Governments and nonprofits aren’t the only ones funding international development – many companies do so, too, to boost their image among locals as well as international consumers. But getting a job in corporate social responsibility, especially for those from outside the for-profit market, can be tricky.
CSR membership organizations such as Net Impact and Just Means typically list only a handful of jobs in this field. CSR initiatives are usually implemented by traditional corporate divisions like operations, marketing, or finance. Tasks may include crafting social responsibility policy, monitoring overseas suppliers for labor abuses (known as ethical sourcing), and assessing environmental compliance. But the majority of jobs listed on these sites were a mix of positions at nonprofits and international organizations that require private sector experience.
According to Krista Van Tassel, director of marketing and communications at Net Impact, those interested in CSR work need to determine how their skills will fit a company. These may be in the areas of communications or marketing, which Greg Allgood, director of Procter & Gamble Co.’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water initiative and co-developer of water purification product PUR, said are useful to both for-profit and nonprofit initiatives.