Make it make sense: Beginner roles, expert requirements

Hey,

Welcome to Green Jobs Rising!

What do you think isn’t working in the job market system? Let’s see,🤔 

Lately, many green job listings describe roles as starter roles.

But when you read the requirements, you find things like 3-5 years of experience, multiple degrees, or highly specialised certifications.

This isn’t a one-off. It is showing up across different organisations in the green sector.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, entry-level means:

• ​(of a product) basic and suitable for new users who may later move on to a more advanced product.

• (of a job) at the lowest level in a company. 

Beginner jobs are designed for someone with little or no prior experience. They typically  offer basic training and a chance to start a career. 

It's a starting point that is suited for recent graduates or beginners, often with lower pay but opportunities for growth. 

Some recruiters however have ‘interesting’ definitions of early career roles. 

That’s why it’s not uncommon to see these roles asking for experience that typically takes several years to acquire. 

The label may say entry-level, but the expectations suggest otherwise.

Why is this a problem?

As the Oxford definition suggests, these roles are meant to be training roles. 

They’re where people gain exposure and build skills. But when requirements are raised this high, it becomes unclear who the role is actually designed for. 

The people it’s supposed to serve get locked out.

Asking recent graduates, early-career professionals, or people transitioning into green work from other sectors, to have 3-5+ years of experience is almost asking them to steer clear of these jobs no matter how strong their transferable skills are.

Hey, experience is required to get the role, but the role is also supposed to be where experience is gained.

So, when the first step into the sector is difficult to access, many capable people are locked out.

Over time, this can limit the diversity of talent, and creativity entering green work as organisations end up hiring from a small, already-experienced pool, yet the transition needs all talents.

If early career roles require years of experience, where exactly is the entry point into the green sector meant to be?

Meanwhile, this HR expert offers useful insight into how beginners can navigate these expectations and position their skills effectively.