An ethical career involves pursuing work that aligns with your values and helps make the world a better place, whether it’s by tackling social problems, helping the environment, or making sure everyone is treated fairly. These careers involve making decisions that consider the well-being of all stakeholders, including employees, customers, communities, and the environment. What you consider an ethical career is personal to you and may look different for everyone.<\/p>\n
\n \"You might immediately think of working in the environmental sector, but an ethical career can have a much wider scope. In the broadest sense, it means working for a company or organisation that has a positive impact on the world. This can be through employment, social enterprise or by setting up your own company.\u201d <\/blockquote>\n\n \n Jobs.ac.uk (2024) 'An ethical career - how you can make a positive impact'<\/cite><\/a> \n \n\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n Sustainability, which means using resources in a way that doesn’t harm people, the planet or future generations, plays a big part in ethical careers. The United Nation\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals<\/a> provide a useful overview of the key sustainability priorities globally, covering things like ending poverty, fighting inequality, and protecting the environment for the future. You may come across the three pillars of sustainability, which highlight the need to balance and integrate environmental, social and economic considerations:<\/p>\n
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- Environment sustainability – this pillar is about protecting the planet\u2019s resources. You might seek job opportunities with organisations that prioritise sustainability in their operations and supply chains, or charities and non-government organisations (NGO) who focus primarily on improving or protecting the environment<\/li>\n
- Social sustainability – this pillar focuses on ensuring everyone gets a fair shot at a good life, no matter who they are. You might explore roles with organisations that prioritise diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility and community engagement<\/li>\n
- Economic sustainability – this pillar highlights the importance of making sure our money and resources last. You might explore opportunities with organisations that prioritise fair wages, fair labour standards and responsible resource management<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
An ethical or sustainable career is personal to you<\/strong>. In line with our Code of Ethics and Impartiality<\/a>, Student Futures is committed to ensuring that all students are empowered to making informed career decisions about their future career paths based on each individual\u2019s own principles, values and beliefs.<\/p>\n
You should reflect on your own values<\/a>, beliefs and interests to evaluate the importance of ethics and sustainability in your own career. How you choose to incorporate ethics and sustainability into your career will depend on your personal views, choices and circumstances. You may choose to work specifically in a job that is focused on sustainability and improving society or the environment. An ethical career for you might mean researching employers\u2019 values, ethics and policies so you are aware of any work they do that has a societal or environmental impact.<\/p>\n
Researching the ethics and values of employers<\/h4>\n
Before applying for any role, it\u2019s important to do your research. Not only will this help enhance your applications by demonstrating your commercial awareness<\/a>, but it will also help you to check that the employer is a good fit for you. You might also want to research the values and ethics of an organisation you are looking to join. Being ethically, socially and environmentally aware<\/a> is also a key attribute you are developing whilst at Cardiff University.<\/p>\n
Use the resource below to identify ways to research employers\u2019 ethics and sustainability commitments:<\/p>\n
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