I want to work in ..... a different way.
Time out, working for yourself, part-time and voluntary work and ways
to avoid the rat race.
Also see our Working for a Charity page
- Ethical Careers and Employers
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Alternative Work Styles
- Portfolio Careers
- Time Out
- Further Information
Ethical Careers and Employers 
Surveys have found that almost 90% of graduates consider high ethical standards in a company to be important when making a decision about whether or not to work for that company.
The following websites help to provide information about careers and employers of interest to graduates who are concerned about the ethical, social and environmental responsibility of graduate recruiters.
- Ethical Consumer www.ethicalconsumer.org information on the social and environmental records of companies
- Ethical Jobs www.ethical-jobs.co.uk massive range of opportunity from solar engineering to sustainable development and care work. NOT an agency.
- Governance Jobs GovernanceJobs.com Corporate Governance (CG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) related jobs.
- Ethical Junction www.ethical-junction.org promotes socially responsible organisations, fair trade and ethical issues
- Forum for the Future www.forumforthefuture.org.uk Educational charity promoting sustainable development
- The Ethical Careers Guide www.ethicalcareers.org comprehensive resource for students, graduates, career changers and others who want a career that doesn't harm people or planet. Thousands of pages of advice, information and resources. A print directory is available for reference in the Careers Information Room
- People and Planet http://peopleandplanet.org
- UK Social Investment Forum www.uksif.org lists organisations supporting socially responsible investment
- Centre for Alternative Technology www.cat.org.uk publishes The Sustainable Careers Handbook (available from the Careers Service reception Desk)
- The Corporate Responsibility Group www.crguk.org has a useful links section on their website
- Scientists for Global Responsibility www.sgr.org.uk produce briefings on issues including climate change and sustainable development and a contacts list of ethical employers and training
- OneWorld http://uk.oneworld.net/jobs brings the latest jobs and volunteer positions from organizations working to create a better world.
- Links to corporate social responsibility & ethical careers sites www.TinyURL.com/dwcsred
- How to identify a company with sustainable values that match your own The Guardian
Having a detailed look at an organisation's mission statement and commitment beyond the value chain can reveal whether it puts sustainable values at its core
Books:
- The Ethical Careers Guide
- The Sustainable Development Handbook
- The Guardian Guide to Careers - includes advice on ethical issues in a number of career areas
Corporate Social Responsibility
What is CSR?
CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility - covers a wide range of issues emerging out of business activities and their impact on society, the economy and the environment including:
- Environmental responsibility and protection
- Sustainable development and investment
- Ethical business strategy and consulting
- Ethical human resources management and employee relations
- Corporate governance and accountability
- Social and community partnerships and investment
- Climate change
CSR concerns the measures a firm or organisation takes to make the world a better place. This can be at a local level, such as funding nearby youth schemes or community projects, or on a national or even global scale such as donating money to selected charities or funding specific aid projects in the developing world. And with increased fears over climate change and the need to cut back on carbon emissions, firms are facing a wake-up call over their environmental responsibilities.
Careers in CSR
- “Getting into CSR” – advice and links from Acre Resources
www.bath.ac.uk/economics/pg/careers-info/Getting_into_CSR.pdf - CSR and Ethical Careers – overview from Edinburgh University Careers Service
www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/careers/explore/occupations/csr/overview - Working in CSR: advice from www.gradjobs.co.uk
Graduates wanting to specialise in corporate responsibility can choose to work in an in-house CSR unit (larger organisations often have their own in-house CSR department and dedicated staff)or in a consultancy specialising in advising other firms or organisations on CSR initiatives.
Even if job titles or departments don’t have CSR in the title – perhaps instead called community outreach or charity support – they are likely to reflect social responsibility values and policies. Roles in CSR demand strong business people, strategy and technical skills, and staff can be involved in all parts of an organisation’s dealings as well as responsible for setting up and running individual projects. It’s crucial that CSR personnel are good communicators and can manage the delicate balance between a business’s needs and profits and its charitable or community-orientated goals.
Entry into CSR as a profession can depend on previous experience – sometimes existing staff members are drawn from human resources or specialised departments – but it’s also possible to join fresh from university. In most cases a qualification in CSR isn’t necessary, although the subject is covered in some business degrees as well as in post-graduate courses such as those noted below, which can all help with landing a job.
Previous work experience or an internship in a CSR department can be an advantage, as is evidence of commitment to helping others through charity or volunteering work. Look at the many CSR-orientated websites (see below) to get started, and you can also directly approach firms you’re interested in.
