March edition of career opportunities: internships, volunteering and grants

Welcome to the spring season! Have you had time to apply for summer internships? If you’ve missed out, don’t worry—there are still plenty of opportunities to grow and find the career path you’re looking for. If you’ve just had a busy season applying, then good luck; we’re crossing our fingers for you. Take some rest, and we’ll see you at the next digest of opportunities.

One career tip this week: Focus on building a diverse skill set that complements your primary area of study. In today’s job market, employers value versatility and the ability to adapt to various roles and challenges. Whether it’s learning a new language, mastering a software program, or developing soft skills like communication and teamwork, broadening your competencies will make you stand out. This approach not only enhances your resume but also prepares you for a wide range of career paths and opportunities.

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We think it’s a good way to spend your free time this winter and get into the UN system. This internship is located at Headquarters of the BRS Convention in Geneva. The Secretariat of the BRS Conventions brings together the three leading multilateral environmental agreements that share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.

• Where: Geneva, Switzerland
• Requirements: fluent English, also Spanish/ French desirable, being enrolled or just graduated
• ⏰ Deadline: March 14

What are you going to do:

• research, ideate and develop social media products including videos, cards, infographics and interactive content
• support the creation of posts in English for BRS social media platforms
• assist in researching, curating and presenting stories, images and videos on BRS’s digital platforms
• produce analytics reports and the BRS Highlights Newsletter
• work and coordinate with influencers and partners

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Searching for some meaningful engagement? Huge event about emerging technologies to strengthen your business amongst a curated guest list of over 3000 leaders in their fields. Participation could be costly, but the organizations invite volunteers to help and join the summit. Educational and networking opportunities!

• Where: Paris, France
• Requirements: good English
• ⏰ Dates: March 21-22

Some topics:

• Carbon Management – Crafting the Value Chain

• Estonia, land of unicorns: groundbreaking solutions in climate tech & healthcare

• Paving the road to a fully electrified economy

• Can consumers change their habits? Insights from food alternatives.

• Enabling a circular plastic economy and more

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This is a great opportunity to get into policy making and SDG advocacy. SDSN Networks Team is looking for a highly qualified and motivated intern. This entails tasks along the broad spectrum of program management, including coordination, communications, database management, membership drive, and event organization.

• Where: Paris, France
• Reward: standard minimum hourly rate, plus 50% of local transportation costs
• ⏰ Dates: April – September 2024

What are you going to do:

• provide organisational and communication support relating to meetings and webinars, taking notes during events

• edit the web content, posting content on social media channels

• update and maintain key internal documents and databases and more

Requirements:

• Postgraduate students with strong English. Submit a CV, one writing sample, both in English, as well as up to 3 references.

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Highly recommended! The Savvy programme equips entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills, tools, resources, support network, and community to build sustainable, innovative, and profitable impact-driven businesses. It’s free and rolling for all the year. Welcome to join with your green business idea!

• Where: online
• Requirements: age 18-40
• Deadline: ongoing

What are you going to do:

• participate in 12 weeks of e-learning and assessment
• identify your Go-to-Market and Fundraising Strategy
• find useful partners

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The Future of Life Institute is calling for proposals for research evaluating in detail how artificial intelligence (AI) has so far impacted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relating to poverty, healthcare, energy and climate change, and how it can be expected to impact them in the near future.

Sample proposal titles:

• How has AI been affecting the implementation of social support systems?
• What data do we have to suggest how AI will impact the goal of reducing poverty by half in 2030?What is the risk that general-purpose AI will significantly increase poverty by then?
• How has AI affected the goal of decreasing maternal mortality?

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The University of Bonn is known as a university with a rich tradition and a strong research profile, so here is a good opportunity for researchers to pave the way for success. In collaboration with a research professor, the scholars train students and help them conduct research projects for one or two semesters.

Where: Germany

Requirements: Invitation of scholars preferably from Africa, Latin America, and South/ East Asia for research on Sustainable Development Goals-related topics

Duration: 3 months to 12 months

Reward: travelling expenses covered, scholarship of 3,000 euros per month, funding for spouses and children, research allowance of up to 500 euros per month

⏰ Deadline: April 30

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Remember, the world today doesn’t just value what you know, but how you use that knowledge. By stepping into internships or volunteer positions, you’re not just applying what you’ve learned in textbooks. You’re growing your circle, pushing your limits, and getting a real taste of the industry.

Please, visit other articles I shared on the topic to learn more about opportunities for environmental engineering students and everyone who is interested in developing themselves in the field of sustainable development. 

1. Elevate Your Resume with these 8 Citizen-Science Driven Online Initiatives
2. One climate change network that you should join to build a career on the international level 
3. Your chance to get the practical training completed

Xamk is involved in Talent Boost work, aiming to advance employment and attachment of international talents to Finland. For more information, do not hesitate to contact talentboost(at)xamk.fi.

Daria Chekalskaia,
Production Assistant of Edufication.com and Environmental Engineer