Last updated on Mar 14, 2024

What do you do if your resume lacks the impact of your sustainability achievements and projects?

If you are a mid-career professional who wants to showcase your sustainability skills and achievements, you might face a challenge: how do you make your resume stand out with the impact of your projects and initiatives? Many sustainability-related activities are not easily quantified or recognized by conventional metrics and standards. However, that does not mean you have to settle for a bland or generic resume that does not reflect your passion and value. In this article, we will share some tips on how to highlight your sustainability achievements and projects on your resume, and how to tailor it to different opportunities and audiences.

1 Identify your sustainability skills

The first step is to identify what sustainability skills you have and how they relate to your career goals and the positions you are applying for. Sustainability skills are not limited to technical or environmental aspects, but also include social, economic, and ethical dimensions. For example, you might have skills in stakeholder engagement, project management, innovation, problem-solving, communication, or leadership that are relevant for sustainability. Think about how you have used these skills in your previous or current roles, and how they have contributed to positive outcomes for your organization, community, or the planet.

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Kishan Rao

Operations and Technical Manager
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1. Quantify outcomes with real numbers and statistics. 2. Emphasise relevant abilities like project management and data analysis. 3. Provide context, showing how your work contributes to bigger environmental goals. 4. Tailor your resume for each job application. 5. Create a separate section for Sustainability Achievements and Projects (if applicable). 6. Seek input from others to improve communication.

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2 Quantify and qualify your achievements

The next step is to quantify and qualify your sustainability achievements and projects. This means using numbers, percentages, or other indicators to show the scale, scope, and impact of your actions and results. For example, you might mention how much energy, water, or waste you saved or reduced, how much money or time you generated or saved, how many people or stakeholders you engaged or influenced, or how you improved the quality or performance of a product, service, or process. You should also qualify your achievements by explaining the context, challenges, and benefits of your sustainability projects and initiatives. For example, you might describe the purpose, goals, methods, partners, or outcomes of your projects and how they aligned with your organization's mission, vision, or values.

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3 Use action verbs and keywords

The third step is to use action verbs and keywords that demonstrate your sustainability skills and achievements. Action verbs are words that describe what you did or accomplished in your roles or projects, such as implemented, led, coordinated, developed, analyzed, or improved. Keywords are words or phrases that relate to the specific sustainability topics, issues, or standards that you have knowledge or experience in, such as carbon footprint, circular economy, social responsibility, or green certification. You can use these action verbs and keywords to write concise and compelling bullet points or statements that highlight your sustainability achievements and projects on your resume.

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4 Customize your resume for different opportunities

The fourth step is to customize your resume for different opportunities and audiences. Depending on the type and level of the position you are applying for, you might need to emphasize different aspects of your sustainability skills and achievements. For example, if you are applying for a senior or managerial role, you might want to focus on your strategic, leadership, and communication skills and how you have led or influenced sustainability projects and initiatives. If you are applying for a technical or specialist role, you might want to focus on your analytical, innovation, and problem-solving skills and how you have implemented or improved sustainability solutions or practices. You should also research the organization and the industry you are applying to, and use their language, terminology, and priorities to tailor your resume accordingly.

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Subhasis Ray

Professor @ XLRI Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, India / Marketing & Sustainability/ National University of Ireland/IIM-Calcutta
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This is a common theme of questions I often get from 2nd year students. My answer to them is " think intelligently about the work you did" For example, you called 100 customers to sell mutual fund. Were those just 100 calls or something else was happening like getting insights, conversions, complaint handling? Same holds true for sustainability work you might have done. Think.

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5 Showcase your sustainability projects and initiatives

The final step is to showcase your sustainability projects and initiatives in a separate section or portfolio on your resume. This is especially useful if you have done any voluntary, extracurricular, or personal projects or initiatives related to sustainability that are not part of your formal work experience. For example, you might have participated in a community garden, a recycling campaign, a climate action group, or a sustainability course or certification. You can use this section or portfolio to provide more details, examples, or evidence of your sustainability skills and achievements, and to demonstrate your passion and commitment to sustainability. You can also include links to your online profiles, websites, blogs, or portfolios that showcase your sustainability projects and initiatives.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What do you do if your resume lacks the impact of your sustainability achievements and projects?

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2

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1 Identify your sustainability skills

2 Quantify and qualify your achievements

3 Use action verbs and keywords

4 Customize your resume for different opportunities

5 Showcase your sustainability projects and initiatives

6 Here’s what else to consider

Sustainability

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What do you do if your resume lacks the impact of your sustainability achievements and projects?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify your sustainability skills

2 Quantify and qualify your achievements

3 Use action verbs and keywords

4 Customize your resume for different opportunities

5 Showcase your sustainability projects and initiatives

6 Here’s what else to consider

Sustainability

Rate this article

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