How do you future-proof a career in a dying industry?

This week’s problem

How do you future-proof a career in a dying industry? I have always wanted to work in oil and gas: I completed a geophysics degree in the UK and have moved to the US to do a masters in petroleum engineering. However, I am troubled by the industry’s environmental impact and worry about the long-term career prospects. Do I seek a career that contributes to change from within, or instead focus on renewables or carbon capture? Anonymous, 20s

Jonathan’s answer

You set your career path to a subject and industry that fascinated you and invested your time and money in education towards that aim. Perhaps because of that education, you now have a dawning realisation that there is an environmental cost to that industry, which may be too high for you to continue on this path.

Future-proofing any career is about developing transferable skills, building a reputation for having attractive key attributes, being open to change and ready to take a risk. You can’t really predict what you will want (or be able) to do in 10 or 20 years, and you can’t predict the external environment either so your overall objective to future-proof your career should probably be to try to keep as many options open as possible.

For example, a long-term profile in one industry or even in one organisation may not be possible but you would be equipped to build a career in a choice of locations, industries and employers. You may return for further study, perhaps become an academic, move from private to public sector, or start your own business.

You feel you have an immediate career choice to make regarding oil and gas; however, it is likely your interests will change before the oil and gas industry forces change upon you. Their products will continue to be major players for our transport, lubrication, plastics, and heating throughout this decade, and the directors, shareholders, and legislators will be sharing your concerns about the environmental impact. You could stay and play a junior role within that change or move to an industry where you could apply your skills.

For your overall career, it would be beneficial to build your personal brand: you would want to demonstrate that you are competent, reliable, a good team player, loyal and honest. Focus on learning your trade, how to work in teams in large, complex organisations, and become known as someone people want on their team.

Meanwhile, keep an eye on the market for opportunities in industries that might appeal and would seek your skills and experience, such as carbon capture and sequestration. Keep up to date with the related industries perhaps by volunteering, becoming a young trustee, attending lectures and talking to your peers who are developing start-up companies in this field. Stay alert for chances to talk to people working in those fields — as well as industry information, they may also be plugged in to specific opportunities that might appeal to you.

Readers’ advice

Be prepared to make many choices in your career about who to work for and how to go about your work. Your willingness to question is valuable. LondonReader

Go for growth. It is a lot more fun and rewarding to work in an area that is expanding than in one that is retrenching. What about public sector jobs in energy sector regulation? Looking-out-for-the-taxpayers

Either stay in the US and embrace oil and gas for all its sins, or bail out and refocus on a relevant, technical discipline. There’s no middle ground. If you wait 10, 15, 20 years to see what “comes up”, it will be too late. CherryColouredFunk

Jonathan Black is director of the Careers Service at the University of Oxford. Every fortnight he answers your questions on personal and career development, and working life. Do you have a question for him? Email dear.jonathan@ft.com