NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- OK, so you’re a college graduate (or current
student) passionate about the environment, to the point where your carbon footprint is barely discernable.
Good for you, but why not close the eco-friendly circle completely and land that green dream job that will put you on a career path to save the planet?
Sure, the economy is slow (and that’s being generous), the unemployment rate still hovers above 9% and recent poverty data showed a poverty rate higher than any time since 1993.
But the U.S. economy is actually adding jobs in the green sector at a decent clip – 500,000 new jobs in the past six years, notes the Brookings Institution. In fact, the organization says that the green dream jobs sector is just starting to take off.
“Though modest in size, the clean economy employs more workers than the fossil fuel industry and bulks larger than bioscience but remains smaller than the IT-producing sectors,” the report notes. “The clean economy grew more slowly in aggregate than the national economy between 2003 and 2010, but newer ‘clean-tech’ segments produced explosive job gains and the clean economy outperformed the nation during the recession.”
Furthermore, a Wake Forest University study notes that 93% of CEOs in the U.S. say that “sustainability” will either be important or very important to the future of their companies.
So how can young “green” job-seekers take advantage? Dedee DeLongpre Johnston, director of sustainability at Wake Forest, has a few ideas for college students on gaining a good foothold on a green career:
1. Act like an ‘intrapreneur’. Johnston advises college students to seize opportunities for innovation and creativity – just like an entrepreneur would – by incorporating sustainable values and practices into existing campus organizations and everyday life. “Internships focused on sustainability are especially invaluable because they help students demonstrate to employers that they can think critically and solve problems,” she says.
2. Start a ‘green team’. Being a “green” team leader should get you noticed by recruiters and company managers. Johnston says that you can separate yourself from the pack by demonstrating “results-driven leadership” and by helping others “develop more socially and environmentally responsible behaviors” on campus. “Even small initial actions such as making available reusable mugs rather than using disposable cups can inspire larger scale changes over time,” she adds.
3. Look beyond job titles. College students looking to crack the green dream jobs code need to be as creative as possible. Johnston explains that sustainability is “a way of thinking, and opportunities are often embedded in functional areas such as marketing, research and development, and even accounting.”
Beyond that, positioning oneself for a green economy involves some best practices of job-seeking in general. Take to social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook and follow your favorite green company or industry association. Get involved, ask questions, and hunt down job postings.
Ref :Main Street
Good for you, but why not close the eco-friendly circle completely and land that green dream job that will put you on a career path to save the planet?
Sure, the economy is slow (and that’s being generous), the unemployment rate still hovers above 9% and recent poverty data showed a poverty rate higher than any time since 1993.
But the U.S. economy is actually adding jobs in the green sector at a decent clip – 500,000 new jobs in the past six years, notes the Brookings Institution. In fact, the organization says that the green dream jobs sector is just starting to take off.
“Though modest in size, the clean economy employs more workers than the fossil fuel industry and bulks larger than bioscience but remains smaller than the IT-producing sectors,” the report notes. “The clean economy grew more slowly in aggregate than the national economy between 2003 and 2010, but newer ‘clean-tech’ segments produced explosive job gains and the clean economy outperformed the nation during the recession.”
Furthermore, a Wake Forest University study notes that 93% of CEOs in the U.S. say that “sustainability” will either be important or very important to the future of their companies.
So how can young “green” job-seekers take advantage? Dedee DeLongpre Johnston, director of sustainability at Wake Forest, has a few ideas for college students on gaining a good foothold on a green career:
1. Act like an ‘intrapreneur’. Johnston advises college students to seize opportunities for innovation and creativity – just like an entrepreneur would – by incorporating sustainable values and practices into existing campus organizations and everyday life. “Internships focused on sustainability are especially invaluable because they help students demonstrate to employers that they can think critically and solve problems,” she says.
2. Start a ‘green team’. Being a “green” team leader should get you noticed by recruiters and company managers. Johnston says that you can separate yourself from the pack by demonstrating “results-driven leadership” and by helping others “develop more socially and environmentally responsible behaviors” on campus. “Even small initial actions such as making available reusable mugs rather than using disposable cups can inspire larger scale changes over time,” she adds.
3. Look beyond job titles. College students looking to crack the green dream jobs code need to be as creative as possible. Johnston explains that sustainability is “a way of thinking, and opportunities are often embedded in functional areas such as marketing, research and development, and even accounting.”
Beyond that, positioning oneself for a green economy involves some best practices of job-seeking in general. Take to social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook and follow your favorite green company or industry association. Get involved, ask questions, and hunt down job postings.
Ref :Main Street
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