By Jessica Cheam

GOOD news for those searching for meaningful work: You do not necessarily need to chuck your job, suffer a paycut and volunteer in a Third World country to search for self-fulfilment.

You could still do that, of course, but if you are looking to stay in the corporate world, here is an emerging career that could be suited for you: CSR.

CSR, or corporate social responsibility, jobs are on the rise in Asia, said CSR expert Richard Welford.

'It's relatively new in the region but it is definitely taking off, especially in the wake of globalisation and climate change,' said Mr Welford from CSR Asia, an Asia-based CSR consultancy firm.

CSR involves firms taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on individuals, communities and the environment. It concerns a whole host of issues, from corporate governance to environmental responsibility and human rights.

The concept has been more widespread in Western countries but is gaining ground in Asia as awareness grows.

Climate change and environmental concerns, in particular, have been instrumental in putting CSR in the spotlight, as stakeholders, investors and employees expect companies to be more socially responsible.

Although there are no official figures on the number of CSR professional jobs in the market, there are more jobs emerging with CSR 'titles', said Mr Welford.

'This is a real indication. Today, it's not surprising to find a public listed company in Asia, for example, have a head of CSR, or a CSR manager,' he added.

So what does it take to be a CSR professional exactly?

A communications, marketing or public relations background helps, said Mr Welford.

A lot of these CSR jobs can be found within the corporate communications or human resources department of a firm.

But most importantly, 'passion, interest and the ability to communicate' are the key qualities of a CSR professional.

Take it from Ms Esther An, head of CSR at property giant City Developments (CDL), who is also deputy general manager for corporate affairs. She said her CSR role was a natural progression from a communications one, as it involves building 'people relationships' with the community.

Ms An was given the CSR title only last year, but the firm's CSR journey began as early as 2000, when being socially responsible was incorporated into all segments of CDL's business operations.

The firm has since carved a reputation as a green developer with the most number of platinum green buildings in Singapore - which is the highest award for a building that achieves a high standard of environmental performance.

'It's a meaningful job, but you must have the passion and interest to learn about it,' she said. What is encouraging, she noted, is that even educational institutes have acknowledged it as an important subject and are teaching it to students. At the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, MBA programmes now include a module on CSR, she added.

Over at NTUC FairPrice, deputy director of corporate communications Angela Soo said that her job - which has a specific CSR function - feels more than a job because there is a social impact.

'It's quite noble and meaningful doing this, as you feel like you're making a difference in what you do,' she said.

Ms Soo, who joined NTUC FairPrice last year, said the CSR concept has been growing and the firm even conducted an internal survey on its CSR standards and attitudes recently.

'It helped in my own work, to understand intimately what my colleagues do on a daily basis. Also, it helped the firm identify gaps, and it showed that we could be communicating more,' she said.

CSR professional hopefuls will also be comforted to know that taking on meaningful work, contrary to expectations, does not necessarily mean a paycut.

Many of these jobs offer a competitive corporate salary today, said Mr Welford, and also a stimulating and challenging environment to work in.

A recent survey on the future of CSR, conducted by CSR Asia, showed that climate change, corporate transparency and labour relations will be the top CSR issues for companies in Asia-Pacific over the next decade, he said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.