FOR STUDENTS
You might have heard about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), how about the Inner Development Goals?
The Inner Development Goals (IDGs) are a useful framework that includes 5 dimensions and 23 skills and qualities identifying the soft skills needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was developed by a global team as an open-source initiative aimed at fostering inner development for sustainable futures.
​
These goals are primarily soft skills and qualities which many of our survey respondents have mentioned. As you read through the rest of the report, consider how all five pillars and their listed skills might be relevant and linked to different roles. You will also find some useful advice on how to develop these skills. One exercise is for you to think about examples of how you have demonstrated these skills, and under what circumstances these skills would be useful in different jobs that you will learn about.
What’s the difference between ‘Soft’ and ‘Technical’ skills?
Sustainability is an incredibly broad concept. In practice, this can result in highly diverse careers. In such an evolving space, there is a need to develop a mix of soft and technical skills. All jobs will require a certain combination of soft and technical skills. So, it is important to ensure that you have acquired the relevant skill sets in line with job requirements.
The main difference between soft and technical skills is how they are obtained and how they are applied in the workplace. Technical skills are obtained through hands-on experience, such as coding, website development, or copywriting. Soft skills - often referred to as ‘people skills’ - are character traits and interpersonal skills that enable relationship-building and complement - if not underpin - technical skills in the workplace. Importantly, both soft and technical skills can be developed, albeit in different ways. For example, many online courses now offer training for technical skills, whereas soft skills such as communication are harder to develop through online courses.
The following sections detail key insights from survey respondents that highlight skill sets required across the private sector, public sector, NGO and civil society. Note that academia has also been categorised as part of civil society.
Most notable is the significance of soft skills to adapt and succeed in a highly dynamic and fast-moving career field. There is also a growing demand for technical skills, particularly regarding data analysis, synthesis, and manipulation. Our findings indicate that regardless of the industry, an interdisciplinary approach to skill development is critical.
Top Soft Skills
01
Communication
The most important skill identified by all participants was communication - including oral and written communication skills. 22 of the 72 respondents representing several parts of the world, and coming from diverse backgrounds, made the point that clear communication is key. Some saw this as a gateway to building trust and partnerships, while others saw this as a way of communicating climate change information to those who do not have a background in this sector.
​
Who pointed this out?
The respondents who pointed out the importance of communication skills included consultants, analysts, researchers, a policy director, co-founders, engineers and managers. They all came from different seniority levels. These people also worked in several sectors including academia, international NGOs and private organisations, as well as charities, while their work spanned from water, air-quality, corporate sustainability, partnership development, interpersonal relations and more.
Enhance this skill by participating in interdisciplinary projects, honing public speaking skills, and learning negotiation techniques.
​
Reality check:
To show your strong communication skills in the interview process, provide examples of times when you had to explain complex information or provide an example that demonstrates your ability to influence others. Particularly think about the audience you are communicating with. What did you do well? What did you not do so well?
02
Team Work
Many respondents pointed out the importance of collaboration to succeed in a career. There is so much more that can be achieved through the collaboration of diverse skill sets and perspectives, particularly in the field of sustainability, which involves many cross-cutting topics. Working together with others is a chance for you to bring your acumen and knowledge to improve project outcomes.
Teamwork is a mixture of various skills: the ability to effectively communicate, be an active listener, resolve conflict, and work together towards shared goals.
Partnership-building is a key example of collaboration that can really drive transformative systems-wide impact. Undoubtedly, the transition to a sustainable future will require a collaborative effort from people across industries, backgrounds, ages, and sectors.
Who pointed this out?
This was pointed out by project managers, team leads and finance professionals.
Building effective partnerships requires the following:
-
Ensuring everyone is aligned on the goals (useful tip: look to really understand the bigger picture for the project and proactively communicate with others).
-
Building trust: practice active listening, show appreciation for others, and set boundaries.
-
Being adaptable and agile: be honest and communicate upfront if things are not going as planned.
-
Holding yourself and others accountable: take ownership of key tasks and encourage others to do the same.
Reality check:
To highlight this in your CV, résumés and in job interviews, provide examples when you worked in teams of different sizes. Reflect on what your role was in these teams. What did you do well or not as well? What were the key challenges you encountered and how did you overcome these challenges? Demonstrate how you were able to resolve a conflict or when you took the initiative to help your team meet a goal.
03
Critical Thinking
Another key skill identified by the respondents was critical thinking. According to the Inner Development Goals, critical thinking includes skills in reviewing the validity of perspectives, evidence and plans. But overall, developing cognitive skills for evaluating information more broadly has been identified as an essential skill in most of our survey responses, and this is also pointed out by the IDG Framework. Critical thinking includes other skills such as long-term orientation and visioning, sense-making, perspective skills and complexity awareness. The latter is closely linked with other skills such as systems thinking because it gets us thinking about complex conditions. This was pointed out by several respondents because of the interdisciplinary nature of climate change and sustainability.
​
Who pointed this out?
Project managers, directors and consultants all stated that critical thinking was among the most important skills to succeed as a sustainability-focused professional.
​
Reality check:
To highlight critical thinking skills in interviews, focus on showcasing your thought process for achieving results. Highlight a situation where you were able to offer different perspectives, viewpoints, or create innovative solutions to deliver on a goal or output.
