A question many students and graduates looking to work in corporate responsibility and sustainability ask is, ‘where is the best place to look for news and find out about opportunities?’ We asked representatives on our ‘Corporate careers with a conscience’ panel earlier this year for their job hunting advice. Below is a summary of their suggestions and some resources to use:
- Don’t limit yourself to applying for advertised positions. Many roles in CSR and sustainability are not advertised widely. Tap into professional networks, use resources like LinkedIn and be prepared to apply speculatively.
- Get volunteering and work experience – this is often a stepping stone to something more permanent.
- Identify your niche and follow a sector/industry, keeping up to date with what’s happening. You’ll be looking in very different places for a role in CR in an FMCG and say impact/ethical investing.
- Professional bodies and associations can be a great way of identifying possible companies.
- There are very few graduate schemes. Opportunities are often based in smaller organisations with a clear CR/sustainable/ethical agenda or in a larger organisation once you have some functional specialism.
- Develop your business expertise and then think how this might be applied in a CR context.
- Read widely, develop your understanding, have conversations and start to influence through attending events.
Here are a few websites the panel recommend for keeping up to date:
- BITC – Business in the community with a focus on responsible business
- B-Corps – Corporations using ‘business for good’
- Blue and Green Tomorrow – daily news with loads of useful articles and links
- Forum for the Future – global non-profit working across sectors to solve complex sustainability challenges
- Ethicalcorp – a London based group with ethical business articles, events and opportunities
- Netimpact London – social impact networking group running events in London
- IDEO – organisation focused on social innovation working on poverty related projects with non-profits, social enterprises and foundations
- Ethical Performance – business news with a useful searchable directory
- On Purpose – interesting blog – develop leaders for social enterprise
I guess another point worth noting is that there are plenty of companies that would see CSR as a part-time job and encourage you to get involved in the wider business. That said, it’s a huge part of most companies these days as they strive to improve their impact on people and the planet.
That’s a great point Anna. Thanks for sharing