How can you demonstrate your sustainability knowledge in an interview?

1 Know the basics

Before you go to the interview, make sure you have a solid understanding of the basic concepts and terminology of sustainability. For example, you should be able to explain what the triple bottom line, the circular economy, the life cycle assessment, and the carbon footprint are, and how they relate to environmental engineering. You should also be familiar with the main sustainability frameworks and standards, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the ISO 14000 series, and the LEED certification. You don't need to memorize every detail, but you should be able to give clear and concise definitions and examples.

2 Research the company

Another way to demonstrate your sustainability knowledge is to research the company you are applying for, and find out what their sustainability goals, policies, and initiatives are. You can look at their website, their annual reports, their social media, and their press releases, and see how they communicate their sustainability performance and impact. You can also look for any awards, recognitions, or partnerships they have received or established related to sustainability. This will help you tailor your answers to the specific context and values of the company, and show that you have done your homework.

3 Share your experience

One of the best ways to show your sustainability knowledge is to share your own experience of applying it to your previous or current projects, courses, or activities. You can use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your stories and highlight your achievements and challenges. For example, you can describe a situation where you had to design or implement a sustainable solution for a client or a community, what task you had to accomplish, what action you took, and what result you achieved. You can also mention any tools, methods, or metrics you used to measure and improve your sustainability performance.

4 Ask relevant questions

Finally, you can demonstrate your sustainability knowledge by asking relevant and insightful questions to your interviewer. This will show that you are curious, engaged, and interested in learning more about the company and the role. You can ask questions about the company's sustainability strategy, vision, and culture, how they integrate sustainability into their engineering processes and projects, what sustainability challenges and opportunities they face, and how they monitor and report their sustainability outcomes. You can also ask about the expectations and responsibilities of the role you are applying for, and how you can contribute to the company's sustainability goals.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?