Finding Your Place in the Green Economy

I bet many of you out there are wearing green today in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. I decided to do something different this year and blog green instead. I’ve been a big fan of Carol McClelland’s Green Career Central site for over a year and I was thrilled to hear that she recently published a book on the topic of green careers called Green Careers for Dummies. She stopped by the Career Solvers blog to give readers the insider scoop on the green economy.

You know you want to contribute to the evolving green economy. You may even know what skills, experience, and interests position you for this kind of work. The question is, do you know how to find a green position that meets your needs?

Although the process of finding a position in the green economy is similar to finding a job in the traditional economy, there are some distinct differences that make the process a bit more…interesting, shall we say.

1) The green economy is constantly evolving. Given that we are in the earliest phases of a new industrial revolution, we aren’t completely sure what the economy will look like in the future. All signs point to a great deal of potential, but the specifics aren’t laid out yet. The big picture is sketched out in broad brush strokes, but the specific details are out of focus

2) To most people there’s a fundamental question that is still unclear. What careers/companies/industries are green? Generally speaking, careers/companies/industries are green when they make a positive impact on the planet. The specific nature of the impact depends on the goal(s) they are striving to achieve, whether it’s reducing greenhouse gases, conserving energy, reducing waste, rethinking water usage, and/or restoring nature. When you look at this from a broad perspective, a wide number of industries are making concerted efforts to take greener, more sustainable actions.

If you want a visual look at the array of industries, take a look at the Green Economy Map (www.greencareercentral.com/map) I created after writing Green Careers For Dummies.

3) Occupation resources you are accustomed to using to understand a position are probably not available yet. The only way to figure out how your skills fit is to research your target industry and talk with those in the field to understand how the industry works and how your skills fit. Don’t try to nail down an exact job title; there’s no universally agreed up job functions yet. Instead look at what you are known for. Then ask yourself how your skills, knowledge, experience and training can help a green company/industry address the issues it’s facing.

You’ll need to do some groundwork online and through conversations before you’ll be able to articulate the role you are best suited to play. In the process your research on the industry and company will prepare you for your interviews with that company or its competitor.

4) There’s no common wisdom of the best companies to work for. We don’t yet know which companies will become household names in this new economy. As a result, you don’t know, off the top of your head, which companies will need someone with your skills or which companies are in your area. To develop your list of target companies, read industry specific blogs, notice which companies are listed as members on key professional associations, and pay attention to investment news to discover which start up companies and large, well known companies are active and growing in your target industry.

5) Timing is everything. Different industries are developing at different rates. Some industries, such as solar and some areas of the smart grid sector, are reaching a point of maturity where companies are hiring people for all parts of the organization. Other industries are a bit earlier in their growth cycle. They may be in a research and development phase where most of their human resource budget is going toward the scientists and technical people who are creating the product the company will sell. As the company evolves, their hiring needs will change and they will look for people with a broader range of functions.

If your target industry is not quite ready to hire people with your skills, don’t despair. This turn of events gives you more time to develop your knowledge and skills to prepare you for your ultimate career. If you need a job now, be strategic in your job search to find a position that strengthens a part of your resume or allows you to build your credibility and network in a related arena.

Remember, we are in the early stages of an economic shift. Any ground work you do now will prepare you to move into the green/clean/sustainable economy as it develops. To help you in your quest for a green career, start by identifying your green focus. Which part of the green economy are you most suited to work in? What areas of the green economy interest you most? Even if your next career move isn’t going to be green, having a long term career target on the horizon can help you make strategic decisions so your next steps are in alignment with your future career.

Want to be entered into our drawing to receive a free, autographed copy of Carol’s book? Leave a comment on this post.