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&lt;p&gt;Sometimes you have an itch you need to scratch.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In previous jobs, I always valued the concept of doing business with an &quot;it&#39;s the right thing to do&quot; mentality, but I wanted to take that further. As a Detroit native, I really wanted to help people find jobs and urban communities to reap the benefits of sustainable economic development.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I firmly believe that CSR provides the right framework to do the right thing: By partnering with other stakeholders, we can create bold collaborative solutions that address the root cause(s) of systemic issues in cities such as Detroit.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the absence of a one-size-fits-all approach to CSR, I wanted to do work that was truly innovative and provided a much-needed business solution for the 21st century.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;A Passion for Change&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;When I decided to change career tracks, I had already worked in corporate America for more than 20 years. Detroit was experiencing increasingly challenging times. My community was suffering, and I wanted to help.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For many CSR professionals, a strong conviction and passion for social, economic and environmental issues propels them forward. For me, this meant creating a sustainability-focused marketing firm to help companies become leaders in a sustainable economy and align their businesses with a mission that honored people, planet and profits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I had an idea and the entrepreneurial spirit – but I needed help.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;An Education&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;For job seekers and entrepreneurs, especially in the sustainability sector, having a partner to help us get over the knowledge hurdle is huge. University of Vermont Continuing Education’s Sustainable Business Program was the partner I needed. UVM became the gateway to my present role as a small business entrepreneur.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The experience, to say the least, was intense. Along with 100 business professionals, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, higher-education administrators and students from across the country, those five days taught me lessons I will carry with me throughout my professional journey. We learned how to address the multiplicity of challenges and benefits of sustainable programs, including ecotourism, building public-private partnerships, fostering sustainable college campuses, green-business planning, and devising strategies for community economic development.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Heart of Sustainability&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even better, I was in a place where sustainable businesses thrive. Vermont is, in many ways, at the epicenter of CSR with businesses such as Seventh Generation, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Ben &amp;amp; Jerry’s calling the state home.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;UVM helped me develop four key strengths:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Confidence:&lt;/strong&gt; Clients need to know that you have a firm understanding of environmental and economic issues that can impact a company’s long-term sustainability.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Preparation:&lt;/strong&gt; I needed to feel comfortable discussing topics ranging from climate change to waste reduction, or strategies to help organizations reduce their environmental footprint. Now, I am.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Communications:&lt;/strong&gt; Though I have a background in marketing, I needed to learn how to talk about a company&#39;s CSR efforts and identify instances of greenwashing.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trustworthiness:&lt;/strong&gt; It takes a demonstrated level of knowledge for prospective clients to trust you and in turn be able to advise them on CSR.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Advice to CSR Job Seekers&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Remember that first and foremost, a career in sustainability requires an assessment of your beliefs and values. Ask yourself these questions:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;• Do your values align with the principals and goals of sustainability? In other words, do you walk the walk in your personal and professional life?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;• Have you developed a well thought-out and detailed business or personal plan? It will help you generate ideas, areas to research, and strategies for success and progress.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;• If you are new to the industry, are you willing to commit yourself to the on-going study of subject matter pertaining to sustainability?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;At the end of the day, staying positive and having an informed confidence in your brand, ideas, and the ability to create your own business model will guarantee your success.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Working in CSR provides the opportunity to give back while earning a living, what else could one ask for? My best career move so far, what about you?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;--By Bennie Hayden&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bennie Hayden is the founder and president at Marketing for Green, LLC, a Detroit-based firm that provides solution-focused consulting services for sustainable marketing management and corporate social responsibility initiatives designed for urban America. Bennie is a graduate of the University of Vermont Sustainable Business Program. He can be reached on LinkedIn.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor&#39;s Note:&lt;/strong&gt; Benni&#39;s blog marks the first post in a series that&lt;em&gt; Vault&#39;s CSR blog&lt;/em&gt; will feature written by graduates of UVM&#39;s Sustainable Business program. Through these posts, we will see not only what role--and how--education plays in choosing the right career track within CSR or sustainability, but also how a combination of entrepreneurship, passion, and a commitment to pursuing a responsible career, can result in lucrative and satisfying--not to mention sustainable--professional choices. Also on our radar: Where these graduates are today, and how, if at all, their choices were challenged by the economic recession.&lt;/p&gt;

Aman Singh Das

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