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Assessing UX jobs for impact in climate
Summary
Panelists: Max Gadney, Joshua Stehr, Hannah Wickes
Moderator: Andrea Petrucci
Key Insights
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UX professionals should treat job interviews as two-way conversations, assessing the company’s theory of change and honesty.
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Evaluating a company’s financial health involves understanding their funding stage, runway, and timing of next funding rounds.
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A hard boundary for many in climate roles is avoiding companies with fossil fuel funding or strong ties to fossil fuel interests.
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Working in early-stage climate startups often requires being a generalist, while scale-ups demand more specialized skills.
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Big corporates can offer valuable skills and experience in complex systems and B2B contexts, even if their impact is limited.
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Company leadership and board members’ backgrounds are key indicators of a climate company's ethical direction and potential impact.
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Many climate jobs operate in a ‘move fast and break things’ culture, causing burnout issues even in mission-driven roles.
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Personal connection and lived experiences with climate issues can be powerful motivators in choosing where to focus career efforts.
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Impact is subjective and can range from tangible, visible results to long-term systemic change that is harder to perceive.
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Combining paid roles with pro bono or portfolio work can help balance financial needs with the desire for mission-driven impact.
Notable Quotes
"I always see interviews as a two-way conversation where I’m interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing me."
"What is your theory of change? How are you actually going to achieve the outcome you’re aiming for?"
"If you think fossil fuel companies are going to help us solve this, then we probably have a very different idea of how this system works."
"You have to be serious people making this business work, not just doing conferences and performative acts."
"Sometimes you need to view your career like an investor, where you invest your time for the kind of impact you want."
"Check the people on the board and the advisors because that tells you a lot about the company’s true values."
"It’s really important to understand your own mental bandwidth and not take on too much even if the project excites you."
"Not all climate jobs have digital outputs, so don’t waste your time chasing digital roles in fields like green concrete."
"You can look at a company’s impact reports and funding sources to sniff out if something feels too good to be true."
"Go beyond climate, look at the personal systems you understand or want to solve to find your career motivation."
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