Blog Post: I Want a Green Career… Where Do I Start?

At a green career conference I facilitated a break out session entitled Brainstorming Solutions to Your Job Search Frustrations. As I began the break out session I asked all of the participants to write down their main frustration with their own green job search.  As I sorted through the cards I noticed an immediate theme… Where Do I Start? This trend also appears in emails I receive, people I talk to after presentations, and people I talk to by phone.

Understanding the Landscape of the Green Economy

First, you need to grasp that the green economy is growing, changing and evolving all the time. What's true today may or may not be true next year, the year after that, or five years from now. While that may be a bit uncomfortable, it also means there are plenty of opportunities.

A number of interacting factors are impacting how the green economy is taking shape. Governmental policies, the availability of capital for research and business start up, and incentives and costs of carbon, are just a few of the factors that are coming together to influence green industry. As time passes we'll see some industries grow while others to shrink. It's impossible to predict at this moment.

 Action You Can Take:
Begin paying attention to news about the green economy. Gain a general understanding of what is happening. The more you read and the more you listen, the more you will understand. It's critical that you begin this process immediately so that you are well informed when you enter the green economy. This doesn't need to take much time. Read a few blogs, your local or regional newspaper, and a newsletter or two.

Determining Your Green Focus

The green economy is a huge ocean of possibilities. It is impossible to track, investigate, and understand all aspects of this immense universe. If you try, it's likely you'll be swept away with more information than you can possibly interpret.

The key to your success is your ability to identify your green niche. Now before you panic, let me explain. If you think of the green economy as a huge pie, you want to determine, based on your passions, interests, talents, and experience, which slice of the pie is a good fit for you. This slice can be a sizable segment of the green economy at this point. For example, you may determine that you are interested in green building or sustainability. With this information about your slice of the pie, you can begin to focus your attention and energy.

Determining your green niche is a process. I advocate starting the journey by creating a list of your 20 favorite skills and your 20 favorite interests. If you are leaping to focus on the first green industry that comes to mind or the industry that's getting the most press right now, then you are sabotaging your own success. You want to start with a very rich list of clues to your future career. From there you'll be able to see themes and trends that will point you in the right direction.

Action You Can Take:
As you build your lists, focus on your interests and fascinations at the beginning. Keep your list near by as you notice what draws your attention during the week. What stories are you drawn to read? What topics do you enjoy talking about? What skills do you like to use during your work day and your personal activities?

 As you build your list, don't worry about how everything will come together. In fact, don't buy into the assumptions you are making about how much money you can (or can't) make addressing a particular topic or using a specific skill. You'll have plenty of time later to investigate the realities of your potential career ideas.

Immerse Yourself in Your Target Industry/Profession

As soon as you've identified the slice of the piece you want to investigate, you can begin making progress toward your green career. With your focus in mind, you'll be able to identify:

    • What to read

    • What meetings to attend

    • What to learn

    • Who to talk with

    • What experiences to add to your resume

Action You Can Take:
Don't try to implement everything at once. Create goals for yourself based on the time you have available. Does it make sense to set a goal for each week or each month? By predetermining your focus for the week or month, you'll know what to do whenever you have some spare time. Having that plan in mind will save you a lot of time because you won't have to figure out how to use your time each opportunity you have.

Another strategy is to ask yourself, "what one thing can I do today to move me closer to my goal?" If you don't have much time, perhaps you can read one of your target blogs. If you have more time perhaps you can read a book or take a course.

Keep at it. As you learn more about your target industry/profession, you'll identify key contacts, target companies, training requirements, and most importantly, possible job openings. The more you know about your target industry/profession and the green economy in general, the better prepared you will be to make sense of the information you learn.

Your Time Line

Finding your way into the green economy is a journey. It's not likely to happen instantaneously. Depending on your target green niche, you may find a position in a few weeks, months, or even years. Some of the jobs in the green economy haven't even been defined yet. This time lag gives you the opportunity to explore your ideas and research your opportunities.

Action You Can Take:
If you are currently out of work, I strongly recommend that you find an interim job to tide you over financially. When you have income you'll be able to take the time to invest in your green career future.

If you are employed, do what you can to green your resume. You might be able to make your current job greener, get involved in local green community projects, and take classes.

The green economy wave is just beginning to swell. Now is the time to do what you can to get in position to be able to make the leap into the green economy when the time is right for your target industry and profession.

Carol McClelland PhD
Green Career Expert
http://www.greencareercentral.com