Careers in Sustainability
Even if openings seem few and far between, sustainability is a burgeoning industry – and naturally so, as it’s considered increasingly important to promote environmental protection and social responsibility.
There is no set career path in this field, however, so it’s important that you take time to figure out where you want to go and what you need to do to get there. Regardless of job title, the work of all sustainability professionals focuses on providing sufficient amounts of energy for today’s world without draining future resources – whether in fields such as science, engineering, management, business, technology, education, policy, think tanks or charities, and more.
Therefore, there are many ways to get a sustainability, or so-called “green” job; the first step is to figure out what kind of sustainability work you want to do. Do you want to work in an office? Outdoors? Or perhaps an industrial environment is more suitable for you! Pinpointing the type of position you are seeking will help you figure out if you need a technical qualification to land it. Numerous universities – (King’s included!) – now offer sustainability-related degrees or modules.
Employers will look for someone with an innovative outlook; the ability to demonstrate that you can come up with novel solutions to complex problems is key! If you’re looking for a job in corporate sustainability – sell yourself as someone who can genuinely help them do business better in innovative ways. As a sustainability professional you will be expected to deliver on a variety of important tasks, such as to provide leadership and strategy, design initiatives and sustainability programs, and much more.
While thinking about the skills a potential employer would look for, track down student opportunities or other ways through which you can demonstrate and improve those skills: get involved during the annual Sustainability Week to make small changes with big impact, become a voluntary Sustainability Champion Assistant to gain necessary skills, or check out the Sustainability Team’s annual King’s Sustainability Internship for current or former King’s students! For more general information about Careers in Sustainability, including links to useful websites, check out the digital King’s Career Kit, and recordings of some of the sustainability careers events we’ve run.
Good luck!
Written by Silje Undlien, Third Year War Studies undergraduate at King’s College London & Marketing Assistant at King’s Careers & Employability.