It took me three years and around 8,500 miles to discover that sustainable investing is not philanthropy but a legitimate investment strategy that has usually met, and often outperformed, performance of comparable traditional strategies. In an environment of heavier regulatory scrutiny and higher capital adequacy ratios, current staffing levels are being challenged by automation and even shrinking profitability. Every edge is important for breaking into the industry – but who would believe loving the planet and asking a company’s value to society and its other stakeholders would be one?SRI BasicsThe Sustainable and Responsible Investment Forum defines Sustainable, Responsible, and Impact Investing (SRI) as “an investment discipline that considers environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria to generate long-term competitive financial returns and positive societal impact.” Shareholder motivations for SRI strategies has evolved from incorporating personal values and goals to government regulation. Just last month, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) pension fund was given a One Billion Euro Mandate to invest in SRI strategies. Asia is playing catch-up too, with more Sovereign Wealth Funds putting in place mandates and head counts for SRI strategies.The most important part of SRI is to be always reminded that impact investing is an investment. No matter how noble the cause, the position has to make a financial return. As such, there is really nothing unique about the strategy except for adding another set of metrics to evaluate the prospective targets – environmental, social, and governance factors.The NumbersJP Morgan’s Institute for Sustainable Investing noted that in 2014, 1 Dollar out of 6 (approximately $6.57 trillion) is invested in SRI strategies compared to 1 Dollar out of 9 in 2012. Furthermore, absolute and risk-adjusted returns of SRI strategies was cited to be at par of even superior to its comparable traditional investment strategies for 64% of the periods examined by JP Morgan.A study conducted in 2011 by George Serafeim and Robert Eccles of Harvard Business School found that a sample of 90 US corporations that adopt material commitments to the environment, social, and social governance sustainability practices had grown to $22.60 in 2010 from a $1.00 investment in 1993.In the UK, approximately GBP 15 Billion has been invested in ethically-sound mandates according to independent research service EIRIS. The same group estimates that there are around 83 UK-domiciled funds that are invested ethically.The Sub-StrategiesI’ve put together a non-exhaustive list of sub-strategies in SRI. Funds may practice one or a combination of sub-strategies to select targets. What becomes important in positioning yourself for these roles would be a close understanding of their investment approach. The earlier you speak their SRI language, the closer you are to that offer sheet.Negative ScreeningNegative screening involves omitting securities based on their current practices that might not go in line with the fund’s established ESG standards. Indices such as the Domini KLD 400 index, launched in May 1990, is a good place to start getting a feel for negative screening strategies.Shareholder ActivismShareholder activism is could be in the form of shareholder agreements, where a company agrees to take material steps to be ESG sound, or more activism, by try to influence management through control its ESG activities. The former is more common since the latter is not only expensive but also shareholder-destructive.Positive InvestingSlowly emerging as a new sub-strategy of SRI, positive investing allows shareholders to affirmatively convey their views on a particular target company by initiating an equity position in it. Not only does this bring new capital, but it also lends targets with more credibility especially if the investing entities hold good reputations.Where to StartI do hope the numbers speak for themselves and you have now considered that SRI funds is an employment growth spot in the industry. How do you exactly prepare for SRI roles and what skills are an implied pre-requisite?SRI is still part of asset management. As such, no matter how noble your intentions are, strong modelling skills are needed and desired. If you are gunning for ER (equity research) roles for SRI funds, participation in the CFA program is definitely a big plus. Not only is the CFA program strong in sharpening your hard skills across all asset classes but it also shows a strong commitment to the ethical standards of the profession and the industry at large.Knowledge on some of the current commitments to the environment and international development would be a good opportunity to demonstrate to employers your understanding of SRI issues in a macro level. Looking and being able to discuss the new 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the recently adopted international climate agreement (COP21) commitments to Sovereign Wealth Funds positions you well to demonstrate your commitment to SRI values.If you are an MBA student, I strongly suggest you look into programs like MBA Impact Investing Network and Training (MIINT). The MIINT program introduces participants to the world of impact investing and helps them source, identify, formulate, and structure impact investments. I was lucky enough to hear more about them during my time in grad school, and as far as I know it could be a great opportunity for European Business School students to reach out to them and explore the possibility of a trans-Atlantic participation in a growing network.Job-seekers should look into the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) website to get a feel of what roles and which locations are opening up for SRI-related roles. The network is still a work in progress, but I am amazed by the increasing number of corporate participation they had that I was able to see in the last twelve months.For industry research, I strongly suggest browsing through the EIRIS website for keeping tabs on industry-specific developments. The independent research group provides responsible investing data to around 200 institutional investors, managers, and index providers. Take note of the firms they have in their database – this is a treasure trove of potential employers you could approach.Start the JourneyThe financial sector is getting more competitive and headcounts are declining across the board. The strategy is becoming more mainstream and its losing its novelty appeal. As ESG practices become the industry norm, practitioners will soon need to play catch up with the strategy. There is no better way to be ahead of the curve than starting to embrace the practices now.