Green Career Tip - Flexibility Leads to Success in the Green Economy

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Having a hard time finding that perfect, full-time, green career in today’s economy? Full-time green may not be available right now. This week’s Tip of the Week will show you opportunities to keep you moving toward, and prepare you for, that perfect green job.

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As you think of your steps to moving into your green career, I’m willing to guess that the majority of you believe that your goal is a full-time position, with a salary, full benefits, and vacation time. Although I understand your reasoning and desire, I suspect that you haven’t considered other possible paths into the green economy.

If you limit your goal to full-time positions, your list of opportunities may be small.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that the economy is tough. Although fewer people became unemployed last month, there are still plenty of people who are looking for work. They are looking for work because fewer companies are hiring. Therefore, there are fewer full-time jobs than we are used to.

If you believe your path into the green economy is a full-time job and only a full-time job, you are going to find you have limited options.

Although it’s bound to bring a bit of discomfort to the surface, I invite you to expand how you envision your future. Opening yourself to a wider variety of work formats beyond full-time allows you to take advantage of a broader range of opportunities that cross your path.

As you read about possible work formats you may not have considered before, remember that these options are likely to be short-term opportunities that help you move your quest for a green career forward. If that’s your goal, to move your career forward, you don’t want to pass these opportunities.

As long as you make strategic decisions about which opportunity to accept, any and all of these options help you prepare for your ultimate job by building your skills, enhancing your knowledge, building your network, and strengthening your resume.

Contract – The next best thing to a full-time job may be a green contract position. You’ll work full time for a specific period of time. Your pay may be higher than your usual pay rate, but you’ll be responsible for covering your taxes and your benefits. Use your contract time to learn as much as you can about the company’s industry and the unique elements of their business. You never know when that information will help you land your next position. You can also leverage your time by building your network, strengthening your own skills, and learning as much as you can about the green/sustainable aspects of your work.

Consult – If you have an appropriate skill set, you may be able to find green consulting jobs to keep you busy and focused on developing your career. You’ll need to spend some time figuring out how to differentiate your skills from others in your profession and then marketing your services. The good news is that you are in control your schedule. Depending on your jobs, you may be able to incorporate some volunteer work. Being out in the community is a great way to spread the word about your services and keep your eye open for your next opportunity.

Work Part-time – If a green part-time position presents itself to you, and the work is right up your alley, take the job! The upside is you’ll still have time in your schedule to continue your exploration of the green economy or your job search. You’ll also get an inside look at a green company, in your chosen field. This is a wonderful opportunity to test the waters. Is the profession what you thought is would be? Is this the right company for you? What do you need to learn to better your position? As you do your job, look for ways to demonstrate your value to the company, in dollars and cents if possible. You never know, you may just set yourself up for a full-time job!

Intern – Green internships aren’t just for college students and new grads. If you are out of work and have a financial cushion, explore the possibility of doing an internship. If you have the opportunity, step out of your regular life and find an internship that takes you into an entirely different experience. This path can be very helpful if you aren’t completely clear about what you want to do in the green economy. Use the internship to explore and experience

Volunteer – Taking a green volunteer position with a local non-profit, community group, or start up can prove to be a very valuable strategy. Just today I heard about someone who volunteered to organize the job networking event at a conference. While volunteering for the event, he landed a job. How sweet is that! When you volunteer your energy is up. You exude excitement, confidence, and passion. Those are the qualities that attract people to pay attention to you whether they are a contact or a potential employer. Jobnob, a Bay Area organization committed to connecting job seekers and companies, sponsored an event that brought 300 people to a San Francisco bar to volunteer for start up companies. The deal was that the start ups would buy the drinks and the job seekers would commit to working five hours a week as a volunteer. Jobnob was stunned by the popularity of their event and intend to have monthly events using this same model. It will be fascinating to hear the success stories that come from these events!

I know it’s hard to open up when you are anxious to find a job. If you need a job yesterday, you may need to focus on finding a job that leverages your skills in the traditional economy, or you may need to get creative to find a combination of positions that help you meet your financial needs.

If you have a bit of time before you need to find your green job, find opportunities that will fit into your schedule effectively. Perhaps you can fit in a virtual volunteer project or take on a consulting project. Take an honest look at your schedule to determine the best scenario for you. You want to set yourself up for success so that you can use your green activities and contacts to move you toward your ultimate green career.

If you can’t get everything you need from one position, blend a couple of opportunities or set up a plan for consecutive experiences. Volunteer now, take on a consulting project next, do an internship next. Allow your first opportunity to lead you to the next. Keep watching for your next move.

If you pass these opportunities up, you are missing out on critical experiences. If you avoid, discount or side step these opportunities, your actions will hold you back from your goal.

Be flexible. Find a way to say YES when opportunities present themselves! Get creative to allow the most promising opportunities into your life.

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Greening Your Career Forum: Come learn about the emerging "green economy" and how it can impact your career. Dr. Carol McClelland of Green Career Central will bring a panel of speakers from a broad array of backgrounds and industries to share their stories of how they found their way to exciting green careers.

Green Career Trends: This week discover the benefits of using biomass rather than biofuel, how IT companies are contributing to infrastructure, and who is buying the most green energy.

Follow the Money: This week we found money going to cellulose research for jet fuel, high efficiency diesel fuel injection, and energy storage.

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"My New Business Startup: It's a hard to find an investment these days that pays for itself many times over but the annual fee for joining Green Career Central is certainly worth every penny. The process laid out is structured and easy to follow. It takes you through the steps to get a truer understanding what your interests and skills are and makes you excited about researching your career options, while giving you a sense of progress and accomplishment. The weekly tips and "how to" resources on the website are time saving and are in of themselves an invaluable resource. Thanks Carol."

We’ve updated our Renewable Energy profiles to include keywords you can use as you research your target profiles and search for positions on job boards. Over the next month or so we’ll be adding keywords to all of our industry profiles.

We’ve also updated the events listed in the Renewable Energy profiles. Check out the profiles to discover conferences scheduled for the upcoming months. Conferences are a wonderful way to expand your knowledge about your target industry.

One of the tricks to finding a green job is finding green companies in your area. Although there no exhaustive list of green companies, more and more lists of green companies in various industries are coming out. Explore our lists to see if anything matches your interests.

It’s not a matter of if you will get stuck during your search for your green career; it’s a matter of when. When you are feeling stuck, visit this section of our site to read articles that will help you find new ways to look at your situation. It’s likely you’ll find something to shift your focus.

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