Courses
- Royal Holloway - MSc in Sustainability and Management:
www.rhul.ac.uk/management/coursefinder/mscsustainabilityandmanagement.aspx - Nottingham University Business School – MSc in Corporate Social Responsibility
- Forum for the Future "Masters in Leadership for Sustainable Development"
www.forumforthefuture.org/masters-course
Useful links
- Business in the Community www.bitc.org.uk/index.html links to CSR sites at www.bitc.org.uk/resources/useful_links/
- Ethical Consumer www.ethicalconsumer.org is a UK organisation looking at the track-records of popular companies. Ethical Consumer’s Corporate Critic site (www.corporatecritic.org) provides a free search for a company’s “ethiscore” and (for a fee) more detailed information on its CSR record.
- CSR Job Search Resources from the Elliott School of International Affairs http://elliott.gwu.edu/gscd/current/resourcecenter/corp_resp.cfm (includes a number of UK links)
- The Responsible Business Directory www.theresponsiblebusinessdirectory.co.uk
- Corporate Watch www.corporatewatch.org.uk independent not-for-profit research and publishing group which undertakes research on the social and environmental impact of large corporations, particularly multinationals.
- Corporate Citizenship www.corporate-citizenship.co.uk global corporate responsibility and sustainability consultancy.
- Corporate Responsibility Group www.crguk.org
- Lifeworth www.lifeworth.com “careers in responsible enterprise and finance”
- Amnesty International’s Business Group www.amnesty.org.uk/business deals with human rights issues in business. It doesn't provide listings or profiles on specific companies, but does provide numerous online reports on human rights in business and corporate social responsibility.
- CSR Network www.csrnetwork.com consultancy that helps companies around the world do business in a responsible way
- Some of the larger environmental consultancies have CSR departments - the ENDS directory www.endsdirectory.com currently lists 87 consultancies in the UK with a practice in this area.
Alternative Work Styles
Call centre staff normally work from prepared scripts and have little control over their work which is very routine. For these reasons annual turnover of staff is typically about 35%. Some progressive firms are now introducing "homeshoring": staff work from home with calls routed to their home phone. There are no no scripts to follow and call times are not monitored. In these companies productivity and job satisfaction are much higher and 80% have degrees: double the normal percentage in traditional call centres. There are also no recruitment costs as prospective employees come to them and customer satisfaction with the callls is also much higher. For more about this read "Drive" by Dan Pink and our Happiness at Work page |
The following resources may be helpful for students who, through choice or through force of circumstances, are unwilling or unable to follow a "conventional" working pattern, who are seeking a satisfactory work-life balance or who simply want to avoid the rat-race.
Organisations are nowadays becoming flatter and less hierarchical. Sideways promotion is increasing, and staff are developing their skills without necessarily climbing the corporate ladder. (Skills for Graduates in the 21st Century - AGR)
Flexible Working
- Working Families www.workingfamilies.org.uk advice and information on part-time work, job-sharing, flexible working hours, working from home
- Flexibility www.flexibility.co.uk - online resources including more case studies
- The Work-Life Balance Centre www.worklifebalancecentre.org
- Career at Home www.careerathome.co.uk/WhyHomeWorkingCategory.htm home working
- BBC News. Home working: Why can't everyone telework? www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11879241
- BBC News. Teleworking: The myth of working from home www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21588760
Working For Yourself
For advice on self-employment see www.kent.ac.uk/careers/selfemployment.htm
Practical jobs
Matthew Crawford in his book The Case for Working with Your Hands thinks people aren't happy at work because jobs have become too specialised: you can't see what difference you are making, for example selling things to people that they don't really need. He opened a motorcycle repair shop and found he was happier, also surprisingly more intellectually stimulated. A tradesman has lots of variety, and you have to be practical, but also work out solutions to complex problems: you have to to improvise and adapt. In jobs such as gardening, you have a clear purpose. See our page on practical, outdoor and active careers.
Other Ways to Avoid the Rat-Race
- Diggers and Dreamers - guide to communal living in Britain www.diggersanddreamers.org.uk
- Self-Sufficiency advice www.go-self-sufficient.com
- Downsizer www.downsizer.net "for a sustainable and ethical future"
- Some quite good unusual careers!
www.mookychick.co.uk/how-to/alternative-student-jobs/ - BBC unusual career suggestions
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/4169490.stm
Portfolio Careers
"We learn who we are - in practice, not in theory - by testing reality, not by looking inside. We discover the true possibilities by doing - trying out new activities, reaching out to new groups, finding new role models, and reworking our story as we tell it to those around us. What we want clarifies with experience and validation from others along the way. ...To launch ourselves anew, we need to get out of our heads. We need to act." |
Students often feel that they have to decide on a career path for life, and that once decided, this can't be changed, so they feel frozen into indecision. The reality is that you will have a variety of paths to choose from in future: as one door closes, others will open. there is ample room for trial and error and most people will make mistakes in their career path. Career plans are rarely as precise as those laid out in books and opportunities will open up that they didn't even know existed.
