I have always had an interest in sustainability, while studying I worked as a researcher for two years, this research was focused around environmental current affairs. I then worked in a reinsurance company for three years, this role began as an administrator and I was then promoted to office manager. I joined Davy in 2017, as an associate on the Corporate Access and Events team in Capital Markets division. This was a fantastic opportunity on a busy team where my role involved delivering events and organising roadshows.

When the opportunity arose to join Davy Horizons sustainability consulting team, I was keen to further my passion for sustainability and take the next step into working in the area I had always loved.

My parents were hugely supportive of my decision to study abroad and they encouraged me to study what I enjoyed.

On a typical day, we begin the day with a team meeting where every team member discusses our tasks for the day and project deadlines. The team meeting is a safe space where we can share our ideas and hear each other's unique viewpoints. Projects involve a lot of team collaboration, each team member has unique ideas and skillsets which combined can create effective strategies for completing projects.

My main tasks vary from day to day, but they tend to include - collaborating with my team members on client's projects, client engagement, providing workshops to educate client supply chains on sustainability. I am responsible for running events on the team and with this also fuels my creative side!

Working with the marketing department to design and promote Davy Horizons events, insights and white papers. I am also the chairman of the ICRS Ireland Hub. The ICRS is the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability which is the professional body for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. The aim of this hub is to provide education, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) accreditation, events and networking to our members.

I love that my role is both logical and creative, which is quite unique. Another part of my role which I love is hosting webinars, I did an internal webinar recently on sustainable fashion and we had the founder and designer Aoife McNamara on, and it was really inspiring!

You can see a clip of this here.

I loved Geography in school, and this is why I decided to study it in University.

I attended Crescent College Comprehensive in Limerick and I studied Geography at Canterbury Christ Church in the UK.

Definitely my undergraduate degree, it gave me the chance to explore a wide range of topics, such as socio-economic, cultural, political and environmental issues which was a good starting point for my role.

My role aligns with my personal values and I feel lucky to be working in something I really believe in. It is very satisfying to see the impact you can have while working with a company to help them be more socially and environmentally responsible. It is particularly satisfying informing and educating staff members on sustainability and seeing them also get on board to pave the way for positive change.

I think having compassion is important for in my role, as the end goal is to positively impact the planet, people's quality of life, and future generations and to add value not cost. It is important for students when deciding which career path to take to consider a job that is emotionally rewarding. This may be difficult to distinguish at first, but my advice is to decide what motivates you and find a way to feed your motivation.

My goal is to keep educating myself on this sector and hopefully progress in this field.

I'm lucky to be part of a supportive team that encourages work/life balance, it is so important to remember to keep active and see friends and family even during busy times.

A career in sustainability and ESG is a meaningful career that is here to stay. Covid-19 has accelerated the shift to a more sustainable world meaning a wave of new 'green' roles are available. Another attractive side to this sector is that it needs diversity to thrive, diversity in all forms, genders, ages, cultures and skillsets. I think it's important to work in a sector where diversity is celebrated and appreciated.

1. Good communication skills
2. Willingness to learn
3. Adapt as the sector develops over time and the ability to work well in a team.

But it is not a 'one size fits all' kind of job, the financial industry needs a variety of roles and people with different skillsets to make it work, not just one type of personality.

At the moment, my 'pet hate' is the negative side of working from home such as missing in person meetings, missing socialising with colleagues and I miss having a daily routine of traveling into work and getting a change of scenery.

Yes, I am planning to take the CFA Certificate in ESG Investing, wish me luck!

Make sure to develop your interpersonal skills just as much as your technical skills, one great way to do this is to network. Joining a sustainability association is a good way to network with professionals in this field. The workshops and events can help build your understanding of CSR and sustainability. The ICRS Ireland hub is free for students to join and provides free workshops, events and networking opportunities. You can join by clicking this link - https://icrs.info/membership

An internship is a fantastic opportunity to give you a real taster for this position, as well as large organisations, you could also try interning at a start-up, or non-profit. If you are in a position where you can volunteer, that is a great way to show your dedication to sustainability. From conservation campaigns such as tree planting, recycling programs and beach clean campaigns are a great way to get involved and also help the planet while you are at it!