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Naomi Webster

Training and Conferences Manager
What employment sector do you work in?

NGO

How long have you had a green job for nature?

6 Years

Salary Range

£25,001 – £30,000

Please describe the work that you do.

I co-ordinate our programme of training courses for a variety of audiences including professional and volunteer bat workers, arborists and people from the built environment sector. I also organise our rolling programme of conferences in collaboration with other members of the Bat Conservation Trust team. Whether online, in-person or hybrid, all our events involve a lot of logistics, planning and admin either side of the frantic busy-ness of the live event itself. 

What do you most like about your job? Any dislikes? 

I really enjoy helping people, ensuring they have a good time at our events and get the most out of the experience. I also enjoy the creativity of solving problems, coming up with new events or improvements to our existing ones. There are inevitably some less exciting aspects of the role like some of the regular admin and finance tasks which are important but I find duller. 

What inspired you into this career? 

I always wanted to work with animals and was fortunate enough to spend 10 years working in education and training at Jersey Zoo and wanted to continue using my skills within the wildlife conservation sector. 

Have you faced any challenges in progressing your career so far? 

Working in the charity sector, I know that I am never going to make my millions but fortunately job satisfaction helps make up for that. Working for smaller organisations, there are more limited opportunities to progress within an organisation, however a good employer will value their employees and help you to grow and develop your skills through new challenges and opportunities when they come up. 

What education/training did you have?

I originally completed a degree in Zoology and have since undertaken a variety of courses and training within education, training and science communication as well as building up a wide range of experience through practical delivery of workshops, courses, conferences and other events. 

What advice would you give to someone coming into the profession? 

Despite your best efforts, things will not always run smoothly so be open to learning all the time and ready to flex your approach to meet the needs of different people/situations. And enjoy it! The peaks and troughs of a calendar of events can feel a bit like being swept along on a rollercoaster sometimes but don’t forget to lift your head and appreciate all you are achieving. 

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