What is a portfolio career?
A portfolio career is about doing two or more different jobs on a part-time basis with different employers that when combined are the equivalent of a full-time position, instead of working a traditional full-time job. Portfolio careers typically focus on your skills and interests, though managing your career yourself is the key element.
These jobs might be complementary or unrelated and could include
- part-time employment
- temporary jobs
- freelancing
- self-employment
Portfolio careers are often thought of as the preserve of artists, designers, writers and performers and there is certainly truth in this. A study found that 48% of art, design and media graduates had portfolio careers 6 years after graduating, often combining employment with self employment such as freelancing, study or developing creative practice.
Portfolio careers, though, are much more widespread than this. Many professionals, such as accountants, nurses, consultants, teachers, human resource managers and IT specialists, also work on a portfolio basis. In fact, the authors of “And What Do You Do? 10 Steps to Creating a Portfolio career” state that “We have yet to find a job or profession that cannot form part of a person’s portfolio career”
In his book, Job Shift: How to Prosper in a Workplace Without Jobs, William Bridges states that “all jobs in today's economy are temporary”, referring to the lack of job security in the current economic climate. However, graduates have traditionally moved around between employers to develop their career – even those who begin their career on a “traditional” graduate training scheme. A survey from Milkround.com in 2008 found that:
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Advantages of a portfolio career
- more flexibility and freedom.
- variety: less chance of boredom as there is constant change.
- better work/life balance: ideal for people who have other responsibilities e.g. children or elderly relatives
- take ownership of your career: more autonomy. You rather than some big company, control your fate.
- freedom from company politics.
- more personal growth and fulfillment: you can travel, do voluntary work, return to study or pursue a hobby as part of your portfolio.
- can sometimes earn more money from 2 part-time jobs than from one full-time job!
- can be a second career after retiring early.
- part-time workers may be more attractive to smaller employers, as they offer more flexibility.
- can set up your own business, without the risks of going full-time
- can use several different skill sets and play to your strengths.
- if you aren't sure of your long-term direction, it allows you to try several different career paths.
- By not putting all your irons in the same fire it can help to alleviate the lack of job security present in the current job market.
Disadvantages
- feelings of isolation: may not have a feeling of belonging anywhere in particular.
- have less chance of promotion and may get ignored for training and career development
- sometimes loss of benefits such as pensions and paid holidays
- have to balance competing demands for time, and manage the effort
- possible drop in earnings and financial uncertainty
- part-time staff often do more work than equivalent full time staff
- may not have a recognised job title and status that comes with this
- more uncertainty and lack of a regular routine
- little separation between work and home life
Skills needed to build a portfolio career
“Career planning should be based on four main factors: skills, interests, values and personality. If you have a wide range of skills and interests, then a portfolio career is likely to work better” |
- resourceful: a self starter
- A positive thinker: tolerant of risk
- organisational skills
- time management: ability to work to deadlines
- adaptable: can juggle several tasks at once
- A good communicator – important for networking and bringing in business
The Portfolio Careerist www.portfoliocareerist.co.uk blog about portfolio careers that gives insights, tips and further reading on creating an ethical, sustainable portfolio career may be a good starting point for those considering this option. The author combines owning a digital media agency with a variety of education and communications roles.
See our Employability Skills pages www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/skillsmenu.htm for exercises that will help you to analyse these four factors.
Establishing and managing a portfolio career is not easy: you have to carefully consider the types of jobs you want and make careful plans. See www.portfoliocareers.net for more information’ – the site includes a self-assessment quiz to help you assess your suitability for a portfolio career http://portfoliocareers.net/tools
Our pages on Self Employment www.kent.ac.uk/careers/selfemployment.htm may also be useful
Time Out
Many students think of "taking a year out" after they graduate, but this needs to be carefully planned. Otherwise, you run the risk of spending a year stuck in the same sort of unchallenging job that you did during your vacations, gaining little in the way of skills, experience or satisfaction. The resources listed below will help you to avoid this trap, but first a couple of questions to ask yourself:
Think first - why do you want to take time out?
- To earn some money to pay off your debts?
- To travel?
- To decide on a career?
- To gain some relevant work experience?
- A bit of all the above?
What can you do?
Almost anything! but these are some of the most popular options:
- join an organised project
- find your own job or internship
- travel independently. working as you go
- follow a course to improve your skills or develop an interest
- and a question which students often ask careers advisers:
"Most recruiters look favourably upon people who have taken gap years, if they are able to draw on their experiences and show an employer how they might make them more effective in the role they are applying for" Carl Gilleard, Association of Graduate Recruiters "When looking for jobs I found it very easy to handle the questions on employers' application forms as I had gained so many skills from my gap year teaching English in China: teamworking, initiative, problem-solving and leadership to name just a few" |
What will future employers think?
