Student Affairs
What are SDGs?
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) are global objectives that address the world's most pressing challenges, such as poverty, inequality, climate change, peace, and justice. Their aim is to guide governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals worldwide in building a sustainable future, and ensure no one is left behind.
Learn more about the goals on the UN Sustainable Development website.
Make a Difference, Make a Living
This UN SDG Career Guide allows you to explore careers that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Discover impactful work, relevant career paths, training and volunteering opportunities, and other resources to help you make a difference.
How to use this guide
Many of us are seeking careers that offer not just financial stability but also a sense of purpose.
By mapping SDG goals with career paths and opportunities, you can chart a path that aligns with your values, gives your work personal meaning, and connects you to a larger vision.
Each SDG goal page is divided into 3 main areas:
Overview – Explore the scope and demand of each goal
Engagement – Discover how you can take immediate action and make an impact now through clubs, courses
Career possibilities – See how you can turn your interests into a career with sample job titles and ideas about how corporations, government, and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) can all play a role
Find Your Career Focus
Define your top career priorities
Review the key focus areas and guiding questions to help narrow down your interests. Reflect on which aspects of each SDG resonate with you personally.
Identify your top career goals
Try this SDG Quiz to identify your top goals and get a clearer sense of where your passions lie.
Are you trying to figure out the big picture of what careers you want to pursue after graduation?
Focus on these key areas:
- The Work
- The Skills
- Career Possibilities.
Consider:
- What is it about this SDG that speaks to you?
- Have you been affected by this SDG?
- Stay curious as you explore and pay attention to what sparks your interest!
Do you want to make an impact right now?
Focus on this key area:
- Community Engagement (clubs, volunteering, courses, internships)
Consider:
- What skills do you already have that could be useful?
- What skills, connections, or experiences would you like to add to your resume for future career goals?
- Take note of interesting opportunities you discover!
Do you have a future career in mind but want to find ways to have more impact in that field?
Focus on these key areas:
- The Work
- The Skills
- Career Possibilities
Consider:
- What connections can you see between this SDG and the work you want to do in the future?
- Are there specific skills, knowledge, or experience that would prepare you to make this impact?
- Let yourself consider big ideas and make creative connections first, then later narrow down to focus on what is practical.
Connect Your Career Path to the Goals
The information provided on the following pages is not exhaustive.
It is intended solely as a reference to support you in your career exploration.
Support for students
Have more questions? Want support to explore career and educational options?
Support for faculty
For support, including recommended in-class activities or career workshops, reach out to us by email at mycareer@queensu.ca.
Credits and acknowledgements
Thank you to everyone – the developers, editors, and designers – who contributed to the editing and development of this web resource. Thanks also go out to the students and campus partners who contributed their time and effort in support of the development of this resource.
A special thank you to Ava Khavaninzadeh, SWEP student, for her research, innovation and design in creating this tool.
At Career Services, we are committed to providing reliable and informative content. To help us achieve this, we’ve utilized a combination of advanced AI tools alongside reputable sources. We believe in transparency and value the work of other experts in the field. Here are the sources we have drawn from to develop the content on this site:
Community Foundations of Canada. (2022, March 9). 2022 SDG fact sheets: Working together to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. https://communityfoundations.ca/2022-sdg-fact-sheets-working-together-to-advance-the-sustainable-development-goals/
Coursera Staff. (2023, November 29). Sustainable development: Goals, importance, and Career Guide. Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/articles/sustainable-development
Ho, C., Dr. Rachel Johnson, K. A., Judson, Dr. G., & Saperstein, Dr. E. (2021, April 15). How the UN sdgs can support career education. EdCan Network. https://www.edcan.ca/articles/how-the-un-sdgs-can-support-career-education/
Microsoft. (2023). Copilot [Conversational AI model]. https://copilot.microsoft.com
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Project Drawdown. (2024, April 10). Job function action guides. https://drawdown.org/programs/drawdown-labs/job-function-action-guides
Thomas, J. (2022, December 21). The Sustainable Development Goals Give us a framework to create positive change together. CareerWise. https://careerwise.ceric.ca/2023/01/18/the-sustainable-development-goals-give-us-a-framework-to-create-positive-change-together/
UN. (n.d.-a). 170 jobs with a purpose. https://sites.ungeneva.org/170actions/jobs/index.html
UN. (n.d.-b). The 17 goals | sustainable development. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/goals