Open-minded, fun and determined multi-tasker with GSOH WLTM perfect job for committed relationship, to challenge and inspire others and make a difference.
From human rights to recycling, employee diversity to energy savings, customer service to sustainable transport; whatever your passion, you can work your way into your perfect CSR job. Companies the world over are tackling these issues, and they need people like you to make things happen.
But actually landing a job can be a challenge. Whether you’re a student applying for your first job, or a veteran of your industry, there’s an ever increasing number of opportunities and ways into corporate responsibility. But rather like a flexible "round the world" ticket with no set route or timeframe, there’s no traditional career path into corporate responsibility. Just as travellers have a reason for heading off, and with the aid of guide books have a rough itinerary in mind, trips are invariably shaped by experiences en route - including taking advice from people in the know, and trading travelling tips.
Compare this to your journey into CSR:
Think about your motivations and values. Are you driven by your heart or your head, or both? Which CSR issues inspire you the most?
Use your passions to direct your research into:
a) The type of organisation you want to work for (company or consultancy)
b) The type of work different departments within these organisations do
For example, do you want a job dealing with customer, supplier, employee, environmental or community issues? Do you want a job communicating and motivating others to act responsibly? Or do you want a more strategic role?
CSR doesn’t fit neatly into a single box so you won’t find an all-inclusive ‘how to get into CSR’ guide book. Forget your search for the sparkly golden bridge that will lead you up the CSR path and into your perfect job.
But don’t despair, there are many good books, training courses, online resources and email forums on CSR. These are a great starting place for getting news, views and notification of job vacancies in CSR. For example:
Type "Corporate Social Responsibility" into Amazon UK’s book search and you’ll get over 240 returns.
The yahoogroups network ‘CSR Chicks’ is "one of the largest and most active communities of people working on corporate responsibility and sustainable development" with over 4,200 members worldwide. There is also a special version for men, ‘CSR Blokes’
The CSR Academy’s website provides a directory of many CSR education and training opportunities available in the UK.
Ethical Corporation magazine is a monthly global business publication exploring CSR issues. They also run a conference on ‘how companies relate to the world around them’.
Think about how, where and when you could start practising CSR. Could you pioneer CSR activities within your current job? Or, could you change industry and mould your skills and experience (from any stage of your life) into a CSR role?
Map out your mental and physical route including key dates of any relevant events and meetings. Possible milestones could be:
Changing your mindset (especially if you’re adapting your current role)
Focusing on a specialism (i.e. supply chain management, CSR communication, environmental regulation)
Attending training and development courses
Doing an internship or voluntary work
Work-shadowing someone you admire in CSR
Joining relevant networks
For example, a consumer PR professional may decide to shun larger corporate clients to focus on helping smaller scale producers publicise their products.
Think CSR in the broadest sense and then consider which of your experiences will aid you most working in the field of CSR. In CSR it’s important to bring your personal values gained from work as well as social experiences to the job. It’s your role to challenge assumptions and therefore the more wide-ranging your experience the better. See our caricature ‘Anatomy of a CSR professional’.
Getting into CSR can often be helped by having and making contacts. As the old adage goes, ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’. Think about who you could talk to about CSR and how you’re going to approach them. Perhaps invite them to chat over coffee or lunch.
Reading CSR pioneers’ blogs such as John Elkington and Mallen Baker can be inspirational.
Sharing your experiences with others is not only morale boosting but can lead to new ideas and contacts. There’s a book on social networking called ‘Never Eat Alone’. The author, Keith Ferrazzi, advises, among other things, avoiding the fate of invisibility - ‘use potential social settings to constantly reach out to colleagues and future contacts’.
So how do you meet these people?
Join CSR networks - many organise social get-togethers over drinks
Attend relevant conference and events (you’ll often find freebies)
Hunt through your contact databases for any CSR-related connections, and get in touch
Good luck! CSR may seem like a daunting journey, but like every challenge worth undertaking it will bring benefits that are bigger and better than you’d ever imagine.