How can you build a successful career in sustainability?

Embarking on a sustainability career begins with clear goals—whether in renewable energy, green finance, or education, within large organizations or startups. Equip yourself with relevant education in sustainability disciplines, supplemented by real-world experiences through internships or volunteer work. Networking is key—engage with industry professionals, attend sustainability conferences, and join relevant forums. Stay updated on sustainability trends and hone your communication skills to effectively convey your ideas. Lastly, quantify your initiatives' impact to showcase your contributions to prospective employers, aiding your journey toward making a tangible difference toward a better future.

Sustainability is very strategic and follows a logical approach in the thought process. You have to atleast start to check on your inner sense of differentiating the appropriate and inappropriate practices. It's great to also understand that Sustainability proffesionals are support systems and providing clear guidance is key to achieving a full fledged responsibility.

What drives you to pursue a sustainable career? Is it human rights, the environment, or something else? Answering these questions is where it starts. From there educate yourself as much on the topic as you can and you will find the niche in which you can have the most impact.

El paso de la filantropía a la sostenibilidad, tal vez fue el primero que di. Pasar de hacer acciones buena onda a comenzar a comprender la triple cuenta y como se puede aportar al core de las acciones. Para mí lo social es lo que me moviliza, por eso estudiar, leer y comprender las acciones que generen valor social a los grupos de interés. Midiendo, evaluando, comunicando y haciendo red con otras y otros. Apoyarse de los estándares y métricas globales conocidas y no conocidas amplían la mirada.

When you know your career goal you can look into which skills you need to develop. Looking at job advertisements can give you a good picture of what you need to work on.

If you are not self-motivated in this field, you'll experience burnout. This is because there's so much to learn. The field of sustainability is an emerging one and there's a lot of research going on. for instance in sustainability reporting where I do my research, we have just begun to see the emergence of standards to guide the practice of sustainability reporting. I keep up with new developments in sustainability by reading journals, pronouncements from regulators and standards-setting bodies, and learnings from my own field research.

Personally, I see a trend that people that set themselves apart in sustainability are those that have a heart for sustainability. I think it comes from a place of love for the environment and for people. Many times, you'll find yourself trying to manage conflicting stakeholder interests. For instance, management and shareholders might be interested in profit maximization, and this sometimes would be inimical to the organization's sustainability drive. Without a heart for sustainability, your task might begin to seem onerous.

If you’re in for the money, forget about a career in sustainability. Most likely the developed mindsets for profits will weigh heavy and compromise the balance of the pillars of sustainability. But, if you’re in for a long haul advocating for real sustainability, then become a genius to have the deeper wisdom to take on the challenges and not be pushover by conflicting interests.

Share your experience and goals with your network and on social media. The more people know where you want to go the better. People in this field of work want to help!