you become an administrator in this industry, you may be working primarily in office or corporate professional environments rather than “in the field.”
Job security
In addition, the energy sector offers many permanent jobs. If you get a career in the energy industry, you probably don’t have to worry about your job being cut or demoted any time soon.
Why? The world will continue to need energy in 2023 and beyond. This means that it needs expert, highly trained professionals to efficiently unlock, use and distribute that energy.
This can be a refreshing difference if you’ve already worked in an industry where your job was constantly on the line.
Job security is important to many Americans. Landing an excellent job in the energy industry will allow you to work on that career for decades, providing much-needed financial stability for you and the future family you hope to raise.
Growth opportunities
Moreover, the energy industry offers plenty of career opportunities for go-getters and rockstar employees. For example, you can work for a local energy company, become a supervisor or manager and become an administrator.
On the research side, the world will always need new inventions and ways to access clean energy. This gives creative, smart individuals the chance to prove themselves and make a significant difference in this industry for years to come.
Put another way, getting into the energy arena will help you differentiate yourself and make a real career, not just keep a job. That matters to many Americans, especially those who derive great joy from their professional achievements and awards.
Do good for the world
Perhaps most importantly, by getting energy as your career path, you can do some good for the world.
As noted, the effects of climate change are already being felt, and it’s likely to get worse before it gets better. Increased storm frequency, flooding, species extinctions and more are all minor side effects compared to what the world is likely to face in the coming decades.
But if you join the energy industry, you have a chance to do some good and mitigate those effects. With the right technologies and energy advancements, the world could become carbon neutral by 2050 or even sooner.
By joining the industry you can contribute to this great project and help keep the planet as comfortable and beautiful as it is today.
If you’ve always wanted your job to mean something beyond a paycheck and job security, there’s good news: the energy industry is one place where you can find such work.
Related: 4 Reasons Following your passion leads to success
Well-paid jobs in the energy sector
If you choose to go into the energy industry as a career, you have a plethora of high paying jobs to choose from.
Take wind turbine engineers, for example. According to some sources, wind turbine mechanic is America’s fastest growing job. It should be growth to 108 percent by 2024; in other words, there will be plenty of job opportunities in this field over time.
As a wind turbine technician, you will work to build, repair and maintain wind turbines to facilitate the collection and distribution of clean energy across the power grid.
But that’s not the only high-paying, in-demand job in the energy sector you can do. Here are some more examples:
- Architectural manager: Such professionals plan, lead and coordinate projects and design eco-friendly buildings that enable lower energy costs by collecting more natural light or retaining heat. Architectural managers earn more than six figures a year, usually around $140,000 a year.
- Petroleum engineer: Petroleum engineers will still be needed in 2023 and beyond as the world transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Petroleum engineers are devising new ways to extract fossil fuels from the earth. They may also be required to do this in the cleanest and most efficient way possible. They earn more than $137,000 a year on average.
- chemical engineer: Chemical engineers produce energy, develop metallurgical solutions to industrial problems, and much more, often earning more than $100,000 a year.
- Wind farm site manager: Earning about $100,000 a year, these experienced professionals oversee wind farms and wind power generation. They often work closely with wind turbine maintenance technicians and engineers, as described above.
Related: Why the tide is turning for the energy sector
Of course you can also enter this industry as a scientist. The world needs knowledgeable scientists who come up with new solutions and ways to collect green energy in ways that maintain the expected consistency of the power grid.
After all, the main challenge for renewable energy is consistency and collection. The sun radiates enough energy for the world several times, but does not always shine in the sky. In addition, there are limits to the amount of solar energy that modern batteries can store.
If you join this industry, you may be able to solve these problems by designing better batteries, inventing new methods of collecting energy, or something completely different. The sky is literally the limit.
Who should work in the energy sector?
Many may find that the energy industry is an excellent professional match.
You might consider working in the energy sector if:
- You are interested in solving climate change and global warming challenges and you want to leave the world better than when you were a child.
- You want to pursue a stable job with sufficient opportunities for promotions and career opportunities. If you come into the energy industry and do a great job in your position, you probably don’t have to worry about cuts or job cuts.
- You are already interested in one of the related fields, such as chemistry, physics and energy science.
Note that most jobs in the energy sector are heavily based on math and science. These are STEM jobs, so it may be wise to earn a degree from a technical college or institution before applying for job openings.
Related: 7 Career Transition Myths That Will Keep You Stuck | Elevate
Overview
Ultimately, a move into the energy sector can be an excellent choice for your career and your long-term professional aspirations.
Finding a job in the energy sector can lead to excellent job security, career opportunities and a fantastic salary. Moreover, there are many different jobs that you can do.
Want to explore your options before choosing a career? Visit businesskinda.com for more info on the energy sector and anything else you need to help you build your career or business.
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.