Favorite Parts Of Working In The Sustainability Industry As A Project Coordinator
Madeline, a Project Coordinator at GreenerU, finds the most rewarding aspect of her career in the "consulting or professional services industry" to be directly working on sustainability issues and helping others find solutions, although this passion is coupled with the significant challenge of the emotionally taxing nature of the field, leading to high rates of burnout, a topic frequently addressed in industry conferences.
Project Management, Communication, Problem-Solving, Sustainability, Resilience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Madeline Rawson
Project Coordinator
GreenerU
Williams College
n/a
Environmental & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Consulting & Related Professional Services
Operations and Project Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Madeline's passion for sustainability started early, highlighting the importance of identifying career goals early on.
2. Her work involves consulting and problem-solving to help organizations improve their sustainability practices, showcasing the diverse tasks within the industry.
3. Madeline emphasizes the potential for burnout in the sustainability field and the importance of developing coping mechanisms, offering valuable advice for those considering a career in this area.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your industry?
I've wanted to work in sustainability for a very long time. I came to Williams as a prospective environmental studies major, which is common for liberal arts colleges.
A lot of times people come in undecided, and many are still undecided in their second year. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The actual content that I work with is what I enjoy most.
I would currently say that I'm in the consulting or professional services industry. What I enjoy most about that industry is being able to work on sustainability and help people solve those issues. I like finding solutions and discussing them.
I figure out how to push schools in the right direction, how to help sustainability offices communicate with higher-ups and administration, and what the school needs to do. But it's also one of the biggest challenges.
Sustainability is hard to talk about; it's heavy, and climate change is scary. While it's what I enjoy most about my position, it's also what gives this field such a high rate of burnout.
You definitely need to pay attention to that. If you work in sustainability, it's not something to take lightly at all. All the sustainability conferences I've attended always have multiple sessions on how to handle this career.
They discuss coping mechanisms and what professionals who have been doing this for 30 years did to stay in the field. So, it's definitely my favorite part of the job, but also one of the biggest challenges.