Laura Curtis-Moss' career path to becoming an engagement manager in the conservation sector. Laura talks about not specialising too quickly, the importance of learning to work with people and her path from art school to the conservation sector. Current Job Tell us about your current role I work for a large conservation Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), managing our people engagement work across Scotland as well as developing engagement strategy across the UK. Career Beginnings When you were 15, what job did you want and who did you ask for advice?Careers advice came from parents and teachers, there was limited specialist careers support available at school.For most of my childhood I was interested in becoming a vet or a doctor - I went to school in Newcastle where the university has a very good medical school and there was a lot of promotion locally for pupils in secondary schools in the city to apply to study medicine. It felt like if you were good at science you became a doctor!When I went into sixth form to study for my A-Levels I did really well in visual arts and was especially encourage to apply for art school by parents and the school.Did you have an interest in the environment at this time?Yes, but I had no idea that you could get a job that involved working with or in nature! If I'd known that it was possible to study ecology at university I might have seriously considered it as a career. What were your first steps in starting your career? Very much accidental! I had moved to Scotland to study fine art, then didn't really know how to turn that into a job so did an MA in museum studies in the hope of working in an art gallery or ... something!As a teenager, mostly during school holidays, I'd worked for the local council's play and youth service - delivering activities for children and young people at after school clubs and play schemes. Then, when I first moved to Edinburgh I got a temporary job at an aquarium and because I had some experience of working with children I was given A LOT of shifts giving tours and talks for schools. I then had a horrible job in a museum in Edinburgh which I HATED - I quit that job to work for 4 weeks at Edinburgh Zoo and during those 4 weeks got an interview for a job with the RSPB on a casual contract for 12 hours a week, initially for 3 months. I'd only applied for this job as it was based out of Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow and I had some experience of working in the museum sector.I was then very lucky in that after the first few months my contact was extended and I was given first a proper contract, then a promotion followed by a secondment to Scottish headquarters (which was later made permanent). The project that I started working on turns 15 in 2027!I had no idea that you could get a job that involved working with or in nature! Career path and skills What does your career path look like? Probably quite non-linear - even once I got my first role(s) in the sector I took on a number of different roles including working for the Edinburgh Science Festival, undertaking forest school training, managing a small peatland restoration charity, becoming director of a climate change charity before taking a part-time maternity cover role project managing a kittiwake tracking project and then eventually getting this permanent job.What's been particularly helpful I think has been taking lots of different types of opportunities - rather than specialising too early and ending up an expert on working with schools (and only working with schools) for example, I'm familiar with lots of different aspects of conservation.What skills were important for you to develop in your career? It's crucial to be able to work with people - it's very easy to focus on the science and the practicalities of conservation work but none of it can be achieved without people! You will need to work closely with colleagues, local communities and others!Basic project management skills and the ability to balance a budget are also always welcome. This article was published on Monday 19 October 2026
