Careers

Life as a consultant at Energetics

Q&A with Lucas

What made you decide to join Energetics and why did you think this role would be the right fit for you?

I joined because of the company’s focus on sustainability, which is really important to me. Unlike other companies where sustainability might just be a small service offering, it’s Energetics’ core business. I felt that my values aligned with Energetics and my ethics would never be compromised. 

What does a typical day in your role look like?

I spend a lot of time helping clients understand their climate risk and resilience, predominantly working in our ‘Strategy’ solution. The great thing is, you don't have to stick to one area if you don't want to. It's important to understand all aspects of what we offer because it’s all interconnected and clients are often looking for a holistic solution.

Day-to-day, I start by checking in with project teams for the various projects I'm involved in and managing. I usually work on three to four different projects each day, which keeps things interesting!

What range of projects do you work on and how do you help clients improve their businesses?

My main focus is helping our clients understand and manage climate-related risks. I work with incredibly smart people, so it’s important to involve our clients and bring them on the journey - to share our knowledge and empower them to thrive in a sustainable way. This could involve guiding them towards achieving net zero emissions, integrating more sustainable practices into their procurement processes, or developing a deeper understanding of their climate-related risks and opportunities. Ultimately, my goal is to educate and support our clients as they navigate towards a more sustainable future.

One of the projects that stands out to me was helping a large aquaculture company understand how climate change could impact their sites within Australia. Each site faced its own unique combination of physical climate hazards. We worked closely alongside site managers to ensure our approach accurately captured the nuances of the sites natural systems, projecting the impacts of physical climate change across three scenarios.  

It was rewarding to see how our collaboration led to actionable steps towards achieving climate resilience and adaptation, with our actions now informing strategic planning.

Why does your work matter to you?

It’s incredibly rewarding. It’s challenging work and we work to tight deadlines but being part of Energetics’ positive atmosphere and the meaningful work, is why I do what I do. I can see the real impact of our efforts - we're helping our clients cut down on emissions and facilitate the transition to a 1.5°C world, which is something tangible and important, and makes it easy to stay motivated and focused.

What has it been like to work for Energetics?

Working at Energetics feels like being part of something big and meaningful. We’re encouraged to keep learning and growing - whether it's learning new skills or tackling new challenges - there's always support and encouragement from project managers and senior leaders. We’re also given the opportunity to engage with clients early on – especially if you’ve done the work. There’s also a lot of recognition here, even if you’re new. In my first month, I was brought into a C-suite client meeting because I did the modelling and the project manager felt I was best placed to answer questions on it. It's a great confidence boost knowing that your contributions are valued.

At the end of the day, the work we do matters. We're helping businesses become more sustainable and limit global warming, which is something I'm really passionate about. Knowing that I'm making a difference makes all the hard work worth it.

What opportunities are there for your career progression?

Because we’re in such an emerging industry, there’s a strong desire to learn - there’s no standard template for what we do! This means we're constantly questioning and pushing boundaries, which leads to personal and professional growth.

There are promotion opportunities tied into our performance reviews and I’m lucky enough to have received three promotions since joining as a graduate over three years ago, and I’m now managing several projects.

I also have the freedom to take ownership of my own learning. If there's something I'm interested in, I'm encouraged to dive deeper into it, with support from managers and mentors. It's a very empowering environment.

Additionally, I've had the opportunity to both be mentored and support new team members, which has been incredibly rewarding. Starting out can be overwhelming, especially when dealing with clients who face complex and nuanced challenges. But with guidance from mentors and senior team members, we learn how to communicate effectively and show the value of our work.