Getting—or even creating—your dream vocation can take time. Take it.

By Deborah Albers

I have the greatest job of my life: Chief Social Strategist at Dell. I am responsible for important, sensitive, and sometimes emotional issues such as sustainability, governance, human rights, and managing against the use of child labor “conflict minerals.” If there is one question I am asked more than any other it is, “How did you get your job in Corporate Responsibility?” Many people end up leaving their company in search of a role at a non-profit, thinking this is the fasted route to a job in this field. I considered this route, but in the end I decided against it, because of some great advice from my husband. He told me that if I left corporate America , then the people who only care about the bottom line would be there to get the job I want when it became available.

Although the path to my job is not likely one that others can take, I want to share some tips I have collected over the years that could help you land your ideal job in Corporate Responsibility—or at least tolerate your current job until the right one comes along. These tips are intended for those with little or no experience but a lot of passion.

However, I hope these lesions will be useful to any reader. More and more jobs are being created in this field, and if you want to be ready for one, here are a few easy pointers that can help you prepare for the job of your dreams.

Don’t wait for a new job; start with the one you have: Find a way to build a social or environmental aspect into the role you have. When I was looking for a role in sustainability, there was not one open at the time. The jobs in Corporate Responsibility were so coveted that we joked you could only get one if someone retired or died. Many companies are in this same place—too few CR jobs compared to the number of people who want them. Try finding a piece of your job you can work with to be more sustainable, more responsible, or where the company can take a stand. Even small projects can make you feel empowered. Are your business cards printed on recycled paper? Do you have a corporate code of conduct? If so, is it on the web? Moving documents that are typically internal to the web helps the company to be seen as transparent and responsible. Get creative and offer your ideas and time to drive thought leadership.

Ask for 10 percent: If you can’t change jobs immediately, ask your supervisor for permission to spend 10 percent of your time on a social or environmental project about which you’re passionate. If one doesn’t exist, don’t be afraid to start it. If your company reports its carbon emissions annually, ask if you can help with the process or suggest making it publically available on CDP (www.carbondisclosure.org), offering your time and energy to get it done. If one does not exist, help write your first sustainability report. You can participate in, or lead, many projects in only a few hours a week.

Start a Green Team: Gather a few of your like-minded friends and start a team in your place of business or in your community. This will give you experience you can use when the right professional opportunity presents itself. If no budget exists, but you have willing people, work on things that cost no money, such as shaping employee behavior or educating people on recycling, riding a bike to work, carpooling, or telecommuting. With a small budget, you could hold an employee awareness event and educate people about local resources, energy efficiency tips, or how to work from home one day a week.

Take a class: Social responsibility is growing, and complete programs are now dedicated to it. Take a class, or go back to school with a renewed focus on the area of your passion. You can find undergraduate or masters programs at your local university. Online classes and courses at wellness centers, community centers, and community colleges are also available.

Spend time with others in the corporate responsibility field: This sounds basic, but these are the people who are shaping the field. Connect with decision makers, strategic planners, and hiring managers for the roles you are looking for. Knowing these people and sharing your passion and experience will help you to be top-of-mind when they know of a job coming available.

Find a need, and fill it: Often there is a CSR need in the company for which no one is responsible, or there are not enough resources to handle the issue. Show your boss that you see the need and are willing to fill it, on your time if necessary, to prove the return on investment. Ask for the role full-time when it becomes possible.

Stay up to date on corporate responsibility News: When you want to stay up to date on corporate responsibility, social media is the new trend. Get yourself a Twitter account and follow the NGOs, executives, coalitions, and magazines that cover topics you are interested in. I follow CNN, Enough Project, The State Department, Child Labor Watch, UNICEF, MSFcongo, NickKristof, GreenPeace, GlobalCompact, and, of course, CR Magazine, and thecro.com. My Twitter name is DebAtDell, if you want to follow me. I tweet about the things I do at work—from reviewing the new ISO26000 Social Responsibility standard to the latest in conflict mineral legislation. It is a great way to stay connected with the larger efforts in CR, as well as drill down into the specific people, places, and things that are important to you.

Get a CSR Mentor: When you take a rough road you’ve never traveled before, take a guide. When you want to do something better than you do it now, get a mentor. This is how I attack a new challenge, and I recommend it for anything from climbing Mt. Everest to learning a new skill. Finding a mentor is not always easy, but it is critical. A mentor can show you the way around obstacles and save you months or even years of newbie mistakes. If you already have a mentor, don’t assume that he or she will be equipped to help you on the CR front. A single mentor cannot meet all your needs. Find one who is an expert in the skill or project you want to get better at. Approach them with the intention of doing all the work so they do not think of this as a burden but as an opportunity to influence and teach. Start with a single meeting. You should come to this meeting with a list of things you want to talk about. Be specific. You should walk away with new information, a different perspective or an action item. If the meeting went well and you “clicked,” then ask if you can meet quarterly for the rest of the year. If they agree, you can extend the relationship as appropriate. Finally, you need to bring something to the table, too. Bring them articles you’ve read or contact information of a person who would be valuable to them. You might offer to help on a project by volunteering your time or talents. Having a mutually beneficial relationship all but ensures that you will have a long lasting relationship.

Attend a conference: Attending a CR conference does three things:
1) It puts you in the same place as the experts you want to meet,

2) It offers a consolidated place to learn about the topic, the trends, and the outlook for the industry, and

3) It offers booths and booths of people who want to share with you their product, service, or insight. I offer unused conference passes to my mentees or business partners who are interested in CR roles.

Ask the people at your company if there are extra/unused passes to a conference that you could use. You might need to take vacation time and pay for your own flight, but remember: this is an investment in yourself and your career. It will be worth the money. After the conference, follow these leaders, companies, activists, and campaigns on Twitter and Facebook.

In the end, many fast, easy, and inexpensive actions can help you position yourself for a role in the CR field. The most important contribution you can make to this process is your time and attention. I challenge you to do something each day that moves you closer to your goal. Just one thing a day will keep you focused and remind you of what you are trying to achieve. Reading this article is your one thing for today . . . what will you do tomorrow?