Carina Dunkerly - Sustainability
Carina Dunkerly - Sustainability
1/ PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, AGE, WHERE YOU STUDIED AND WHAT YOU STUDIED AT UNIVERSITY.
My name is Carina Dunkerley and I am 26. I studied Russian and Politics at the University of Edinburgh and did a Masters in Sustainable Development at the University of Middlesex.
2/ CAN YOU GIVE YOUR WORK TITLE AND WHAT IT IS YOU ACTUALLY DO?
I am a consultant in the field of sustainability, working for Environmental Resources Management. I advise private companies on environmental and social issues, at a corporate and operational level. Examples would be developing environmental policies or management tools, or assessing impacts on local communities of major development projects overseas.
3/ WERE YOU ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THIS CAREER?
I have always known I wanted a job where I could "make a difference" and hence always knew I would work in the field of sustainability. It has not really been a career choice as such, as I have never considered working in any other area.
4/ WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU'D KNOWN WHEN YOU WERE AN UNDERGRADUATE?
I thought having a satisfying "making a difference" career would mean working in the not-for-profit sector. I hadn't realised there were such opportunities in the private sector, in consultancies, social enterprises, "green businesses", corporate responsibility positions within larger companies etc. I made sure to get work experience as an undergraduate, but this was in the not-for-profit sector: I would probably encourage undergraduates to get commercial experience in the environmental/ social sectors.
5/ DO YOU HAVE A POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATION? IF SO, HAS THIS HELPED YOUR CAREER?
I hold a Masters in Sustainable Development which has been crucial in getting me the job I wanted. Although a Masters is not essential in the field of sustainability, competition is very fierce so anyone wanting to enter the sector would be much better placed with a Masters.
6/ WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I like the feeling my job is making a positive difference to the world. I also like the feeling of being "in the thick of the debate", as issues I work on are often controversial or emerging (for example, how should businesses respond to climate change? What can companies in the UK do to improve the livelihoods of their suppliers in the developing world? etc.) - my friends are always very keen to hear about my job in the pub!
7/ ARE THERE ANY DOWNSIDES TO WHAT YOU DO?
Some of the work I do raises high-level ethical concerns in me - it is not always a job I can leave behind when I leave the office.
8/ WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS/STRENGTHS YOU NEED TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF WHAT YOU DO?
Core consultancy skills are clarity of thought and communication and the ability/ desire to work on several projects at the same time.
9/ WHAT WOULD BE YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR GRADUATES WISHING TO COME INTO THIS SECTOR?
Who you know is very important in the sector, as employers have hundreds of CVs of recent graduates with similar qualifications to choose from. I would therefore advise graduates to work in the sector in any capacity to get to know prospective employers: as an intern, in an administrative position, on work experience/ shadowing etc. I had a year off between my undergraduate and my Masters degree, during which time I worked for a few months at my current employer as an administrative temp. As I already had contacts within the company, I was in a much stronger position than other job applicants when I applied for a graduate consultant position after my Masters.
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Related tags: Edinburgh (University of), English, Languages & Cultural Studies, Ethical Careers, Case study, Social Sciences
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