Climate Careers Future-Proof Your Career: Tips from Acre’s Cleantech Recruiter featuring Quentin Klein, Acre
Nov 13, 2025
Quentin Klein, Principal Consultant at Acre, brings a wealth of knowledge from his transition from mechanical engineering to cleantech recruitment. He shares valuable insights on what hiring managers seek in the sustainability sector—skills, resilience, and a problem-solving mindset. Discover how to make your resume shine by treating job descriptions as challenges. Quentin emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and networking in a rapidly evolving field, along with the rising role of AI in transforming both products and workplace dynamics.
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From R&D Engineer To Cleantech Recruiter
- Quentin transitioned from mechanical R&D engineering into technical recruitment after seeking remote flexibility.
- He stumbled into recruitment but used it to focus heavily on cleantech and decarbonization hiring.
Customize Applications Like Solutions
- Tailor your resume to the job description and treat each JD as a problem statement to solve.
- Reach out to 3–5 people at the company after applying and build internal recommendations before following up.
Skills Shift With Technology Stage
- Startup hiring needs change with the technology lifecycle: deep technical R&D early, broader commercial roles at pilot and scale.
- Intangibles—motivation, resilience, entrepreneurial spirit—become the hardest-to-find but most valuable traits.