I have always had an interest in sustainability, while studying I worked as a researcher for two years, this research was focused around environmental current affairs. I then worked in a reinsurance company for three years, this role began as an administrator and I was then promoted to office manager. I joined Davy in 2017, as an associate on the Corporate Access and Events team in Capital Markets division. This was a fantastic opportunity on a busy team where my role involved delivering events and organising roadshows.

When the opportunity arose to join Davy Horizons sustainability consulting team, I was keen to further my passion for sustainability and take the next step into working in the area I had always loved.

My main tasks vary from day to day, but they tend to include - collaborating with my team members on client's projects, client engagement, providing workshops to educate client supply chains on sustainability. I am responsible for running events on the team and with this also fuels my creative side!

Working with the marketing department to design and promote Davy Horizons events, insights and white papers. I am also the chairman of the ICRS Ireland Hub. The ICRS is the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability which is the professional body for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. The aim of this hub is to provide education, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) accreditation, events and networking to our members.

I love that my role is both logical and creative, which is quite unique. Another part of my role which I love is hosting webinars, I did an internal webinar recently on sustainable fashion and we had the founder and designer Aoife McNamara on, and it was really inspiring!

You can see a clip of this here.

1. Good communication skills
2. Willingness to learn
3. Adapt as the sector develops over time and the ability to work well in a team.

But it is not a 'one size fits all' kind of job, the financial industry needs a variety of roles and people with different skillsets to make it work, not just one type of personality.

Make sure to develop your interpersonal skills just as much as your technical skills, one great way to do this is to network. Joining a sustainability association is a good way to network with professionals in this field. The workshops and events can help build your understanding of CSR and sustainability. The ICRS Ireland hub is free for students to join and provides free workshops, events and networking opportunities. You can join by clicking this link - https://icrs.info/membership

An internship is a fantastic opportunity to give you a real taster for this position, as well as large organisations, you could also try interning at a start-up, or non-profit. If you are in a position where you can volunteer, that is a great way to show your dedication to sustainability. From conservation campaigns such as tree planting, recycling programs and beach clean campaigns are a great way to get involved and also help the planet while you are at it!