Career Development for Sustainability
At the University of Exeter, we are committed to embedding sustainability into our culture, learning and development. Sustainability for career development offers personal understanding and a tool for moving forwards as a professional. Learning through real-world challenges and developing the ability to operate in a complex space demonstrates critical thinking, problem solving, innovation, resilience and self-awareness skills; enabling us to be informed within wider social, economic, and policy debates or engagements, regardless of whether sustainability is at the peripheral or core of your future career destination.
Learn more about Sustainability
Watch Climate Change – The Facts and check out our series of online courses about climate change and sustainability at Learn Exeter.
Understand and get involved with ways to help reduce your Carbon Footprint whilst studying at Exeter from the Sustainability team.
There are several Exeter Award Themes to illustrate the variety of sessions that you can attend. You can use these themes to decide on a career in sustainability or to explore the sector further. The themes are suggestions and are not prescriptive; you can choose to do elements from different themes.
Get involved and gain experience
Sign the SDG Accord – Demonstrate your commitment to inspire, celebrate and advance the critical role that education has in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) whilst studying at the University of Exeter
Our multi-award winning programme is open to all students and offers the opportunity to attend skills based training, develop project management and behavioural changes skills, deliver an on-campus project and undertake an internship. Aimed at students wishing to pursue a career in the environment and sustainability sectors. Feedback from industry shows that this gives our students the competitive edge for many roles in the green sector.
Legends is our volunteering scheme for students at Falmouth and Exeter’s Cornwall Campuses and you can also search for societies at the Student Union. At Exeter you could become a and help protect this natural resource, join the Exeter Community Garden or find a relevant Guild society to join. You can also volunteer with Sustrans and you could become a student member of CIEEM.
Future17 is a new global initiative between the University of Exeter, QS and a consortium of leading international universities. It is a module designed to support students to develop the skills needed to collaboratively tackle 21st Century global challenges through working with professionals to create pathways for innovative solutions to real-world issues associated with one or more of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Find out more about the Future 17 programme.
Grand Challenges is an inter-disciplinary project week and enquiry led learning experience which helps students develop their employability by exploring 21 Century issues with a strong focus on sustainability, for example, Climate and Environment Emergency and Future Food.
Identify relevant sectors and source jobs
To identify if the company and job are sustainable enough for you, your Self-awareness is important. Our Help With Researching an Employer demonstrates the need to know your values and gives you many resources to identify whether the organisation is an appropriate option for you. You can explore how the world's largest companies and investment funds align with your sustainability convictions using How Sustainable to Me and you can find out how sustainable the job is with How Green is your Job.
To gain direct, relevant experience and develop your knowledge and experience of sustainability explore the University of Exeter Internships and consider Credit-bearing placements with organisations such as Treeconomics, Planethub and ClearLead Consulting.
Twice a year you can potentially find a expert working in sustainability through the mentor scheme and you can also use the alumni tool to get in touch with sustainability professionals. Throughout the year events are held at both Penryn and Exeter, where you can also connect with professionals. Our employment sector pages can help find jobs in many areas where sustainability is a theme and you can find the latest environmental and sustainability vacancies with IMEA jobs.