How LEED credentials can open doors for early-career sustainability professionals

LEED Fellow Mercedes Oviedo shares her perspective on the value of a credential in our green building community.

Feature image: Attendees at Greenbuild in San Francisco in 2022. Photo credit: © WASIO Photography.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that LEED credentials help open doors, but the extent of the opportunities created by them may not be as apparent. When I started out as an architect many years ago, I thought I'd work as a designer or as part of the construction team. However, sustainability turned out to be particularly appealing to me, so I decided to learn more about the subject. It was all new to me, and I was more than impressed and intrigued-I discovered a new world, and I decided to bet on it for the future.

In my first few sustainability courses, LEED was mentioned over and over. LEED was (and still is!) a certification that everyone was talking about-a certification that not only opened doors, but also opened up the world to me. Based on my personal experience, this is my advice to all young professionals out there:

Educate yourself early.

The sooner a LEED credential is obtained, the faster a person has access to the abundance of opportunities within the industry. This covers a huge spectrum of specialties, depending on professional interests, such as architecture, engineering, lighting design, construction, manufacturing, waste reduction, and so on, impacting many aspects of the built environment, from materials and building to operations and end of life.

The LEED credential is a confirmation of the enhanced knowledge a professional has gained related to green building design, construction and operation, and by obtaining the credential early, it provides professional credibility. It demonstrates that a professional can effectively communicate and apply green building concepts onto a project or a material. Your knowledge of the principles of green building provides the necessary information to build a foundation for your career in sustainability, whether you have chosen a career as an engineer, an architect or an environmental scientist.

Connect with your community.

There is a network, a huge international community of professionals in the sustainability world that can not only expand your vision and increase your interest in the subject, but can also support you in your professional aspirations.

The LEED credential and experience is a fantastic common ground for a diverse set of professionals. People relate to others when holding the same credentials and working on LEED projects; one becomes a part of a group of professionals who share the same interests and goals. Being part of this green building community gives you a sense of belonging as well, opening dialogues with people who specialize in sustainability and LEED certification, and exposing you to experts who have gained experience with real-life projects and are now passing the torch to young professionals.

Left: The LEED Gold Associated Press headquarters in New York City. Photo credit: Eric Laignel. Architect: TPG Architecture. Right: Mercedes Oviedo speaks at Greenbuilding Brasil in 2014.

It is a circle of experts from whom you can learn and with whom you can exchange ideas using a common language. This is one of the reasons I look forward to Greenbuild every year. The interaction among professionals encourages the discussion of new ideas, new technologies, debates and lessons learned from day-to-day sustainability issues.

In my own experience, having the LEED credential has helped me identify my career goals and further hone my skills, while having access to a wide range of job opportunities. I believe it has provided me with a competitive edge, as I have received offers from multiple firms with good salaries. I have been invited to speak at conferences and teach at different universities. I've taken part in new and exciting projects and even in opening new lines of business. I also love the security and opportunity of being able to find a job within the field in different countries. So far, I have worked in Chile and Spain, as well as the United States.

Stay up to date.

LEED credentials are also a way to continue your education, especially since new technologies, roles and demands are constantly evolving. The LEED rating system and credential exams are continuously updating to keep up with the market and to set a higher standard, which is knowledge transferred to the LEED credential holder. You can apply this knowledge to real-life projects that become a portfolio of experience, increasing your value as a young professional, and allowing for career development and advancement.

The LEED rating system has evolved with time, adapting and adopting newer standards, raising the bar and pushing the market, making it one of the most in-demand green building standards worldwide. Gaining experience in a green building project that achieves LEED certification can open doors, and with the LEED credential, you speak the same language as many others doing the same work. It's a language that is applied globally, allowing you to seek opportunities anywhere in the world, in the niche that you are most passionate about.

I started out as a young professional in this field, and throughout the years, I have studied, done the research, applied different methods and theories, performed calculations, and worked alongside inspiring mentors and amazing young professionals alike. I can tell you that whether you wish to be a sustainability consultant like me or choose another field in the built environment, sustainability is here to stay-and a LEED credential will give you the foundation you need to start out your career.

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