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Welcome to the Green Career Tip of the Week
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Online Version of this Issue Green Career Tips Archive
Learn about the Freecycle Network, and how and where they’re keeping reusable items out of landfills. Read the Public Service Announcement below.
This week’s tip focuses on six easy things you can do to prepare for your green career, and make yourself more attractive to potential green employers. Read on to learn more.
Did you get a f.r.e.e month on the Green Career Central site this week? Scroll down to see if the beginning of your email is next to the treasure chest. We do this every week!
Public Service Announcement
One of my personal passions is keeping useable items out of landfills. Even at 10 years old I was thinking about this topic. I still remember a class assignment where I made a diorama of a recycling center that could peel off useable items and recyclable items before they went to the dump. When I see single stream recycling centers that are being built today, I realize I was on the right track!
In my quest to keep items from landfill I’ve become an avid Freecycler! Are you familiar with Freecycle? Here’s how their site describes the network:
“The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,643 groups with 6,212,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free.”
We’ve passed a number of items from our house and my Mom’s house to other Freecyclers who are thrilled with their finds!! A couple of years ago we got a full set of patio chairs from someone on Freecycle! Quite a win!
Give it a try…It’s fun! Use the search box or click on the Browse Groups button to find your community within the United States. (If you live in a different country, find your country on this list.)
Tip of the Week: Are You Walking Your Green Talk? A Key to Landing a Green Job
Are you looking for ways to increase your chances of getting hired when the economy takes an up turn…or even before it completely turns around?
Based on my conversations with hiring managers and career counselors at the various green events I attended in November, I’ve heard time and time again that demonstrating your commitment to the green movement goes a long way toward making you a viable job candidate.
Although you might think employers are just interpreting your green activities as a sign of your values, it is really more than that. They are looking for signs that you’ve taken the initiative and will do what it takes to help the environment.
Five Ways to Demonstrate Your Commitment to the Green Movement
Scan these methods with an eye to your own schedule, budget, and life responsibilities. Identify the strategies you can integrate into your life this week. Start with what you can do, and then expand your tactics as your situation allows.
Read widely
It’s critical that you be able to hold your own in a conversation about green issues related to your target career. Reading is one of the best strategies you can integrate into your life. It’s cheap, it’s flexible, and it can be powerful. Don’t limit yourself to pop green sources. Instead, reach for the green books, posts, magazines, and trade journals that are written by thoughtful, informed sources.
If reading books is not your thing, listen to the radio, browse blogs, and watch online videos. They key is to make sure your information comes from reputable sources. Not sure where to start? Pay attention to the buzz in your target industry. If your employers are reading something, you should be reading it too!
No matter how you are getting your knowledge, focus on two levels of content. In addition to studying within your target industry, be sure to read some sources that discuss the green economy as a whole.
Volunteer
Find a meaningful cause or effort. If possible, find a project that is related to your target interests. Don’t limit yourself to established green non-profits. You may find opportunities at your children’s school, your own church, or your workplace. The key is to get involved! Ultimately you want to add this project to your resume or reference your experiences in your interviews as an example of your commitment.
Take actions to green your own life
Although there are likely to be some relatively simple changes you can make to your own carbon footprint, you may be able to get more bang for your buck with this one! If your target career has any application for households, begin to learn with first hand experience.
You might consider doing an energy efficiency audit and retrofit on your own home, installing your own solar system, planting an organic garden, or implementing a recycling strategy. Although any of these actions are likely to reduce your carbon footprint, you’ll gain the biggest boost if your project parallels your own interests. Hands on experience will give you a unique perspective that most job applicants won’t have.
Take classes/Earn a degree
Demonstrate your commitment to the green movement by adding to your green education. Before you skip to the next idea, did you know you can get access to a number of classes online? Yes, even green classes!
Be strategic. As you talk to people about your target career, learn the skills and knowledge you need to make it in your field. Then look at your options for learning that material. You may not need to return to school for a full degree. A one year certificate may be all you need. It’s also possible that having just a few classes on your resume will differentiate you from your job seeking peers.
Another source for learning opportunities is your professional association. They may have telephone classes, webinars, or virtual conferences. Attending a professional conference is also a good strategy. Often they’ll provide Continuing Education Units for attending sessions during the conference.
Although taking courses can’t replace practical, real life experience, adding some coursework can set you apart from your peers.
Take a leadership role
If you want to add additional value to your efforts, take on leadership roles where possible. There are numerous initiatives in process and on the drawing board in many communities and companies. Step up when opportunities present themselves. If you don’t see any opportunities, take the initiative to start a project for a non-profit, for your current company or for your community. If it’s too much to take on a project by yourself, find a co-chair to work with you.
Think about your ultimate target green career. What skills would you like to enhance on your own resume? What interests do you want to demonstrate? Then look for a project that will help you strengthen your resume in these ways.
