Name: 6 tips to succeed in your sustainability job interview
Uploaded: 2023-06-20T13:06:15.203Z
Duration: 297.96

Snnipet.mp4

Ben-WIelgus-How to prepare for interviews.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
Hi, I'm Ben Wielgus and for the last seven years I've worked
at a FTSE 100 company as their head of sustainability,

{{00:00:08}}
and I've had the pleasure of interviewing hundreds of
people for sustainability roles all around our business.

{{00:00:14}}
I wanna give you six key bits of advice for being
successful in your sustainability interview.

{{00:00:33}}
So my first tip on being successful in a sustainability
interview is to get the interview in the first place.

{{00:00:39}}
The main thing is to make sure your CV stands out.

{{00:00:42}}
You are gonna be competing with hundreds of other people
who want that job, so you really need to demonstrate

{{00:00:48}}
that you've got the right skills for that role.

{{00:00:51}}
And there's lots of other places to go for advice
on, on how to apply for a job and write a good CV.

{{00:01:01}}
Again, that's obvious.

{{00:01:02}}
Everybody should know this, but it's amazing
how many people apply for interviews and

{{00:01:06}}
then haven't read the company's website.

{{00:01:08}}
Not just the first bit of text, but watched some videos,
read the sustainability report, maybe read the annual

{{00:01:14}}
report, understand what the company's role in the world
is, who their customers are, the breadth of their products.

{{00:01:20}}
Somebody who comes to me and says what they like about our
sustainability program and where they think we can improve

{{00:01:27}}
and what they can add to it is gonna really impress me.

{{00:01:30}}
Rather than somebody who comes along and gives me
some generic comments about caring about the world.

{{00:01:40}}
You've thought about the pros and cons of the company's
approach to sustainability and what it does in the world,

{{00:01:46}}
but I think you also really need to understand the industry.

{{00:01:49}}
So what are the competitors doing?

{{00:01:51}}
What do they say about sustainability?

{{00:01:53}}
Is it good or bad compared to who you've applied for?

{{00:01:56}}
And can you find what the industry
association says about sustainability?

{{00:02:00}}
Because they're probably gonna have some views around the
general movement of the industry and what the most important

{{00:02:05}}
sustainable issues are that you've gotta talk about.

{{00:02:12}}
You've seen the job description, but how have you got
experience in that particular area of sustainability?

{{00:02:18}}
If you're new to sustainability, what skills have you got
that you can bring to this that are gonna help out with it?

{{00:02:24}}
Are you a great communicator?

{{00:02:26}}
Are you really good with data?

{{00:02:27}}
In your spare time, have you volunteered with a charity
and therefore you really understand the problems

{{00:02:32}}
with companies coming and working with charities?

{{00:02:34}}
And how can they be made easier?

{{00:02:36}}
You don't need a qualification in sustainability
to be successful getting a job there.

{{00:02:41}}
You definitely need to show that you bring those skills
and assets that the company needs to deliver that.

{{00:02:51}}
It's probably the thing that got me
the job interview where I work now.

{{00:02:55}}
I probably talked too fast in my interview when I did
it because I really wanted this job because actually I'd

{{00:03:00}}
connected with the purpose of the business and I really
wanted to use it as a place where I can make a difference.

{{00:03:05}}
But there's nothing worse as an interviewer
than seeing a candidate who couldn't care less.

{{00:03:10}}
Who doesn't wanna make that difference in the
world and sees that company as a place they can

{{00:03:14}}
do that and, and wants to join the team as well.

{{00:03:23}}
Number six is the hardest.

{{00:03:26}}
It's what will help you with number one,
but it's what will really help you in the

{{00:03:30}}
interview, which is to stand out and be yourself.

{{00:03:34}}
Again, it's a cliche response, but it's so important
in sustainability because as an interview, if I've

{{00:03:40}}
seen 20 people and a hundred CVs, no matter how
hard I try, people are gonna start to blur together.

{{00:03:48}}
We wanna know what they bring to the team and helps
culturally enrich what we do and be engaging with

{{00:03:55}}
the clients and the customers and the business
colleagues when they go out there into the world.

{{00:03:59}}
It's particularly important for people who
want a job as a sustainability consultant.

{{00:04:03}}
They look for people who are memorable, who've maybe
traveled a bit, who've got a unusual hobby, you know,

{{00:04:09}}
saying you're interested in reading in the cinemas.

