I saw your offer on the 09 grads group for some advice which is really kind of you. I’ve also seen on your profile that you were head of sustainability at Hayward, so I think you could really help me.

I’m looking to for a career in Corporate Responsibility / Sustainability. I did a BSc Social Science for my first degree and have just finished doing my MSc Sustainability, Planning and Environmental Policy. I’ve been having a look to see what internships are around but few of them pay and most jobs in the sector look for a few years experience. I was wondering if you could suggest the best way to get into this Sustainability/CSR careers. I have joined linkedin groups and yahoo groups too but its proving difficult to get started.

Any help would be great, many thanks

Great question! I did work as Director of Sustainability about a decade ago – so it was really cutting edge – and as a coach I’ve been able to help a fair number to find work in the area of sustainability.

Here’s what I recommend:
1. Chase opportunities not dollars.
At this point that may mean developing your experience, exposure and relationships through volunteering, unpaid internships, and informational interviews – lots of them. For my clients this has often been a bitter pill and has always produced great results.

2. Embody and express what’s special about you.
There’s a lot of competition for every job out there these days, and it’s only more intense for the type of job you want. Develop your key messages to help yourself and others describe what’s important to know about the value you can provide an organization.

3. Create a vision for your future.
In reading your message I’m not clear what you’re looking for and the type of organization you’re looking to do it with – and I’m not sure you are either. Get specific. This may seem like it limits opportunities, but it doesn’t.
When you can articulate the characteristics of your ideal position and ideal employer you up your game considerably. You then know who to target for informational interviews; how to package your experience; and if there’s additional development for you to pursue to be better qualified. Additionally, then people, like me, who want to help you out, will immediately be able to make associations in their own networks to help you more effectively.

If you’re interested, my Job-Right program is very comprehensive and helps people get very clear on their vision, package themselves effectively for a tough job market, and take the actions needed to turn their ideal job into a reality. You can find out more at job-right.com

Rooting for your success!
Michelle

Ask Michelle your burning career questions by sending them to michelle@juncturecompany.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 24th, 2009 at 8:21 am and is filed under Green Careers, Your Questions Answered. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.