04
Systems Thinking
Systems thinking is the ability to think holistically and make connections between areas that are typically siloed. Thinking systemically is seeing the bigger picture. Within the context of sustainability, this is often framed through the triple bottom line - a phrase coined by John Elkington, which signifies “people, planet, and profit.” Systems thinking in sustainability is recognizing that society, environment, and economy are interdependent and interconnected. For example, climate change can negatively impact biodiversity loss which can lead to public health crises. Public health crises can exacerbate racism and perpetuate socioeconomic inequities due to unequal access to healthcare in low-income communities and communities of colour. Being able to see how all of these areas are interconnected is thinking systemically.
Systems thinking is important, “because sustainability is inherently interdisciplinary, it requires thinking in systems. Whether one defines sustainability as strictly the triple bottom line, as ESG (environmental, social, governance), or in terms of meeting the needs of current and future generations, these all require thinking beyond one focus area.”​
Who pointed this out?
Respondents working in sectors ranging from retail to sustainability consulting pointed out the importance of systems thinking.
A director of sustainability and resilience of a large city government discussed with Sade for her book the vitality of systems thinking in sustainability leadership roles, “It is not just about knowing or being an expert in one area—it is about being an expert in multiple areas. You have to understand systems thinking in order to understand the various components that contribute to outcomes, and how, for example, retrofitting actually contributes to better public health because it lowers emissions.”
A professional in sustainable finance from our survey pointed out that “sustainability is about the wider system, not applicable or exclusive to one sector or topic. Everything is interconnected. Having that mindset in making decisions, be it operational or investment decisions, is very important.”
To learn more about systems thinking in practice, take a look at sustainable solutions that draw on different realms such as circular economy or food systems.
​
Reality check:
To demonstrate systems thinking in an interview, provide examples of scenarios that demonstrate adaptability, your ability to synthesise, how you show empathy and practice mindfulness in the workplace, and your enthusiasm for change.
Top Technical Skills
01
Data Analysis & Visualisation
Almost every role requires the ability to interpret data, and then use data to make informed decisions. In short, being data literate is crucial to be able to drive positive change. This is because data driven insights are powerful ways to engage wider audiences and can lead to influencing strategy development, partnership-building, policies and more.
Being proficient in data analysis means being able to utilise tools to evaluate quantitative and qualitative data. Once the data analysis is conducted, data visualisation is the ability to communicate the data through graphical representation. Some data analysis and visualisation tools and programs include: Microsoft Excel, SQL, R, Microsoft PowerBI, Tableau, Python, ArcGIS, and SAS. These tools are used to sort data to first derive key insights, and then help you to visualise the data in a clear and engaging way to audiences.
A training and development specialist from Kenya said, “understanding the latest technology is imperative to enhance sustainability in any industry. These skills include data analytics to derive data driven insights.”
Reality check:
When you are in an interview, prepare examples that demonstrate your ability to analyse and visualise both quantitative and qualitative data. Depending on the role, you may want to prepare numerous examples of quantitative data analysis. Emphasise your ability to maintain accuracy and organisation in your data analysis process. Describe the tools and softwares you use to conduct data analysis and visualisation.
02
Modelling
Modelling involves using mathematical and computational methods to simulate key processes and systems. This is useful to test and evaluate different scenarios, such as modelling natural systems and processes. For example, climate modelling can provide a way to better understand climate change and its impacts at various spatial and timescales. Understanding climate models is not just the job of climate scientists, it is relevant for several professions. Models are tools used to make decisions on adaptation and mitigation measures (for corporations) or policies (in government). Other examples include modelling land-use change, flooding, or air pollution, all of which then inform response strategies. Modelling can help to simulate processes that enable optimisation, such as energy efficiency or financial modelling, amongst others.
Modelling as a technical skill ranges from knowing how to build an Excel model to coding with R. Not all jobs require building models, but it is still useful to be able to interpret modelling results and then be able to communicate its implications to stakeholders.
Modelling is linked to wider programming and statistical analysis skills and is not a singular type of technical skill.
Who pointed this out?
Respondents working as energy analysts, professionals in finance, and as climate risk consultants all listed modelling as a useful technical skill to have.
Reality check:
To demonstrate modelling skills in an interview, prepare concrete examples of past projects or experiences where you developed solutions. Convey your technical acumen by describing the modelling programs and softwares you know how to use and provide scenarios where you have successfully used these programs and/or software.
Notable Mentions
Aside from the top 5 most commonly mentioned soft and technical skills, our survey respondents also highlighted 5 additional skills we felt are worthy to mention because of their wide applicability across roles!
1
Curiosity
Sustainability is a fast-evolving field. So, willingness to proactively learn is vital to career success. A manager in the manufacturing sector says “master the art of asking questions!”
2
Relationship Building
This is the foundation of good collaboration and engagement with diverse stakeholders. Being able to negotiate, communicate, and work towards shared goals is important to success.
3
Adaptability
An entrepreneur said “things change so fast in [sustainability], you need to adopt a learner's mindset as there is so much to always be learning about in the field.”
4
Creativity
An educator said “think outside the box for what sustainability in your field can look like, or even how to communicate and articulate concepts when engaging with colleagues and other stakeholders.”
5
Positive Thinking & Resillience
A lead in an environmental NGO said: “learn to manage setbacks and your own expectations, climate change is a major issue with many moving parts that will not be fixed overnight, It's good for your mental health to not attach your value or self-worth as an individual or professional to your perceived impact, celebrate the wins no matter how small.”