Here's how you can use your education to kickstart a thriving career in CSR.

I studied sustainability 15 years (!) ago. I started my career in traditional sales and marketing when it was not a topic, hence did not get to work in the sustainability field though I was passionate about it. 15 years later, I'm trying to combine what I'm good at, sales and marketing, with what I'm passionate about, sustainability. It's not an easy journey as I struggle sometimes to position what I do, but I really value all the skills I've learned in my previous careers. As someone put it to me recently, I love how you manage to bring sustainable practices into marketing easily. Maybe it's because to me sustainability is common sense in my day to day, rather than a complex framework to adhere to.

Jumeler votre formation académique avec la RSE est une excellente idée. Identifier les intersections entre vos études et les principes de RSE peut transformer vos connaissances en un atout puissant. Par exemple, les études en sciences de l’environnement fournissent des connaissances précieuses sur les pratiques durables, tandis que les dipl?més en commerce peuvent utiliser leur compréhension des opérations pour promouvoir la responsabilité sociale. Les sciences sociales, quant à elles, offrent des perspectives sur les impacts sociétaux et le comportement humain. En adaptant votre formation au secteur de la RSE qui vous passionne, vous pouvez créer des synergies significatives et valoriser ces compétences dans votre recherche d'opportunités.

The good thing is, that there are so many entry points for a career in the field of CSR. It doesn't matter if you are a scientist, an oeconomic, somebody who had studied social science, or law. All these subjects can be a good foundation for a career in CSR. The only thing you have to do is to learn about sustainibility in relationship to your subject and the chances will arise to dig deeper in CSR relevant topics. Doing so will enable you to transfer your knowledge in a CSR position.

Additional skills that can bring value to your CSR career are: negotiating, public speaking, data analytics and project management. Understand how your stakeholders will expect you to communicate, activate and report on your programs.

Learn, learn, learn and having a beginners mindset are the foundation for a broad and usefull skillset in CSR. Sustainibility is a fast evolving subject and people from very different backgrounds are entering constantly the playing field. So working on your skill is a good strategy to become an expert. Do also not forget to work on your sift skills like negotiation, presentation, communication and personal leadership. All these things are very helpful when you want to become successful in the field of CSR.

Para iniciar una carrera exitosa en RSC yo utilizaría mi educación como base para construir una red sólida de contactos. La colaboración y el intercambio de ideas con profesionales del sector pueden abrir puertas y ofrecer perspectivas interesantes. También haría énfasis en la participación en eventos de la industria y en la conexión con mentores, ya que según mi experiencia, estas relaciones son fundamentales para el desarrollo profesional y pueden proporcionar oportunidades inesperadas. Por último creo que mantener una actitud proactiva y abierta al aprendizaje continuo es clave para adaptarse a las tendencias emergentes y contribuir significativamente al campo de la RSC.

It's also important to study different areas of CSR. If you have studied and practiced community perspective, study environment and sustainability and vise versa. Also practice yourself to see mistakes that you have done and learn from them. You could also enhance your portfolio by empowering yourself by doing online courses available at platforms like LinkedIn and Coursera. Even though you might add volunteering opportunities to your CV, in time to come, compile what is important and only showcase them in your original CV. If necessary, use all your updates to an extended CV and note it on your 2 page CV (stating extended CV availability).

Sustainability is no longer a field or an industry. Sustainability principles are cross-roles and need to be encompassed in all jobs! As a marketer, I am transitioning from traditional marketing to sustainable marketing. How am I doing this? - General knowledge: I have learned about the SDGs, and how we need to apply them for a better future - Upskilling: I am undertaking courses and certifications by top universities about ESG and CSR - Greening my role: I am learning to integrate sustainability in marketing mixes, from product design to external communications. It's a continuous journey of improvements. As the job market is evolving, it's important to stay up-to-date and showcase your new skills to your employer and clients.