Features : Ethical careers

Making the decision on where you want to work will involve looking at more than just the money involved. Work-life balance is often key, as well as how the work impacts on the issues you find important. Chris Manley, Senior Careers Consultant at the University of Warwick, suggests ways to think about those ethical decisions.

When looking at where you want to work, there are some approaches to take in order to look at your own values and match them to an organisation.

• How you do the job - if you are concerned about safeguarding the environment, for example, you could make a contribution by minimising waste. 
  

   

• What job you do - some jobs are obviously concerned with attention to a certain aspect of these issues (for example sustainability officers), whereas some people would want to avoid certain jobs.
• Who you work for - you may not want to work for a certain company (if they have been unscrupulous in their dealings with developing countries, for example) or work for an organisation specifically focused on a certain issue. 
• Whether the job in question leaves you time for other activities which you think are important, such as volunteering or campaigning. 

Information on ethical careers

This list is intended to be indicative rather than comprehensive and is designed to assist you to come to well-informed decisions of your own.

General sources

• Business and Human Rights Resource Centre - independent organisation, described as ‘Tracking the Positive and Negative impacts of over 4000 companies worldwide.’
• Business in the Community - independent and business-led charity aiming to support and challenge companies to integrate responsible business.
• The Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition -  works to make changes in UK company law to minimise negative impacts of companies on people and the environment.
• CSR Europe - European business network for corporate social responsibility.
• Eldis Corporate Social Responsibility Resource Guide - database with links to articles on policy, practice and research on development issues.
• Forum for the Future - UK charity working in partnership with business, the public sector and others to build a sustainable future. 

Finding, and finding out about ethical jobs

• The Association of Sustainability Practitioners - aims to promote learning which leads to sustainable practice.
• Ethical Jobs - vacancy database of very wide range of ethical jobs both in the UK and Europe.
• Governance Jobs - jobs in Corporate Social Responsibility
• Green Engineering Jobs - international job and information website for the renewable energy and environmental industries.
• Oneworld.net - latest jobs and volunteer positions from organisations working to create a better world.