Who is an IEMA Full Member?
An IEMA Full Member is a person who:
- Has the ability to actively identify, analyse and evaluate current and future issues and strategies, relevant to their professional context, from an environmental and sustainability perspective; develop effective strategic directions that justify the case for action; uphold the case in the face of adversity, and communicate these in an accessible manner;
- Promotes a positive environmental culture, which moves towards sustainability, by actively improving the environmental and sustainability understanding of others in ways that allow them to improve their own performance; and
- Is able todemonstrate they have, and will continue to, actively maintain knowledge and skills relevant to their professional context.
[Definition: Environmental and Sustainability Perspective = a full spectrum of environmental and sustainability opportunities and threats that range from global to localandshort to long term]
Detailed competencies are provided to assist members who wish to work towards this membership level. IEMA recommend whilst writing your CV and Supporting Paper to focus on the above definition and refer to our specific guidance on editing your CV and Supporting Paper.
Am I eligible to Apply?
To apply for IEMA Full membership and Chartered Environmentalist you must:
- Be a member of IEMA, as a minimum Affiliate.
You must already be a Full member of IEMA to apply for Chartered Environmentalist on its own
- Be able to demonstrate masters level equivalent knowledge
- Possess sufficient knowledge and practical experience to be able to clearly demonstrate they meet the competencies.
Note 1: Relevant experience is that with a distinct and direct environmental and sustainability focus gained during paid employment, volunteering activity, work placements or research, but it may not include pure academic study.
Note 2: IEMA advises that the majority of successful applicants for Full Membership have had the equivalent of at least four years full time relevant work experience. This membership level requires applicants to demonstrate leadership in their experience not necessarily a long career history. If you feel you meet the eligibility criteria but do not have this level of experience you may still apply.
How do the Chartered Environmentalist Competencies Align to Full Membership?
By Achieving Full Membership you will achieve Chartered Environmentalist as Full Membership contains broader competencies beyond that of Chartered Environmentalist. Detailed mapping of the competencies has been established between IEMA and Society for the Environment allowing you, as a candidate, to focus on the Full Membership competencies for your interview and application.
What are the Competencies?
This table summarises the competencies for both membership levels. Under each competency listed within the table are more detailed explanations and descriptions which can be found in Appendix 1. These may be useful to explore if you are unsure whether you meet that particular competency or are not sure what it means.
Remember: By Achieving IEMA’s Full Membership Competencies you will meet the requirements for Chartered Environmentalist and demonstrates masters level equivalent knowledge.
IEMA Full Membership Competencies- To be able to explain fundamental environmental and sustainability principles and their relationships with organisations
- Understand environmental and sustainability strategies, policies and legislation insofar as they relate to your area of professional activity
Chartered Environmentalist Competencies
- Be able to critically analyse, interpret and report environmental data and information to inform sustainable decision-making and provide advice
- Application of knowledge and understanding of the environment to further the aims of sustainability.
- Identify and analyse problems and opportunities from an environmental perspective to develop and deliver sustainable solutions
- Lasting sustainable Management of the Environment
- Use communication to drive effective environmental and sustainable business practices
- Effective Communication and Interpersonal Skills
- Embed sustainable thinking in organisations insofar as it relates to your area of professional activity
- Personal commitment to Professional Standards, Recognising obligations to Society, the profession and the environment.
- Manage and deliver environmental improvements and improve resilience
- Educate, influence, persuade and challenge others to lead and promote sustainability
Note: a breakdown of the assessment criteria and scope for each competency is available in Appendix 1 at the end of this booklet for further support.
Not sure you are quite there yet? See the IEMA website Support section for tools to assess your knowledge and access mentoring or support materials by following the link provided.
IEMA Code of Practice and Code of Ethics
In addition to Full Membership Competencies you are expected to demonstrate understanding of the IEMA Code of Practice and Chartered Environmentalist Code of Ethics which detail your commitment to IEMA as a Full and Chartered Environmentalist member.
By signing your application form for this membership level you agree to the below code in and will expected uphold them to maintain your IEMA Full and Chartered Environmentalist Membership.
