As a jobseeker, you are probably used to narrowing down your job search using a range of filters. Salary, part-time or full-time, location - there are many ways you can search. But have you tried searching based on Sustainable Development Goals? Do you even know what they are? 

What are sustainable development goals?

Sustainable Development Goals form the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This blueprint was adopted by all United Nations (UN) Member States in 2015 and is designed to bring peace and prosperity. It builds on previous work done by the UN to create a partnership between developing and developed nations and an action plan to improve human lives and protect the environment. Every year since 2016, the UN has produced an SDG Progress report which shows how work is going.

There are 17 goals covering a range of areas aimed at improving situations across the world.

The goals are:

• No poverty - End poverty everywhere

• Zero hunger - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

• Good health and wellbeing - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

• Quality education - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

• Gender equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

• Clean water and sanitation - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

• Affordable and clean energy - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

• Decent work and economic growth - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

• Industry, innovation and infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

• Reduced inequalities - Reduce inequality within and among countries

• Sustainable cities and communities - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

• Responsible consumption and production - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

• Climate action - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

• Life below water - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

• Life on land - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

• Peace, justice and strong institutions - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

• Partnerships for the goals - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Why use SDGs during your for-purpose job search?

So now you know what Sustainable Development Goals are, why should you use them in your job search?

Define the type of area you’d like to work in

You may already know your skills in terms of specific roles that suit - fundraising, HR, marketing, etc - but using SDGs can help you clarify the more general area you’d like to work in. For example, you might feel an affinity with the goals related to climate action and sustainable use of water and land, or you might want to help reduce inequality. Knowing these general areas can help you define a particular area to work in. Many SDGs are interconnected, so working in one can also help you develop skills and knowledge that would enable a move to another sector.

More easily find jobs that align with your values

Doesn’t it feel much better waking up on a Monday morning when you know you are heading to a job you love and where you feel you are making a difference? Once you’ve narrowed down your SDGs areas, you can use them in your job search. Using SDGs to narrow your job search helps you to find a role that more closely aligns with your values. Instead of just seeing all fundraising roles, for example, you can use an SDG search to only see fundraising roles from organisations that work towards climate change.

Score a job that you may not have all the technical skills and experience for

As a jobseeker you might be put off because you don’t tick 100% of the boxes listed in a job description. But if you are choosing a job in an area that you are passionate about, you may be able to compensate with your passion, general knowledge and willingness to learn.

Find organisations that are a better fit overall

Choosing organisations that align with your SDGs choices may also mean you find the organisation is a better fit in general. Organisations looking at the impact of climate change might be more likely to offer flexible working to save on commuting.

Do Good Jobs has made searching SDGs easier

Ready to find your dream SDG-related job? The new Do Good Jobs search filter lets you search jobs by Cause based on Sustainable Development Goals.

Do Good Jobs has made searching SDGs easier

Ready to find your dream SDG related job? The new Do Good Jobs search filter lets you search jobs by Cause based on Sustainable Development Goals. 

Check out our job search here.

To give you an idea, here are some of the employers we have listing with us, in some of the SDG related areas.

Good health and wellbeing

Amitabha Hospice Service

Plunket

Family Planning

Be Heard Childrens Counselling

Perinatal Anxiety Depression Aotearoa

Te Whare Tane Charitable Trust

Hato Hone St John

Kindness Collective Foundation

Dayspring Trust

Housing and homelessness

Dwell Housing Trust

Reducing poverty and inequality

Office of the Children’s Commissioner

World Vision NZ

Orphans Aid International

Kaibosh

Satisfy

Oxfam Aotearoa

Barnados

Climate change and sustainability

Greenpeace Aotearoa

Project Crimson Trust

Sustainability Trust

BioGro

Our Seas Our Future