5 tips on how to gain vegan experience

Do you have enough work-related vegan experience? Do you want to become a vegan professional but don’t feel like you have enough experience? Perhaps you have a degree which can be useful for pursuing a vegan career. No matter our situation, we all have the passion to make the world a bit better by promoting an animal cruelty-free lifestyle. That passion is the basis for a vegan career.

This article offers tips to those who have that passion, but who may not have either work-related vegan experience or enough general work experience.

Vegan Career Path Direction

There is no such thing as a vegan bachelor’s degree, so how can we gain professional vegan experience? Each person’s situation is different. There is no universal path. If you are lucky enough to have been exposed to veganism at an early age, or if you are willing to continue your studies, you can follow a study path suited to your passion which can lead you to a vegan career. You can consciously choose to follow study programs and adapt them to your personal preferences. While studying to become a chef, a communication expert, or a doctor, you can narrow your path along the way by focusing on the vegan aspects of these careers. One way to do this is by choosing internships with companies, businesses, and organizations that share an animal cruelty-free philosophy.

If you already have a degree, but at the time of studying did not specifically emphasize vegan elements, you may still find that your studies have been of use. For example, you can request to do post-graduation internships at vegan companies in positions that match your study experience.

Gaining Vegan Experience

Is it possible to gain vegan experience and to get a vegan job, even if you don’t have a degree? We all have a passionate dedication to the vegan cause, but to begin a vegan career you will need to, in some way, stand out from the pack. As with any career, you, as an individual, will need to market yourself in such a way that companies will want to have you on board. Some of us will be able to combine study and early work experience with veganism. Others may add vegan experience post-study. But, many of us will be in neither of those positions. Passion alone may not be enough. You will have to find a way to highlight your passion. You will need to invest some time in yourself.

Here are some of our tips to boost your resume:

Create a Blog and/or Facebook Page

A blog is a great way to showcase your knowledge and expertise on veganism. Besides inspiring friends and family, it can be a great way to present yourself to companies – especially if you are aspiring towards a career in communications, sales, marketing, or PR and do not have enough work-related vegan experience. Our vegan job board has many such jobs posted regularly by companies like PETA and Mercy For Animals. Adapt your blog in such a way that it emphasizes the field you wish to work in. If you want to be a vegan chef, focus on recipes. If you want to be a vegan communications expert, focus on writing engaging vegan articles. If you want to be a vegan marketing expert, focus on writing about new developments in the field of vegan business. Consider creating or connecting a Facebook page to your blog. If done well, you can get hundreds or thousands of people following your Facebook page, which will increase your chances of landing a vegan career.

Nutrition Studies Certificate

If you want to have a career related to vegan food and health, consider following the six-week Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. This is an online program that is offered by eCornell and designed by the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. It is the go-to program for nutrition and health, based on years of scientific and field research by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and many other experts. Upon successful completion of the short program, you will gain continuing education credits. This is especially useful for dietitians, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. Either way, the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate is a great addition to the resumes of people aspiring towards any career in veganism.

Cooking Courses

Enrolling in a vegan cooking course in your neighborhood is a great way to gain experience and to get to know like-minded people. These courses are often offered by restaurants, in people’s homes, or in local community centers. You can also enroll in online cooking courses, such as this one offered by Forks Over Knives.

These courses are especially relevant if you want to be a chef but do not yet have enough professional vegan cooking experience.

Online Courses

Self-education is something we highly recommend, especially because it is a nice way to show your passion and dedication to learning and self-improvement. Websites such as Udemy offer several different vegan online courses about vegan cooking, vegan nutrition, and vegan bodybuilding.

Though more aimed at vegan businesses, Vegan Mainstream also offers online courses which may be worth taking a look at.

Volunteering

We mentioned earlier that post-graduation internships can be a great way to gain vegan experience. Volunteering in general is highly recommended if you have no or little professional vegan experience, but would like to work in a specific field. Many nonprofit organizations with a veganism or animal cruelty-free philosophy offer different types of volunteer opportunities. Take a look at your local animal sanctuary, or one of the many volunteer opportunities at Dr. Greger’s NutritionFacts. These are great starting points for steering your career in a specific direction with the long-term goal of landing a vegan job. Think of it as an investment in yourself. Even if you volunteer for only one or two hours per week, that experience will be a great addition to your resume. It will nicely allow you gain some experience while getting to know like-minded people. Our vegan job board often has volunteer and internship positions listed, so keep an eye out for new opportunities!