What advice would you like to give to students who want to future-proof their careers
in sustainability?
At a time when the world is grappling with various environmental challenges (e.g., climate change, food crisis) and as organizations increasingly emphasize eco-friendly initiatives, careers in sustainability are becoming prominent. However, unlike the conventional domains of engineering and management, the field of sustainability is relatively new and thus lacks a well-written script. As the domain of sustainability integrates ideas from various disciplines (e.g., psychology, biology, geography, economics, ethics, political science, etc.), students need to inculcate interdisciplinary thinking to future-proof their careers in sustainability.
What skills do you think every student regardless of their discipline, should learn for the
future of green jobs?
To thrive in green jobs, students must excel at the following four skills, popularly, known as the 4Cs: communication (effectively articulating ideas to shape the attitudes and behaviors of target audience), collaboration (fostering meaningful connections/partnerships with various stakeholders within and outside one’s organization), creativity (coming up with novel/innovative solutions to emerging challenges), and critical thinking (making decisions based on evidence/facts, and not based on personal beliefs/opinions). In addition, staying abreast of the latest technological advancements, having a growth mindset (the belief that skills can be learnt through experience/exposure), and being sensitive to sociocultural milieu will always remain valuable.
Which soft skills, such as problem-solving, teamwork, or adaptability stand out during
hiring?
In the 21st century VUCA (Volatile-Uncertain-Complex-Ambiguous) world where disruptions are the norm, employers are increasingly looking for soft skills among the candidates in the hiring process. In the words of Alvin Toffler, “The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Thus, adaptability will always have an edge over other soft skills in the hiring process.
