It is possible to build a career in environmental work without tertiary education. For example, Adzmin Fatta, programme manager at Reef Check Malaysia and co-founder of Green Semporna, only finished secondary school education (read the comic of his full story).

He was formerly with another big-name organization, WWF Malaysia—an indication that the lack of a college degree did not hamper his career much. But, according to him, many NGOs still prefer to hire candidates with at least a degree. So, while a tertiary education qualification is not the be-all and end-all of one’s job prospects within environmentalism, it does lend one an advantage.