I realize all of this may feel like “just one more thing to do.” What I can tell you is that as you dive in and become engaged you’ll gain so much you’ll begin to feel the pay off immediate. The benefits will continue throughout your job search and beyond.
• You’ll gain more detailed information about your target industry/profession.
• You’ll become more confident about your knowledge and skills related to the green economy.
• You’ll be better prepared for in depth conversations about key green issues during your informational interviews and job interviews.
• You’ll make connections with people who can help you further your green career.
• You’ll gain more clarity about the direction you are taking. With this clarity you’ll have more energy and focus to commit to your target goal.
Enjoy your journey of learning and discovery!
Copyright © 2008 Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc.
"GCC's process was incredibly helpful in getting me started in a new career direction. The worksheets and brainstorming exercises in the What's Your Green Niche ebook helped me realize I already had the skills to launch a new green career. Today, less that four months later, I have a terrific salary doing business development for energy and environmental projects. Thanks to Green Career Central, my dream of merging my personal conviction with professional life came true."
-- Kelly Fergusson
Menlo Park Councilmember (Mayor, 2007) turned Business Development Manager of Energy & Environmental Solutions |
Are You Searching for Your Green Niche?
You know you want a green career, but do you know what you want to do in the green economy?
The key to discovering your green niche is pinpointing how to leverage your skills, passions, talents and experience to plug into the green economy.
When you know what part of the economy you want to target, you’ll have an entirely new level of clarity. With that new clarity, your current level of overwhelm and confusion will decrease.
The What’s Your Green Niche eBook eBook takes you through a step-by-step process to determine your green niche. Here's a list of some of the things you'll gain as you work through this eBook. You'll:
- Create your personal definition of success.
- Discover how you know what you are drawn to.
- Develop a list of your 40 favorite skills and interests with the help of checklists.
- Brainstorm over 40 career ideas based on your favorite skills and interests in an hour or so.
- Narrow your career ideas to your top two ideas.
- Develop a plan to achieve your green career goals whether you want to return to school, launch your job search, or start your business.
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Green Career Central Blog:
Green Career Trends: In this week’s post we explore how various groups are seeing the future of coal. What are your thoughts about coal? Let us know by leaving a comment.
Green Career Central's Global Photo Tour: Amazing Skies This week we are taking a bit of a detour...Instead of visiting another country, we are exploring a different facet of the earth...the sky! I was inspired by a beautiful array of images I found that show us the sky's amazing phenomenon!
Membership Has Its Advantages!
The discussion forum topic, audios, ebook, and articles listed below are available to members of GreenCareerCentral.com as a part of their membership. If you're not a member and would like to have immediate access, we'd love to have you join us now!
Green Career Central is a membership site with a comprehensive set of easy-to-use programs, resources, and events to help people achieve their green career dreams whether they want to find a green job, start a green business, or get a green education.
  
"I want to thank you for your service, it was helpful to me in my job search. The regular, cheerful, hopeful messages gave me courage every week to keep looking and doing what I believed in. Your very specific advice also made it clearer and clearer in my mind what I needed to do. Even though I generally understood the basic principals prior to subscribing, the regular reminder, and repeated messaging and refining each detail in more and more clarity was very helpful.
I've accepted a position that is really my dream green job. In my new role, I am part of a small group working to build The Nature Conservancy's capabilities to leverage conservation know-how across and beyond The Nature Conservancy's programs to achieve conservation results at an unprecedented scale. I love doing this work, and I thank you for giving me the courage to keep finding a place I believed in to share my skills.
Thank you!"
~ Anne, El Cerrito, CA
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This Week's Drawing for a
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What's New at GreenCareerCentral.com
Construction Zone: Pardon Our eDust
Do you remember the Green Career Map we’ve talked about over the last couple of weeks? We are now using that map to restructure and strengthen the way we organize our industry profiles. You can find the industry profiles under the Green Industries heading on the right nav bar.
• Click on the How to Use Profiles link to get some pointers on the most effective ways to use this section.
• Check out our newly revised Natural Resources Industries to learn more about industries related to air, water, waste, and land.
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Did You Know...
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About Us
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Green Career CentralTM is a virtual career center for motivated professionals who are ready to find a green career that fully expresses their passions, skills, values, and talents.
Carol McClelland, PhD, founder and Executive Director of Green Career Central, has helped thousands of people discover their dream career through her book Your Dream Career For Dummies and her work with individuals, groups, and students. Together with her team of experts, researchers and writers, Carol has pulled together sixteen years of experience into a broad collection of how-to articles, resources, support, and teleclasses to help you find your way to make a difference and prosper.
Why not have the green career you've been dreaming of? You can struggle on your own or gain support throughout your journey. The decision is obvious ... Join Us Now!
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Copyright (c) 2007-2008. Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Green Career CentralTM is a trademark of Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc
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