As a Full Member I will:
- Uphold and promote the environment and sustainability profession;
- Exercise honesty, impartiality, diligence and objectivity in my professional work;
- Support and promote sustainable action and challenge environmentally unsustainable action;
- Work to, and promote, high standards and best practice in the environment and sustainability profession;
- Ensure that professional judgement is not influenced by a conflict of interest and I shall make all relevant parties aware where there is such a conflict;
- Acknowledge my limitations of competence and not undertake work which I know is beyond my professional capability;
- Develop and maintain standards of professional competence and knowledge through a combination of training, learning and practical experience and through the support of others;
- In giving advice, make the relevant person(s) aware of the potential consequences of actions; and
- Endeavour to be an innovative, lateral thinker in the pursuit of environmental improvement and sustainability.
As a Chartered Environmentalist I will:
- Act in accordance with the best principles for the mitigation of environmental harm and the enhancement of environmental quality;
- Strive to ensure that the uses of natural resources are fair and sustainable taking account of the needs of a diverse society;
- Use my skills and experience to serve the needs of the environment and society;
- Serve as an example to others for responsible environmental behaviour;
- Not engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation or discrimination; and
- Commit to maintaining my personal professional competence and strive to maintain the integrity and competence of my profession.
Not sure you are quite there yet? See the IEMA website Support section for tools to assess your knowledge and access mentoring or support materials.
My Written Application
Please ensure you visit the IEMA website and download the latest application form. You will need to submit this alongside the following supporting documents.
Supporting Documents Checklist:
Completed Application form (and application to join IEMA as a member if appropriate)
Payment Details- in application form
Supporting Paper: no more than 2000 words
CV: no more than 4 sides of A4
2 signed witness statements – using template on page 4 of this application form
1colour copy of photo ID – driving licence or passport
The following guidance addresses best practice and helpful tips in completing your supporting documents.
Editing your CV for Full and Chartered Environmentalist Applications
Assessors use the information you provide in your CV and Supporting Paper to understand which membership criteria and topics to discuss with you in your interview. Therefore both elements should be tailored to link with each other and enhance the application rather than repeat similar information.
Your CV should provide an overview of your experience and qualifications in relation to the membership application which then is explained in further detail within the Supporting Paper.
Your CV can be no longer than 4 sides of A4.
Here are some tips when editing your CV for this application:
Writing your Supporting Paper for Full and Chartered Environmentalist Applications
Writing your Supporting Paper is the most critical part of your application. It is your first opportunity to demonstrate your skills and ability to communicate and will form the basis of the Assessors’ first impressions of you. It is important to present your case clearly and concisely, and demonstrate how you meet some of the competencies for Full IEMA membership and Chartered Environmentalist status. However, do not let this detract from the fact your paper must be well structured, interesting to read and display depth within your discussion on projects or topics.
Referring to IEMA Full Competencies
The Supporting Paper does not require cross-referencing to the competencies, doing this will reduce the flow and effectiveness of your paper. The supporting paper also does not require explicit links to masters level knowledge, assessors will make their judgement by assessing both your written submission as a whole and your performance at interview. It is not necessary to demonstrate all the competencies within your Supporting Paper; assessors will ensure all competencies remaining are covered during your interview. As such you may not be asked all competencies during interview if they are sufficiently demonstrated within your paper.
NOTE: please see Appendix 1 to compare your written submission against the competency criteria and scope to ensure that your submission relates to them as closely as possible to increase your chances of being successful.
Linking your Supporting Paper and CV
Assessors read both the CV and Supporting Paper to understand and assess the applicant. Therefore both elements should be tailored to link with each other and enhance the application rather than repeating the same information.
Style and Layout
There is no set style or layout for the Supporting Paper which allows candidates to effectively demonstrate their ability to communicate in a variety of written formats. However, the following formats are not accepted as they detract from your ability to write a well structured paper:
Writing your Paper in a table format
Approaching each competency in turn
A good approach is to write the paper using relevant projects or activities which can be written about in detail addressing some of the competencies. Sub-headings can be used to identify different projects or grouping experience into subject areas e.g. communication, EIA/EMS, project management, personal development etc.
Pictures and tables may be used lightly within the Supporting Paper but should not detract from it.
Write about your actions within the project rather than overall team/organisational activities as this is an individual assessment so the Assessors will be looking at your contribution.
Don’t forget to write about the results/outcomes you achieved through the project (including adding figures and statistics where applicable). You can include examples where the outcomes may have been negative as long as you can write about how you learnt from this to improve future situations.
Supporting Paper Examples and Feedback
Below are some examples of paragraphs written within Supporting Papers and feedback from IEMA regarding positive aspects and areas of improvement:
Summary Checklist:
Use this handy summary list to check your Supporting Paper against:
Is it clear, logically structured and checked for spelling and grammar?
