Careers in water: finding purpose and community

Attracting the next generation of leaders and thinkers into the water sector is an urgent and a highly competitive challenge. And the need to communicate the value of working in water has never been more important.

As all areas of business and industry vie for talent, the water community is in a unique position to communicate its heart to the broader talent pool. So, what do careers in water provide people that can’t be gained anywhere else?

Despite the complex array of skill sets and perspectives required to make water work, it is the close, collaborative nature of the sector that is one of the main appeals. University of Sydney Professor Stuart Khan describes the Australian water sector as more of a community.

“That sounds pretty cliché, but because of AWA and WSAA and other industry organisations, there are lots of networking events and people do actually get to know each other. The industry is of a size where there’s plenty of opportunity and plenty of mobility, but you still can really feel part of a larger community,” he said.

“And the longer you stay in the community, the more names and places you get to know; people move around, you end up knowing lots of people. You know who to speak to at different organisations when a particular issue comes up.”

Sydney Water Sustainability and Climate Change Adaption Advisor Elliot Cichero agrees that the collaboration in the water sector is pretty powerful.

“Even though we have somewhat different contexts and challenges, ultimately there’s a lot of commonality in the challenges that face the water industry. For example, finding out what Seqwater is doing and how that might be advantageous for Sydney Water and vice versa,” he said.

“It’s non-competitive in that respect, because it’s an essential service that’s state owned. We still need to do our jobs well to be a trusted brand and provide good value for service.

"But there isn’t that cutthroat competition, which allows people to be a little bit more passionate and caring and do their work with more empathy and openness. We’re all aligned in our commitment to providing good service to our customers.”

Iota Services Marketing and Partner Director Emma Milburn, who is also the Victorian President for AWA, said there is a great level of support within the sector – it is quite nurturing in terms of developing emerging leaders, offering professional development opportunities and making sure people are able to make the most of their skills.

“The industry tends to view people for the skills they have that are transferable, rather than just consider them for the role that they’re currently in,” she said.

“And once you’re in, the idea of being able to add value with the skills that you have is really captivating, but also creates long-term impact for something bigger than yourself and bigger than financial return.”

Making a difference

Being able to support communities is a major part of the appeal of the water sector for Beca HunterH2O Principal Process Engineer Michael Carter. He spent the first part of his career in cities, but came to really appreciate his job when he started working in regional NSW.

“I realised then that there was a huge discrepancy between the quality of water that some regional towns were receiving compared to the city. I started to work with more and more regional councils and realised this is a common theme. People were saying ‘Well, this is just how it is’ but I’m thinking ‘Well, that’s not good enough’,” he said.

“That’s when I realised I could make a difference in regional communities – by improving the capacity, taste or safety of the drinking water – rather than in a city where the water’s already safe. That’s when I really realised how much I love this work; I can make a real impact’.”

Cichero also finds meaning through supporting communities in his work.

“Water is one of the four basic things that we need for human survival: food, water, heat, shelter. So to be doing something that directly benefits humanity, or makes humanity thrive, is pretty rewarding,” he said.

“And because it’s a resource that we need for survival, it’s timeless. You can build a building, you can design a city, but eventually those things have time horizons on them, whereas with water, it’s forever. That’s probably the most unique thing about the sector: it is truly an essential service.”

That element of timelessness empowers those who work in water, because solutions need to reflect long-term thinking. Cichero said working in the water community can be uplifting, especially for those who might be feeling helpless from climate-fatigue, because you’re working on making the future more sustainable for the next generation.

“In the state of the world at the moment, where there’s lots to be disheartened by, it’s nice to work for an industry that makes you feel a little bit more empowered in your own small way," he said.

"It's good to know that you’re doing something. You’re making a difference."

Communicating value

Despite being a fantastic place to work, there are also a lot of opportunities that require recruitment from outside the industry. Milburn said the types of roles needed within the sector are expanding, and some of the skills required can’t be recruited for within the water industry because they don’t exist yet.

“There is a growing need for skills in areas such as customer, stakeholder engagement, digital transformation, circular economy, biosolids, recycled water.…the types of roles needed in the industry are expanding,” she said.

“It’s definitely time to get into the industry: water is a critical resource to life, climate change is impacting supply, and population growth in most areas is also increasing demand. Business-as-usual isn’t going to be sufficient, so we need to attract people with the right skills to deliver now and into the future.”

Ironically, the better the industry is at looking after our water, the more invisible it becomes, which presents a challenge when trying to raise the profile of water.

“Nobody wishes for a crisis, but future challenges such as climate change are things we need to deal with, leading to discussions in the media, around the dining room table at home, and in classrooms.” Khan said.

"This is an opportunity to make sure that the diversity of jobs and opportunities we need in the water industry is broadly discussed.”

Cichero suggests improving water literacy with customers so that they better understand the value the industry provides

“Improving the visibility of the industry as a whole is a starting point, leading to a bit more water literacy, or people understanding how the water cycle works, and how we provide services to customers. Then that in turn breeds a better understanding of the value that the industry provides.

"We’ve become more affordable, but the value that we’re providing is arguably increasing. There’s a balance there that we need to keep, and I think informing customers of that value is important.”

Perhaps it comes down to those in the water sector spreading the word.

“I do think there is something unique about the industry. If people want to have a really rewarding career, and be supported throughout their work, water is a really good place for that,” Milburn said.

“There’s an ultimate common purpose that is tied to society, the community and the environment.”

Interested in learning more about working within the water sector? Head to Careers in Water to learn more. 

This article was originally published in the 2024 edition of Current magazine.