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How to Go Green: Job Searches
[By Christine Lepisto]
How much time do you spend every day at your job? How much of that time do you spend frustrated that your green personal life doesn't translate in the workplace, wanting to do more with your professional life? If you daydream about aligning your personal convictions with a fulfilling and inspiring professional position, then maybe it’s time to think about a green job search.
With the stock market scuffling and the economy having a tough time, the conventional job market isn't what it once was. How can you ensure that your job isn't going to go the way of your portfolio? Heed the words of Van Jones, whose new book, The Green Collar Economy, lays out a path to a greener future that starts today. Jones says, "The time has come for the nation to give greater support to the problem solvers -- the clean-energy producers, green builders, eco-entrepreneurs, community educators, green-collar workers, and green consumers. We have the chance now to create new markets, new technology, new industries, and a new workforce. Let's do it right -- with good wages, equal opportunity, and pathways to success for those whom the pollution-based economy left behind."
If you're ready to claim your piece of the pie in the booming green job market, be heartened that hundreds of thousands of jobs are springing up, thanks to green trends or laws and funding related to peak oil or climate change. The wages for many specialties in environmental or green fields are higher than average. But how do you know which one of the new or existing green-collar jobs fits your personality and skills? And how do you find your dream green job? The time is right to make the leap to a green job.
Maybe you have other reasons to think about a green job search, too. Once upon a time, being a greenie was about "us" against "them," about standing on the outside throwing rotten fruits, marching behind banners demanding a better world, or even making the ultimate sacrifice of life or liberty to take action. The new generation of activists and greenies has found that "we" are "them." Not only are our choices the choices that drive the markets, but we can be much more effective changing the world from the inside. You can make a real difference by working for sustainability.
"But wait!" you may be thinking. "I work in ________ (fill in the blank: accounting, teaching, metal working, carpentry, chemicals, housekeeping, transport, retail, sales...) How can I find a greener job?" Better to ask yourself: where will my job be in the future, if sustainability is not key to my company's bottom line? You don't want to be left behind; you want to be at the forefront of the new economy. According to "Job Opportunities for the Green Economy," (pdf) a report released in May 2008, "millions of U.S. workers -- across a wide range of occupations, states, and income levels -- will all benefit from the project of defeating global warming and transforming the United States into a green economy."
For all these reasons and many more, a green job hunt may be your destiny. Here are some tips on how you can start the search to find your dream green job.
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