Cornell Hanxomphou's career path to becoming an environmental Rights Officer. Cornell talks about his journey from an unpaid internship to teaching and enforcing people's environmental rights. Current Job Tell us about your current role I am a Rights Officer, working with the public on raising awareness of environmental rights, ascertaining the barriers to environmental justice for marginalised groups, and supporting them in enforcing their rights. Career Beginnings When you were 15, what job did you want and who did you ask for advice?I wanted to work in conservation and asked my teachers for advice.Did you have an interest in the environment at this time?Yes.What were your first steps in starting your career? I applied for university. Image sourced from Pixabay Career path and skills What does your career path look like? My path was extremely non-linear.I started out doing an unpaid internship for local government water policy, then as an environmental consultant (planning and contaminated land), and then shifted away from corporate work as it was not my goal and I couldn't get into conservation work like I originally intended to. I was unemployed for a while, doing volunteer work for different environmental policy groups, then worked for a racial equality charity (I come from a racial group that is underrepresented in the sector) with an environmental focus until I arrived at my current position.What skills were important for you to develop in your career? Knowledge of environmental systems (hydrology, geology, ecosystem science), project management skills and stakeholder management. This article was published on Monday 19 October 2026