{{00:04:11}}
Okay, but bring that alive.

{{00:04:14}}
What do you do?

{{00:04:14}}
What do you know about it?

{{00:04:15}}
Are you an amateur mountain climber?

{{00:04:18}}
Are you the parent of twins?

{{00:04:20}}
Are you somebody who spends their weekends doing cosplay?

{{00:04:23}}
My team has people who do all of those things.

{{00:04:25}}
And it means that it's a great place to work
and you're bringing something new in terms

{{00:04:29}}
of our diversity of thought and thinking.

{{00:04:35}}
These are just six tips that I've found as an
interviewer, have really helped me choose candidates.

{{00:04:41}}
You can bring your own style and flavor to this, and I
really hope you're successful in your job interviews.

{{00:04:46}}
If you're passionate about this stuff, people will recognize
it and there is a job out there will be right for you.

Hi, I'm Ben Wielgus and for the last seven years I've worked
at a FTSE 100 company as their head of sustainability,

and I've had the pleasure of interviewing hundreds of
people for sustainability roles all around our business.

I wanna give you six key bits of advice for being
successful in your sustainability interview.

So my first tip on being successful in a sustainability
interview is to get the interview in the first place.

The main thing is to make sure your CV stands out.

You are gonna be competing with hundreds of other people
who want that job, so you really need to demonstrate

that you've got the right skills for that role.

And there's lots of other places to go for advice
on, on how to apply for a job and write a good CV.

Everybody should know this, but it's amazing
how many people apply for interviews and

Not just the first bit of text, but watched some videos,
read the sustainability report, maybe read the annual

report, understand what the company's role in the world
is, who their customers are, the breadth of their products.

Somebody who comes to me and says what they like about our
sustainability program and where they think we can improve

and what they can add to it is gonna really impress me.

Rather than somebody who comes along and gives me
some generic comments about caring about the world.

You've thought about the pros and cons of the company's
approach to sustainability and what it does in the world,

but I think you also really need to understand the industry.

Is it good or bad compared to who you've applied for?

And can you find what the industry
association says about sustainability?

Because they're probably gonna have some views around the
general movement of the industry and what the most important

sustainable issues are that you've gotta talk about.

You've seen the job description, but how have you got
experience in that particular area of sustainability?

If you're new to sustainability, what skills have you got
that you can bring to this that are gonna help out with it?

In your spare time, have you volunteered with a charity
and therefore you really understand the problems

with companies coming and working with charities?

You don't need a qualification in sustainability
to be successful getting a job there.

You definitely need to show that you bring those skills
and assets that the company needs to deliver that.

It's probably the thing that got me
the job interview where I work now.

I probably talked too fast in my interview when I did
it because I really wanted this job because actually I'd

connected with the purpose of the business and I really
wanted to use it as a place where I can make a difference.

But there's nothing worse as an interviewer
than seeing a candidate who couldn't care less.

Who doesn't wanna make that difference in the
world and sees that company as a place they can

do that and, and wants to join the team as well.

It's what will help you with number one,
but it's what will really help you in the

interview, which is to stand out and be yourself.

Again, it's a cliche response, but it's so important
in sustainability because as an interview, if I've

seen 20 people and a hundred CVs, no matter how
hard I try, people are gonna start to blur together.

We wanna know what they bring to the team and helps
culturally enrich what we do and be engaging with

the clients and the customers and the business
colleagues when they go out there into the world.

It's particularly important for people who
want a job as a sustainability consultant.

They look for people who are memorable, who've maybe
traveled a bit, who've got a unusual hobby, you know,

saying you're interested in reading in the cinemas.

Are you somebody who spends their weekends doing cosplay?

My team has people who do all of those things.

And it means that it's a great place to work
and you're bringing something new in terms

of our diversity of thought and thinking.

These are just six tips that I've found as an
interviewer, have really helped me choose candidates.

You can bring your own style and flavor to this, and I
really hope you're successful in your job interviews.

If you're passionate about this stuff, people will recognize
it and there is a job out there will be right for you.

Sustainability careers

Expert Insight

So you've got yourself a sustainability job interview. How can you make sure it will be memorable and you'll stand out from hundreds of candidates to get the job?
In the last episode of our sustainability career series, Ben Wielgus uses his experience to guide you through six key strategies to help you secure your dream sustainability role. From researching the company's efforts to showcasing your unique qualities, this video provides practical sustainability interview tips for you to make a lasting impression!