A lot will depend on what you have done during a gap year and how you present it. If you have spent a year backpacking around the world, your applications should show how you planned and organised the trip; how you dealt with any problems you met along the way, how you funded it and what you learned from the experience, rather than just listing all the exotic countries you visited.
If you are using a Gap Year Organisation to organise your placement see our Checklist of Questions to Ask Most placements go well, but there is a significant minority where students feel that the experience was nothing like that promised in the glossy brochure. So before you pay out lots of money make sure you know all about the project.
Further Information
If you are using a Gap Year Organisation to organise your placement see our Checklist of Questions to Ask Most placements go well, but there is a significant minority where students feel that the experience was nothing like that promised in the glossy brochure. So before you pay out lots of money make sure you know all about the project.
Volunteering UK
- Community Service Volunteers www.csv.org.uk over 100,000 volunteers placed every year: no-one is rejected
- Volunteering England www.volunteering.org.uk/IWantToVolunteer
- Youthnet www.youthnet.org.uk Opportunities for young people including careers, adventure challenges, training for business and industry, vocational training, further and higher education, gap year challenges, opportunities abroad, working holidays, volunteering and expeditions.
- TimeBank UK www.timebank.org.uk is a national charity providing volunteers with information on voluntary work and volunteering projects in the UK.
- DO-IT Home www.do-it.org.uk Search through over 1,000,000 opportunities to volunteer by voluntary work type e.g. children, art, heritage, environment, museums, sport and by location in the UK
Volunteering Abroad
- Lattitude Global Volunteering www.lattitude.org.uk
- www.volunteerabroad.com US site which can be searched by country or job type
- www.volunteersouthamerica.net lists free and low-cost volunteer opportunities in South & Central America. Designed for backpackers / independent travellers looking for a real volunteer experience abroad, without paying any middle-man or agency fees
- Oyster Worldwide www.oysterworldwide.com offers paid and voluntary placements of between 3-6 months (shorter placements are available) to a variety of worldwide destinations. Earn a local wage in a Canadian Ski resort or teach English to children in the Himalayas.
- www.workingabroad.com Sussex-based organisation. The site carries information on voluntary work opportunities in the humanitarian, educational, agricultural and environmental fields in over 150 countries world-wide. They can also (for a fee) match your profile with organisations seeking volunteers.
- Ecoteer www.ecoteer.com Volunteer placements in over 40 different countries at ecolodges, conservation and community development projects. The majority of placements offer free food and accommodation.
Gap Year
- Prospects Web Information on Taking Time Out www.prospects.ac.uk/gap_year_is_it_right_for_you.htm
- First Gap Year www.firstgapyear.com covers travel planning, packing, health, safe travel, solo travel, hostels, hotels, flights, decision making, finance, accessories, volunteer work, teaching English and working abroad.
- Gapyear.com www.gapyear.com advice, opportunities and feedback
- gapadvice.org www.gapadvice.org advice on gap years, for people of all ages as well as for companies. Features: placement search, to find organisations that can arrange your placement; online directories, which help you find organisations & supporting information; gap cost calculator, to compare the prices of various gap placements; advantages and disadvantages of a gap year; preparation.
- Gap Year Tips www.youngscot.org/channels/travel/?ss=1554&s=52&sr=74&ID=21979
- Gap Year Directory www.GapYearDirectory.co.uk. info and ideas for gap years, contains over 300 placement and course ideas for students and young people in all sorts of areas including volunteering and work experience placements.
- www.igapyear.com gap year information and first hand advice
- Backpacker and Long-Stay Travel Insurance www.travelinsuranceguide.org.uk/backpacking-student.html
- PURE Australia www.pure-australia.co.uk resource providing gap year travel advice for backpackers visiting Australia.
- Visas 4 Australia www.visas4.com provide online Working Holiday visa applications for travellers visiting Australia.
- Real Gap Experience www.realgap.co.uk gap year projects and programmes in over 30 countries.
- Student Job www.studentjob.co.uk helps students find the job they are looking whether that is during study, as a placement/internship, temporary - during a gap year or in summer.
- Working Holiday Store www.workingholidaystore.com independent company that provides free, current, practical, web based information to students and young people embarking on a working holiday or gap year abroad.
- Year Out Groupwww.yearoutgroup.org - an association of 35 leading UK year-out organisations arranging courses, expeditions, voluntary or structured work placements
See also our web pages on Working Abroad www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitesint.htm
Books:
- Taking a Year Off
- A Year Off ..... A Year On?
- Work Your Way Around the World
All available for reference from the Careers Service Helpdesk
Last fully updated 2012

