Career Services

We regularly publish job postings to aid you in your career exploration and job search process. These listings are shared weekly from sustainability, social impact, energy, policy, and other relevant job listings and shared in our Slack workspace so that you can receive real-time notifications about curated job openings, internship opportunities, and fellowships. We also provide links to relevant job boards and lists of organizations employing Presidio students and alumni to facilitate your ability to make great connections and explore opportunities directly via networking. Lastly, you’ll also gain access to customized lists of sustainability companies to aid you in your research.

Students are encouraged to submit any opportunities of interest via email to careerservices@presidio.edu or by completing this form.

We regularly research and share meaningful opportunities for you to grow your professional networks and gain valuable experiences outside of the classroom. You’ll gain access to information about relevant conferences, business plan competitions and case study challenges, certifications, and other opportunities for building your network and supplementing your studies and existing skill set. These opportunities are published in our Slack workspace by members of our team as well as students, staff, and faculty.

We are proud to offer access to a variety of options for students to receive one-on-one career coaching and mentoring throughout the educational journey, as we recognize the importance of professional connections and personalized guidance when students are exploring career opportunities. We offer support to students on this journey in three robust ways: 

• Professional career coaching services from a seasoned sustainability practitioner. Trish Kenlon, of Sustainable Career Pathways, can work with you in a strategy session to help you better understand the sustainability jobs landscape and think through a plan of action.  In a resume session, she can help you polish and tailor your resume to optimize its impact. 

• Support from Academic Dean Maggie Winslow. Maggie brings a wealth of expertise and experience in renewable energy, energy transitions, and low-carbon economies in particular, but is also knowledgeable about all aspects of sustainability and has great insights about sustainability career paths, thanks to her ongoing connection with students and alumni.   

You can sign up for 1:1 appointments in the Career Services Center. Make sure you take advantage of these great opportunities! 

PGS Consults is excited to offer the Consultancy Shadowing Program to current students who are interested in getting a first-hand view of the sustainability consulting space. Through a short course and invitations to sit in as guests at project meetings, students will learn how consultants work with clients on solutions to climate restoration, environmental health, and social equity. This is a great way for students to assess whether this exciting career path is right for them and to see what kinds of skills and knowledge they will need to be successful.

Students who are accepted into the 12-week program will dedicate from 10-15 hours throughout the semester to:

• Complete the Management Consulting Skills for Sustainability Professionals self-paced course in Canvas and receive feedback on their final assessment.
• Develop and enhance their learning and experience by observing sustainable management consultants working on real client projects.
• Be considered as paid interns on PGS Consults client projects that call for particular skills.

There are only 10 spots available each semester, so be sure to apply early!

Throughout the year, Presidio Graduate School hosts guest speakers who have aligned their careers with their values and are eager to share insights and perspectives to guide you. We also conduct regular webinars, workshops, and Career Chats with alumni to help you explore what’s next in your post-Presidio professional life and approach your search strategically and successfully. We tailor these events to meet the unique needs and interests of people pursuing sustainability careers. Students are encouraged to suggest topics, content, speakers, event format ideas, and additional suggestions at any time.

Visit the Career Services Center for immediate access to a collection of on-demand career advice webinars (including such topics as resume-building, interview techniques, building your personal brand, and more) as well as industry-specific webinars (with presentations on careers in such fields as impact investing and sustainable agriculture, and interviews with notable corporate leaders). You can view event archives in the Career Services Center.

Browse upcoming events

Students are encouraged to participate in case competitions as a valuable career-building activity. Through working with a team to tackle real-world business challenges, you build problem-solving, leadership, and presentation skills key to successful careers. You have the opportunity to apply what you have learned in your coursework, learn from peers across the world, and receive feedback from top business leaders. Each year we select three competitions and support students entering them and achieving success.

We have partnered with Sustainable Business Consulting (SBC) to provide students with real-world career advice. Alum Kevin Wilhelm literally wrote the book on finding sustainability jobs, and he and his team aim to inspire and empower businesses to drive positive impact. To aid you in your career exploration, SBC has created a series of self-paced, non-credit video modules to help you begin your career journey, hone your job search strategies, and tailor your efforts to land great sustainability jobs. 

As a Presidio student, you will also benefit from a career-themed course that offers a collection of modules and activities to support your career development goals. You’ll emerge from this course with a better understanding of your own personal career goals, an awareness of how to make the most of the Presidio coursework and community, and the ability to use tools to enhance your professional profile and skills.

In addition to our career services offerings, you have access to a growing alumni network made up of sustainability and social justice professionals. Our alumni have deep industry knowledge and expertise and are happy to support other Presidians, either through alumni association (PGSAA) networking events or in 1:1 connections. Our alumni are creating positive change in the world, working to further the Presidio mission in government, corporate, and nonprofit roles around the world. It’s never too early to grow your network. You can also interact with community groups on Facebook and LinkedIn and you can search for alumni on the Presidio Company LinkedIn page.

Presidio has partnered with Centro Community Partners to deliver a volunteer Small Business Advisory Program for top-performing Presidio students.  

CCP is an Oakland-based organization that provides underserved, low-income entrepreneurs with entrepreneurship education, one-on-one business advising, mentorship, and access to capital. Students have the opportunity to offer their business and entrepreneurship skills to make a difference in the lives of rising entrepreneurs in CCP’s Advanced Entrepreneurship Program. In turn, PGS Small Business Advisors accrue hands-on business experience, develop their advising and coaching skills and truly learn what it takes to start and grow a business. 

Students who are accepted into the 9-week program will dedicate 5 to 8 hours per week to advise and coach entrepreneurs in facilitated workshops and 1:1 settings. 

Our team of Mentors in Residence are Presidio alumni eager to give back to the community by offering mentorship, professional guidance, career advice, and industry connections to current students.

Be sure to read their biographies and LinkedIn profiles to identify who you might want to learn from. They are all incredibly accomplished and have so much to offer! Out of respect for their time, please be targeted and clear about your goals for your conversation before reaching out.

Meet our resident experts here.

Through our experiential learning (EL) program, linked to selected courses in your program, you’ll work in teams with your classmates to help a company, nonprofit, or government agency that partners with Presidio to help identify and implement strategies to manage its operations, marketing, or strategy more sustainably and effectively. You’ll develop concrete solutions to meet the organization’s specific needs and challenges, applying what you learn in the classroom to have a tangible impact.

The Presidian Blog features posts on a wide range of sustainability and social justice topics. The blog provides sources of inspiration, thought leadership, career guidance, and more. Visit the blog and explore impact-focused stories from our students, faculty, alumni, and extended community. Subscribe so you don’t miss a post.