According to the Sustainable Careers Institute sustainable careers are:

• Viable and coherent, with decent compensation and dignity for the working person
• Vital and meaningful, with room to bring your whole self to work guided by ethical principles and skillful action
• Socially responsible, bringing innovative thinking, courage and creativity to bear on social problems
• Environmentally restorative, minimizing current environmental costs and maximizing opportunities to restore damaged resources

Hang out in Career Services, 2nd floor, Starbuck Center, to look through books in our resource center, such as:

• 100 Jobs in the Environment (EN23)
• 100 Jobs in Social Change (GO2)
• Alternatives to the Peace Corps (IN18)
• Careers for Good Samaritans & Other Humanitarian Types (GO6)
• Careers in Community Development (GO1)
• Careers in Fundraising (GO13)
• Creating a Life Worth Living (AE24)
• Education for Action: undergraduate and graduate programs that focus on social change (GS43)
• From Making a Profit to Making a Difference (GO9)
• Jobs and Careers with Non-Profit Organizations (GO30
• Making a Difference College & Graduate Guide (GS26)
• Making a Difference Scholarships for a Better World (GS21)
• Making a Living Making While a Difference (GC34)
• Planning Your Career in Alternative Medicine (HM3)
  and more!

Then talk to people in fields you're reading about. Start with our Career Network to run a list of alumni and parents willing to respond to your questions and advise you on your career development (e.g., recommend classes, point you to resources, and share internship & job leads). You'll need a Skidmore password to run the Career Advisor Search; email Career Services if you need it.

Experiment by working with organizations doing the type of sustainable work that most intrigues you by seeking volunteer opportunities, internships, and/or jobs during this academic year.

• For volunteer and service-learning opportunities, touch base with Skidmore's Volunteer Coordinator, Michelle Hubbs or X5784, and Benef-Action (be sure to pick up one of the club's Volunteer Resource Guides, available in the Volunteer Office, 2nd floor, Case Center, for a list of local organizations that need volunteers).
• For additional volunteer opportunities, as well as internship and job leads, register with Career Services to access our databases and the excellent books in our resource center. Be sure to work with a career counselor to put a personalized search plan together.

If you can work one or both events into your schedule, plan to meet even more sustainable careers professionals and look for more internship and/or job leads at one of the upcoming career fairs:

The Dartmouth College Nonprofit Career Fair
Hopkins Performance Center in Alumni Hall at Dartmouth College (directions at website)

This career fair will consist of:

• An informal reception for nonprofit recruiters and career services representatives.
• The fair, where job seekers can distribute resumes and speak with nonprofit recruiters about current and future employment and internship opportunities.
• A series of panel discussions for job seekers.

The Community Service & Public Interest Conference & Career Fair
The mission of the CS&PI C&CF is to provide informative sessions and showcase opportunities for student volunteers and job seekers to serve the community and to gain real-world experience through volunteering and employment in organizations geared toward solving environmental and social problems and strengthening our communities. The keynote speaker at the conference will be Ande Diaz, author The Harvard College Guide to Careers in Public Service. Check website for other sessions and fair participants.
 

And, finally, keep an eye on our N Jobs by Field: Sustainable/Socially Conscious collection for job leads. If you know of great sites not yet included in our collection, please share