Exploring Green Jobs in Nontraditional Roles: Your Work Could Shape Future Sustainability

Strategic communication and public relations 

Combine your passion for strategic storytelling with your drive to shape public awareness about environmental issues. By pursuing roles such as an environmental communication specialist, sustainability consultant or eco-brand manager, you can craft compelling narratives for environmental marketing campaigns, create educational content for eco-friendly practices or promote the work of organizations or political leaders advocating for change.  

Sacred Heart offers a master’s in strategic communication & public relations, a bachelor’s in strategic communication, public relations & advertising, a dual degree program and a combined-degree program in strategic communications. 

Journalism

Take your writing, photography and storytelling skills to media outlets that focus on sustainability or to think tanks, environmental agencies or conservation organizations that are committed to preservation, conservation and sustainability. You might specialize in covering emerging technologies in environmental protection, track legislative policies, cover sustainable innovations or focus on organizations that seek change.  

Learn more about Sacred Heart’s undergraduate and graduate programs for aspiring journalists. 

Digital marketing 

Merge your digital marketing skills with your desire to implement strategies that promote eco-friendly brands, products and services. Engage with customers who are environmentally aware and seek out companies that are dedicated to sustainable practices. You could use your role as an environmental communications specialist, content specialist or marketing manager to spot market trends and evaluate consumer preferences to ensure sustainability is key to your campaigns. You can gain the skills you need by pursuing a master’s degree in digital marketing or by exploring digital marketing graduate certificate programs. 

Graphic arts 

Use your artistic talents to create packages and other products that feature more sustainable, ecological and recyclable designs. As a graphic or industrial designer, you can work on package design, create environmental awareness campaigns or work with eco-conscious brands. You might introduce less wasteful designs in production, such as using recycled, biodegradable, eco-friendly inks or organic materials that make products easier to recycle, compost or reuse.  

Sacred Heart’s Art & Design program offers nearly a half-dozen undergraduate programs to help you develop your skills. 

Finance 

The financial world is always changing, and investing in environmental causes, such as green technologies, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure, can sometimes face strong headwinds. But environmental financiers will be needed to assess long-term financial performance and sustainability. With a master’s in finance, for instance, you can gain fundamental skills and grow into a green finance expert, serving in roles such as sustainable investment adviser, environmental analyst or green bond specialist.  

Perhaps you pursue a master’s of business administration, with a concentration in finance, or a corporate finance certificate. The skillsets you develop will be valuable in evaluating and guiding investments toward environmentally responsible projects.  

Public administration 

If you want to make a difference on the local, state and federal level, you could consider a career in public administration. By pursuing a Master of Public Administration you gain the skills to create greener and more sustainable communities. Perhaps you’ll become an urban planner, green infrastructure specialist or an environmental policy analyst. You could be responsible for fostering and implementing clean energy adoption, for instance, or lead initiatives to make cities more sustainable. 

Computer science and engineering 

In this broad field, career paths such as software developer, electrical engineer, data analyst, machine learning engineer, or AI product manager all have a part in advancing green technologies. From optimizing energy grids and reducing energy consumption to creating smart agriculture systems, AI is revolutionizing sustainability efforts.  

Students pursuing a master’s in computer science or perhaps an AI certification can contribute to green jobs by designing algorithms that enhance the efficiency of renewable energy systems, developing AI models that predict environmental trends or building software solutions for climate action. Meanwhile, app designers create tools to analyze climate data or predict how people use energy to better plan and manage generation and consumption. And electrical engineers and computer engineers will be developing ways to optimize energy generation, distribution and consumption.  

Business analytics 

Knowing how to crunch the numbers and data to draw out trends, patterns and other information from your company’s day-to-day operations will help you uncover new opportunities or ways to work more efficiently. These are transferable skills valued by any company that wants to become more environmentally conscious and sustainable. Maybe you’ll create a new supply chain that lowers emissions, spot areas to minimize energy use or reduce office waste.  

Students can study business analytics at Sacred Heart through its bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business analytics, as well as a dual degree program, a minor in business analytics and business analytics certification.  

Getting started

Get started on your career or gain new skills to further enhance your work by reaching out to Sacred Heart’s undergraduate or graduate admissions for more information.  

Want to hear more from SHU? Subscribe to our newsletters to get the latest updates delivered right to your inbox.