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Every employer is different so there are no definitive lists here. These are meant as a guide and should be considered in addition to fully exploring role requirements outlined in person specification, job description and advert for each role you consider applying for.  

• Ability to develop strong business relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners
• Communication – written & verbal
• Strategic Thinking
• Collaboration
• Leadership
• Prioritisation
• Innovative mindset
• Commercial awareness – good understanding of issues relevant to the organisation and wider corporate social and sustainability issues
• Presentation skills & business case preparation
• Curious mindset – ability to keep up-to-date with new sector developments. 

To develop these skills, remember Career Zone offers a range of Personal and Professional Development sessions which are available to book on Handshake and run at least once per term.  Please also read through the sections about Gaining Experience and Further Study and Professional Development to discover how you can develop your skills through experience and by gaining further knowledge or qualifications.   

All experiences ranging from volunteering to active involvement in clubs/societies can help you to develop relevant and transferable skills. You may wish to consider involvement in: 

Volunteering 

Voluntary work experience will give you an opportunity to develop your communication, organisation and other skills.  Perhaps you might also be able to analyse data or make suggestions for improved charity processes which would provide useful experiences for a career in consultancy.   

• Directly approach local reputable charities to ask about volunteering
• .  

Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ Employability Schemes 

• Green Consultants  is an award-winning, interactive programme with 3 elements: Online training, a live group project and the opportunity to apply your skills to a paid internship with an external organisation.
• Professional Pathways is a suite of sector specific training courses and paid week-long internships that take place in June. Whichever of the 4 pathways you wish to explore (Charity & Development, Marketing, Higher Education or Arts, Culture & Heritage), you will gain transferrable skills which would help you in a consultant or analyst role.
• Career Zone Internship schemes: Internships can be extremely useful, so try and get relevant vacation work or placements. Search for Student Campus Partner (SCP)or Student Business Partner (SBP) roles on.
• Exeter Award: The Exeter Award will help you stand out from the crowd and give you the confidence to shout about the experiences you've had at university.
• The Global Leaders Experience is a unique opportunity to develop your intercultural skills as part of a short, outbound mobility experience.
• Grand Challenges is a project week in June each year in which you work in interdisciplinary groups with other like-minded students to design innovative solutions to real world challenges. Many of these will relate directly to CSR activities.  

Consider joining a related student society for example:  

• (Exeter) – campaigning for sustainability and environmentalism.
• (Exeter) – social enterprise society, undertaking projects to tackle projects such as poverty, waste or homelessness.
• (Cornwall) – For nature lovers, green activists and foraging fanatics.
• (Cornwall) – gain skills in ecology and conservation. 

Speculative applications and where to find opportunities 

Undertaking relevant work experience will also allow you to develop new skills and gain a valuable insight into the sector. As jobs and opportunities are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively. Before visiting the sites below, you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page. 

Finding Part-time Work  

Many students work part-time during their studies. Part-time jobs are often in the hospitality or retail sector where you can gain transferrable interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills.   

Search for part-time work here: 

• .
• General job sites such as  o°ù  (filter on “part-time” and “Exeter” or “Penryn”).
• Identify and call into local businesses with your CV to ask about part-time jobs.
• Attend the part-time / casual jobs fair, held twice yearly on Streatham Campus.
• Penryn Campus Careers Fairs 

Virtual Work Experience 

•  provides short virtual internships in a range of sectors, with opportunities to connect with employers.
•  provides virtual internships in a range of sectors and fast-track opportunities for graduate programmes and internships for virtual-intern alumni. Look out for the Bright Network annual summer internship week. 

Competition can be strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and research employers.  

• – employers who target Ó£»¨¶¯Âþ students may advertise here and not elsewhere.
• , and – jobs boards where you can filter by role, sector, location and salary for graduate jobs, placements and internships.
• – a jobs platform specifically for pre-filtered visa-sponsored jobs for international students.
• – specialist site where you can search for consultant or analyst roles in finance.
• – Discover Green Jobs and Environmental Careers in the UK.
• .
• – search here for green, environmental an sustainability jobs across a variety of sectors.
• – specialist STEM jobs platform.
• – worldwide jobs platform, can search for part-time or full-time jobs in any sector. Large companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) advertise vacancies on this platform.
• .
• .
• Local council websites - see  for a list.
• . 

For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page.

Graduate Schemes  

It is likely that CSR will feature as part of many business graduate scheme rotations. However, there are very few pure CSR graduate schemes.  CSR teams are typically small and progression may be quite quick.  As you can enter this sector with any degree, you should be able to evidence your genuine interest in the sector either through degree electives, projects or extra-curricular activities.  Filter sustainability/CSR when you search on the jobsites below.   

Internships 

Similarly, use keywords to filter for internships in this area, searching the same jobsites as above   

Placements  

If you are interested in finding out more about work placements, you can also access  via Single Sign-On. This resource covers all aspects of credit-bearing work experiences as part of your degree, including what a placement is, how to apply for them, and bespoke information for international students or those interested in working abroad.  

Recruitment Consultants

There are a wide range of recruiters who advertise roles in compliance and corporate social responsibility. 

• ³§±ð±ð for a list of specialist recruitment agencies and search by sector e.g. CSR. Ensure any recruiters you connect with are members of a professional body such as the or the .   

Further sources of support 

If you are an international student, visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally. 

To find opportunities outside the UK use 

Local and Regional Opportunities   

Areas of opportunity in Devon and Cornwall can be explored on the following websites: 

•   
• . 

Some individuals decide to undertake further study to develop their skills and knowledge of the sector and related occupations. Not all roles or employers will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications.  

is a website which enables you to research masters courses around the world.  

Advice 

If you are considering postgraduate or doctoral level study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study.     

If you are interested in the compliance aspect of CSR, you may wish to follow the links below to organisations who offer additional specialist qualifications (most in the field of finance or banking): 

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•  (±õ¸é²Ñ)
• - run by The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs.  

Information and links from professional bodies 

If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary; however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector.  

• -  non-political professional organisation which brings together a wide group of people with an interest in sustainability.
• – Promotes an evidence-based approach to decision and policy making in the field of environmental science and sustainability.
• – global provider of certified qualifications in anti-money laundering, compliance and fraud.
• – professional body for enterprise risk management, providing qualifications and training, thought leadership and runs events open to the wider public.