Does it fit with the description and criteria of an IEMA Full Member?
Does it show a breadth of knowledge and work experience?
Have you provided further details on projects mentioned within the CV but not repeated it?
Have you focused on your role and contribution to projects/achievements rather than overall organisational achievements?
Are there some figures or statistics related to environmental improvements/project successes achieved?
Have you ensured it does not exceed 2000 words and that a word count limit is provided at the end of the paper?
Final Application Steps
When you have completed your three key supporting documents and the application form you will require two witnesses to read through your submission and endorse that it is a true and accurate reflection of your experience. This is achieved through a witness statement template found within the application form.
Please ensure you have enclosed a colour copy of photo ID as this is required by assessors to verify your identity in the interview assessment.
Full and Chartered Environmentalist Interview Assessments Information
This information is an introduction about your interview assessment, the final stage of your application for Full and Chartered Environmentalist. Lasting 45-75 minutes in length, two peer Assessors will engage in a discussion about your career and/or academic history. These two Assessors will have read your supporting paper and CV and will be looking to address remaining Full and Chartered Environmentalist competencies not fully explored within your application thus far.
Videoconference Interview Assessment
For Full and Chartered Environmentalist Applications, the default interview type is videoconference. This will require you to have a computer with a webcam, access to reasonable broadband and either a microphone/speakers or a landline telephone.
When you submit your application you will be required to undergo a trial session before your final interview is organised. This will help you to:
- Check that your camera/audio and internet speed are sufficient.
- Feel more comfortable using the videoconference technology.
Detailed guidance regarding this will be made available once you apply. An IEMA staff member will support you through the trial session and your Assessor is trained to assist you in your final interview.
Face-to Face Interview Assessments
Face-to-face assessments, usually in London or Manchester, are still available at set dates throughout the year. These are available to:
- Anyone who would prefer this type of assessment (will incur an additional charge).
- Those whom are disadvantaged using videoconferencing technology (no additional charge).
On your application form you can state whether you would be interested or feel you would need a face-to-face assessment. When your application is received an IEMA staff member will call to assist in arranging this. Additional fees will be charged separately if required.
Organising your Interview Assessment
IEMA will organise and confirm an interview date with you as your application progresses. If you need to cancel or change your interview assessment, please notify IEMA immediately. Cancelations may incur an administrative charge to cover the cost of another assessment.
Preparing for your Interview
Preparing for your interview is as important as preparing for a job interview. Here are some activities to help prepare for the interview:
Read the membership criteriaand your application again to remind yourself of what you have written (especially as there will be a delay between submitting your written application and your interview date).
Keep a mental ‘bank’ of other work projects/experience that you have carried out which you may not have written about in your application as this may be useful to speak about within the interview.
Create practice questions you may be asked which link to the membership criteria. Ask colleagues or your mentor to become the Assessor and ask you questions you have prepared, or even some questions you were not expecting.
Keep up to date with the news – not just environmental news but general news.
Choose an article (not necessarily environmental focused) from a broadsheet newspaper or other source e.g. the Economist, BBC News and think about this in the context of environmental issues e.g. what issues are implied through the article, how does the article topic impact on the environment or the environment impact on that topic, what would you do as an environmental practitioner in relation to this topic etc.
Know the IEMA Code of Practice and Chartered Environmentalist Code of Ethics is fundamentally important. You are joining a membership body who will want to see you understand the code and have thought about ways in which you can comply with it.
On your Assessment Day
Face-to-face and videoconference interview operate in a similar way, where expression and preparation are important to consider. Below we have listed tips which are important for both:
TIP 1: Dress smart casual, you want to look professional but still be comfortable.
TIP2: Have cue cards, including key examples relating to the membership criteria; these act as useful reminders during your interview.
TIP 3 (Video-conference Only): Find a quiet and comfortable place where you can get a strong internet connection. Ensure you will not be interrupted and join the conference call in good time.
TIP 4 (Video-conference Only): Remember reading through videoconferencing guidance and checking your system beforehand is crucial to ensuring your assessment is smooth and will help you to focus on your assessment.
Appendix 1: IEMA 8 Competencies with Criteria and Scope and Chartered Environmentalist Criteria.
IEMA Full Membership Standard
Competencies, Assessment Criteria and Scope
Competencies and Assessment Criteria
The competencies state what a candidate will be expected to know, understand or be able to do and the assessment criteria describe the requirements that a candidate is expected to meet to demonstrate that a competency has been achieved.