Thulsi studied BA Chinese and Geography at SOAS and King's College London before beginning her career as an environment officer. After progressing through a range of sustainability roles, she now works as a sustainability manager at Jisc
How did you get your job?
My first role after graduating from university was as a sustainability officer and project manager at a manufacturing company, which was my introduction to working in the world of sustainability.
I then worked as an environment officer at a university, which I loved because I could focus fully on sustainability. I had the opportunity to engage with students, staff and external stakeholders on something I am very passionate about.
When it felt like the right time to be looking for my next role, I knew I wanted to progress in my career while still being able to work on a variety of projects spanning different areas of sustainability.
I came across the sustainability manager position at Jisc on LinkedIn, and it seemed like a great fit as I would have the opportunity to work on something new - our environmental management system - while enhancing my existing experiences with sustainability communications and engagement.
What's a typical working day like?
Every day is different and having studied two very different subjects at university, I've always enjoyed variety in the work I do.
We just had the first external audit of Jisc's new environmental management system (EMS), so I was mainly preparing for it by finalising the required information and identifying any gaps. Now that we have a list of findings to action before the next stage of the audit, I'll be working more closely with relevant stakeholders to get these going.
I also manage Jisc's internal sustainability community for staff, so I am always looking for interesting articles and resources to share. This also involves getting in touch with people to see if they'd like to write a blog post relating to sustainability or even present on a particular topic during a guest speaker session for colleagues.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Even though it's not always visible or tangible, I find it very rewarding to be working on something that will make a positive difference to the environment and society.
It's also enjoyable being able to connect with others on a topic that is as broad as sustainability and collaborating with them to realise the positive actions they can take in their:
daily life
roles
teams.
What are the challenges?
As with many other sectors, sustainability is ever evolving, so accepting that change is the norm is something I'm still working on. This can feel especially frustrating when a plan is finally in place but is then significantly impacted due to shifting priorities. However, it's part of the process as I believe that sustainability is about continual improvement rather than reaching a certain objective and not trying to progress further once this has been attained.
There is also a lot of misinformation out there about sustainability and the environment, so myth-busting and ensuring the facts are brought to light can be quite tricky.
Despite this, there are many sustainability-conscious colleagues within Jisc and there is a culture of learning and being open-minded that is being embedded across the organisation. So I do feel that we are gradually gaining traction with engaging people with sustainability.
How is your degree relevant?
Having studied geography at university, I had a solid foundation for pursuing a career in sustainability from the course content and my optional modules.
Putting the knowledge I've gained from my degree into practice is very different to solely studying it, especially as I've experienced a lot of on-the-job learning since the start of my career.
Regardless, my degree had given me a good understanding of environmental and social issues by the time I entered the workplace after graduating.
How has your role developed and what are your career ambitions?
While my role was advertised as mainly focusing on the development and implementation of Jisc's first EMS, it also stated that its scope may change over time.
Since starting in this role, I have taken on communications and engagement within my remit, which I really enjoy, as it helps drive the sustainability action we aspire to at Jisc.
I'm also working on specific projects within Jisc's sustainability programme to help achieve our strategic objectives and targets and meet the needs of our customers and other stakeholders.
What advice can you give to others wanting to get into this job?
Learn as much as you can - sustainability is a field where it's impossible to know everything, but being open to experiencing new areas through continuous learning and development has given me many opportunities in my career so far.
Figure out how to incorporate sustainability into your existing role or combine it with your passions - because sustainability touches everything we do, one of the great things is that you don't need to have a degree in geography or environmental science to work in the sector. As a student, you can get involved in your society, extra-curricular activities or personal life, all of which are great places to start.
Form andmaintaina strong network - as an early-career professional, I have come to value the power of networking. Even though sustainability is a broad field, you will inevitably meet someone who knows someone you wouldn't expect them to, all because of the interconnected nature of this sector. Join a professional body such as the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) to meet like-minded peers, explore potential career options, and attend webinars and conferences to develop and enhance your skillset. Connecting with and following sustainability professionals on LinkedIn can also be helpful - you never know what it may lead to.
