For graduates, students and anyone trying to build a career in energy, knowing where the industry is heading is only part of the challenge. You also need to understand where your skills fit, what employers are looking for and what you can do now to create opportunities for yourself. In this episode of Energy Sector Heroes, I speak with Tony Appleton, Managing Director of Green Power Global, about careers in offshore wind, the changing energy mix and what it really takes to establish yourself in the energy sector. Tony has spent around 20 years in offshore wind and has worked across more than 80 projects worldwide, covering everything from feasibility and bankability through to operations and maintenance. His wider career has also taken him through coal fired power generation, oil, nuclear and renewables. One of the themes we return to throughout our conversation is that the future of energy is unlikely to belong to one technology alone. Tony sees oil and gas, nuclear, wind, solar and other sources continuing to form part of the energy mix, with the balance varying considerably between countries and regions. We also discuss why this creates opportunities for people already working in traditional energy. Offshore experience, engineering knowledge, safety awareness, technical capability and project experience don't suddenly become irrelevant because the technology changes. Many of those skills can move across sectors. 🎓 For graduates, however, having the qualification is only the beginning. Tony and I talk about the difficult gap between employers saying they need engineers and graduates struggling to secure that first opportunity. His advice is to start building practical experience before leaving university through internships, placements, industry events, professional networks and direct engagement with companies. We also discuss using AI as a career planning tool. Rather than seeing AI simply as something that could replace jobs, Tony suggests using it to research career paths, understand the qualifications and experience required for particular roles, identify skills gaps and explore how different areas of the energy industry fit together. But AI doesn't replace technical knowledge. You still need enough understanding to ask good questions, assess the answers and develop your own expertise. Another important part of our conversation is what happens after you get that first job. Your first role may not be exactly what you imagined, but it can still give you valuable experience. Tony recommends actively looking for opportunities to learn, asking for additional responsibilities, attending conferences and speaking with managers about where you can contribute. Careers don't necessarily develop in a straight line either. Tony shares how his own career changed unexpectedly when, as a young production engineer, he was offered the opportunity to move to Hong Kong as a commercial manager ultimately taking his career away from engineering and towards commercial and leadership roles. 🔑 Three Key Takeaways🔹 The energy transition is creating different careers, not simply removing old ones. Energy demand continues to evolve, and skills from oil and gas, engineering and offshore operations can transfer into renewables and other parts of the energy system. 🔹 Start building your career before graduation. A degree matters, but employers also look for evidence that you've explored the industry, gained practical exposure and taken responsibility for developing yourself. 🔹 Career plans should provide direction without becoming rigid. Understand where you would like to go and what skills you'll need to get there, while remaining open to opportunities that could take your career somewhere you hadn't originally considered. 🎯 Three Actionable Takeaways✅ Map one potential career route. Choose a specific role that interests you and research the qualifications, technical skills and experience typically required at entry level, three years and five years. ✅ Create practical experience before you need it. Look for internships, placements, industry events, professional organisations and opportunities to speak directly with people already doing the work you want to do. ✅ Ask for specific development opportunities. Instead of asking your manager, “What else can I do?”, identify something concrete a course, conference, project or additional responsibility and explain how both you and the organisation would benefit. This episode is a useful reminder that there isn't one predetermined route through the energy sector. The industry is changing, technology is changing and individual careers will change with it. The important part is understanding your options, developing relevant experience and being prepared to put yourself forward when opportunities appear.
