Would you want to work for a company with a dodgy ethical and environmental track record? For an increasing number of graduates, the answer to this question is an emphatic no. A recent survey found that almost 90% of graduates considered high ethical standards in a company to be imperative when making a decision about whether or not to work for that company.
The good news is that there's now an increasing amount of specialist careers information aimed at the environmentally and ethically aware graduate. Leading the field is the Ethical Careers Service that was launched just over a year ago by People and Planet, the student-based environmental campaign group.
"We set up the service in response to the increasing numbers of students who were concerned about environmental and social issues and who wanted to incorporate these values into their careers," explains Emma Farley who heads up the service.
So what exactly is an ethical career? "Initially people might consider that just charity work fits the criteria," says Emma, "but the truth is that there are thousands of opportunities with companies and organisations that are ethically responsible and are concerned with making a difference."
Among the vast sweep of careers that Emma includes under the ethical umbrella are careers in renewable energy, fair trade and ethical PR through to community regeneration and ethical investment. While the service is unable to offer personal careers advice, subscribers receive three copies of a magazine a year that's crammed full of ideas, advice and information on the whole range of ethical careers. The current issue for example includes a useful section on how to tailor your CV for the not-for-profit sector.
In addition, subscribers receive a password that gives them access to an online library of more resources and contacts as well as a regular recruitment bulletin that advertises entry-level vacancies.
Central to the service is the provision of information to enable people to make an informed choice about their career options. "We never say to people don't work for such and such a company," says Emma. "Instead we encourage people to do their own research and find out about a company's ethical and environmental policies.
"Too often students and graduates just get to see one side of the picture as presented by glossy corporate brochures," continues Emma. "What we try and do is offer an alternative approach."
Other organisations are now stepping in to help students and graduates make ethically informed choices about their potential future careers. Earlier this year Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR), a group that promotes ethical science and technology published a series of briefing papers covering three contentious areas of science and technology, namely climate change, clean technology and animal experimentation.
"There's a growing awareness among young scientists and engineers of the ethical dilemmas involved in choosing a career in science and technology, but precious little information available," says Stuart Parkinson, the director of SGR. "The aim of these briefing sheets is to fill this information gap."
There's now a great potential for science-based careers to be used positively for the benefit of society, believes Stuart. "For years the military and defence industries were a major employer of young science graduates, but the recent growth of the environmental consultancy, renewable energy and clean technology industries shows that there is now an ethical alternative. The idea that protecting the environment limits your career choice is just wrong."
Electronic engineering graduate Kirsty Stevenson is typical of this new-wave of environmentally-conscious young scientists. For the past four years, 28-year-old Kirsty has been working for Solar Century, one of the country's leading solar power companies.
"I always had an interest in the environment and didn't want to design mobile phones or anything like that," says Kirsty. "I wanted to end up working for a company that I felt good about and Solar Century has a very strong ethical stance and is very much concerned about its contribution to society - plus it's great to be surrounded by like-minded colleagues."
So how do you go about landing that dream green job? "I found that the best thing was simply picking up the phone and talking to people to find the right fit for my skills," says Simon Billing, who works as a communications and information officer for Twin Trading, the ethical and fair trade company.
While there's no single defined way to get a job within the ethical sector, 27-year-old Simon, who graduated in development studies from UEA, believes that job-seekers shouldn't forget that ethical employers are no different from their mainstream counterparts when looking at candidates. "Ethical careers still need a core skill base," says Simon, "For example I wouldn't be in my current job if I couldn't speak Spanish, which is something that I learned since leaving university."
Alison Walsham from Cambridge University Careers Service, one of the growing number of universities offering ethical careers advice, agrees with Billing, especially as the sector is becoming more competitive.
"A good idea is to get the necessary skills and experience from the corporate sector to start with because not many charities or other not-for-profit organisations can afford to train new graduates," advises Alison. "We say be creative about how you obtain the necessary skills."
But what about pay and conditions: doesn't the ethical sector always pay less? "In some instances, some ethical careers offer a mainstream pay structure," says Emma Farley. "Often, though, money isn't a major motivating factor for graduates looking for work within the ethical sector. They have a different value system that places more emphasis on a greater sense of achievement and contributing to an ethical organisation or company."
Simon Billing agrees. "You have a lot more energy to get up in the morning if you work for an organisation whose core objective is to bring about change, rather than simply to make a profit."
More information Ethical Careers Service
Tel: 01865 245678
Scientists for Global Responsibility
Tel: 07771 883 696
The Sustainable Careers Handbook published by the Centre for Alternative Technology Publications (£10 ) published in 2000.
Tel: 01654 7024000 or www.cat.org.uk
Tel: 020 7803 0100
Tel: 020 7375 1221