Corporate social responsibility (CSR) specialists ensure that the companies for which they work conduct their business in an ethical manner.
Entry requirements and career opportunities
While no specific qualifications are required for corporate social responsibility specialist roles, candidates with bachelors and masters degrees in business studies are likely to be at an advantage. Transferable skills and expertise from related specialisms, such as finance, environmental management and marketing, also tend to be highly valued by employers.
The majority of employers of corporate social responsibility specialists require candidates with extensive CSR knowledge and considerable business experience and this means that new graduates require long term strategies that enable them to build up their skills and experience before they apply for CSR jobs. Such strategies may include gaining CSR experience by securing paid or voluntary work placements to assist organisations with their CSR projects.
Opportunities for corporate social responsibility specialists exist within the public, private and voluntary sectors. Larger companies in the private sector may require CSR professionals to work in their CSR departments or perform CSR functions within other departments. Employment opportunities are frequently opening up in accounting and consulting firms, many of which are attempting to offer CSR services to their clientele. In the public sector, CSR jobs can be found in government agencies and large international organisations while in the voluntary sector, CSR jobs can be found in a variety of non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Qualifications and salary information
For those with relevant qualifications and experience, recruitment agencies that handle CSR vacancies can be a valuable source of CSR employment openings. Once in employment, graduates with bachelor's degrees may be encouraged to work towards masters degrees or specialist short courses covering CSR. Salaries for staff working in CSR roles may be between £20,000 and £40,000 a year. Salaries are likely to rise as employees gain further qualifications and experience.