Profession and Transferable Skills

Roles in Environmental and Social Sustainability The field of environmental and social sustainability is characterized by different roles and responsibilities that are accomplished by various professionals in the field. As evident in previous analysis, environmental and social sustainability is wide given the varying components of this profession. The broad nature of the profession is evident in the fact that people in this sector are trained on various aspects including sustainable, economic, environmental, social, and economic development.

In essence, environmental and social sustainability is a broad discipline that provides students with insights regarding various aspects of the human world including business, technology, social sciences, and the environment (Environmental Science, 2015). It is important to identify a specific role and pursue it in order to be successful in the field of environmental and social sustainability. Correlation of Roles in this Discipline As previously mentioned, the field of environmental and social sustainability has various roles that determine professionalism of students and graduates.

The varying roles provide different job opportunities that are attributable to the broad nature of this field and the lack of a single set of career in this sector. Some of these roles include leadership or management, research, internal practitioner, consultancy, specialty areas, and teacher. Internal practitioners are professionals in environmental and social sustainability who work within an organization as full-time employees handling various organizational aspects that deal with environmental protection and social development.

On the contrary, consultants are professionals who provide skills to practitioners and other professionals in this discipline from an external perspective i.e. outside the organizational structure. Professionals who practice with specific niche in this discipline are individuals who are trained in some of the major components of environmental and social sustainability. While they are competent generalists, these individuals primarily focus on specific-niche areas and work as internal practitioners in an organization though they handle their specific aspect.

Leaders or managers are individuals with leadership or management positions in organizations though their work or responsibilities are directly related to this discipline. An example of such professionals is a HR manager whose main role in the organization is corporate social responsibility. Researchers are individuals in this discipline who primarily focus on conducting and publishing studies that inform practice in the field. In some cases, researchers may be internal practitioners given the increased need for these practitioners to record and publish their work.

Instructors and teachers are people who transfer their knowledge to others by teaching theory and practice to novice practitioners. Regardless of their differences, these professions in the field of environmental and social sustainability are intertwined. The link between these professions is attributable to the fact that they help organizations accomplish their objectives through ensuring the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of business practices (Hamilton, 2012). Instructors, researchers, and consultants provide necessary knowledge and information to the other professionals regarding theory and practice in the field.

They act as the basis through which novice and current professionals acquire skills and information to guide their practice. On the other hand, internal practitioners, leaders or managers, and professionals with specific niche carry out the various activities and practices relating to the profession. They are involved in the daily activities and practices across various areas relating to the discipline. In essence, they use knowledge, skills, and information they obtain from the other professionals for success and effectiveness in the various roles and responsibilities across different areas.

Personal Role in Environmental and Social Sustainability The most appealing profession in this discipline is internal practitioner since it matches my current thinking, experience, and strengths. I believe that being an internal practitioner will enable me to work in a variety of areas that are related to environmental and social sustainability. This will help in my professional development in the field besides giving me hands-on experience in witnessing the results of my contribution to an organization relative to social responsibility, environmental protection, and economic development.

Upon graduation, I'll continue pursuing this area in the discipline with a view of becoming a sustainability assurance practitioner in an organization. The decision to become an internal practitioner in this field is influenced by the increased need for ensuring that sustainable development is incorporated as an important concept and practice for organizational performance. In essence, there is a huge need for assurance of non-monetary information in attempts to understand organizational performance relative to sustainable development policies, strategies, and commitments (AccountAbility, 2012).

Through this profession, I will contribute to realization of a great need with regards to incorporation of environmental and social sustainability in organizational practices and performance. In conclusion, the discipline of environmental and social sustainability has numerous job opportunities because of the wide nature of the field. These numerous job opportunities emerge from the different kinds of roles associated with this concentration. These roles are intertwined with regards to gaining knowledge and skills and utilize them in guiding practice and obtaining experience in practice.

Being an internal practitioner is the most appealing aspect in this field because it provides an opportunity for professional development and working on various aspects that enhance organizational performance. Transferable Skills The process of beginning or considering careers based on individuals preference and knowledge requires an evaluation of the strengths and likes of the individual. This is primarily because people develop and acquire many skills over the years, especially during their education process. In essence, skills are developed and acquired through various activities like coursework, extracurricular activities, internships, and work.

Moreover, individuals acquire and develop relevant skills through academic research and presenting papers for classes (Binghamton University, n.d.). Actually, involvement in various academic and extracurricular activities implies that students obtain skills that are not restricted to one discipline but are transferable across different fields. Therefore, success in a particular field requires identifying relevant transferable skills and applying them in the respective discipline. A potential employer usually expects an employee to utilize all skills he/she obtains through studies, work, and life experiences to the current workplace.

Transferable skills are defined as skills that an individual can take from one job or situation to another. This implies that transferable skills are those that can be applied across jobs regardless of the specific discipline or career. These skills enhance an individual's employability since they go beyond required qualifications and experiences. In addition, they enable the individual to be adaptable or flexible in the respective discipline or career. Transferable skills are commonly classified into communication, organizational, interpersonal, and leadership skills.

In order to excel in the field of environmental and social sustainability, one of the most important aspects is to identify transferable skills. My studies and involvement in extracurricular activities has enabled me to develop necessary transferable skills. My interpersonal transferable skills include ability to relate with others well, motivating individuals, helping others, and being a team player. My organizational transferable skills include planning, time management, developing and achieving goals, and ability to meet deadlines.

My leadership transferable skills include decision making, problem solving, initiating and delegating, planning, team building, and managing. My communication transferable skills include public speaking, writing and editing, advising, instructing, and training. As previously mentioned, transferable skills are important for success in any career or discipline because they enhance employability and likelihood for success. My ability to excel as an internal practitioner in the field.