With the signing of the economic stimulus bill, there has been a rush to identify ?shovel ready? jobs. But, behind the scenes, business and government leaders are grappling with the problems of being ?people ready? for the millions of green jobs that will be created through the investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Meanwhile, job seekers, anxious and excited about the prospect of a lifeline into a new career, are finding it difficult and confusing to identify and determine the qualifications needed for a sustainable jobs. Many find, after navigating the waves of information about the green jobs, they end up with far more questions than answers.
An ebook released by www.TheCompleteGreenJobGuide.com identifies the challenges and solutions for green job hunters trying to make the transition to a sustainable job. ?The Complete Green Job Guide 2009: Secrets For Getting The Job You Want" is the most up-to-date green job search resource available.
Experts agree that the money allocated thus far for training falls far short of that needed to meet the demands for skilled workers trying to make a green job transition in the coming years. In fact, research conducted by National Renewable Energy Lab (http://www.nrel.gov/) shows the major barriers to a rapid adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency are insufficient skills and training in America's workforce.
It is important to understand that momentum for green energy has been building for several years. After almost thirty years of debating the issues, government, business, financial and environmental experts agree that the conversion to sustainable energy is a necessity. The message is clear: we must act now. And those who act on their own to adapt to the new job market will have limitless opportunities in a green energy economy.
With the support of government and business, green energy is poised to provide the largest growth in employment opportunities of recent decades. Statistics prove the green job movement has already started.
?The American Solar Energy Society (http://www.ases.org/) reported that nearly 8.5 million jobs were created in renewable energy and energy-efficient industries in 2006. By 2030, that number will sky rocket to 40 million. In twenty years, one in four workers will be in a green energy job.
?The online job site, Career Builders (http://www.careerbuilder.com/ ), reports that thirteen percent of employers they surveyed said they plan to add ?green jobs? in 2009, up thirty percent from the previous year.
?Several studies estimate that $1 invested in renewable energy or energy efficiency would yield up to four times as many jobs as $1 invested in oil and gas.
In his pre-inaugural speech on the economy, then President-elect Obama outlined the reasons for investing in sustainable alternatives when he spoke of the paradox and the promise. ?So many are in need of work and there is so much work to be done.? It will take an army of workers'an estimated 5 million?from all backgrounds to begin the work to build viable alternative energy sources; retrofit our homes, offices, schools and hospitals for energy efficiency; improve and expand mass transportation; build fuel efficient cars and trucks, and develop biofuels.
For many, the big question remains unanswered. That is how to be competitive in the green job market? With information scattered throughout agencies, it is difficult to understand the qualifications needed to qualify for the cleantech jobs, what businesses are emerging in this new market that will create sustainable jobs, and how to conduct an effective green job search.
Never before have so many complex issues intersected to create such an urgent need to act. This complexity makes information a key advantage for the green job hunter. Those who don't arm themselves with research, don't monitor ongoing developments, and don't take the initiative to identify, adapt and upgrade their skills risk losing an early advantage in the emerging green economy.
So where do you start in this quest for information? Inspired by the growing questions among job seekers, the green hiring professionals at www.TheCompleteGreenJobGuide.com decided to find answers. To find the answers green job hunters need, their staff did extensive research to:
?review the history of the green energy job movement
?consult with hiring and training experts
?examine the statistics to ferret out the facts behind the headlines
The results of their research is compiled in a comprehensive report, ?The Complete Green Job Guide 2009: Secrets For Getting The Job You Want". For those green job seekers who want the make transition into a sustainable job, ?The Complete Green Job Guide 2009: Secrets For Getting The Job You Want? is a comprehensive green job resource which organizes your job search into a ten-step program. The steps are:
1.First things first: define a green energy job?
?Green energy is a move toward a new economy, with new industries, new jobs, and a new vision for economic and environmental stability. Learn what defines a green energy job.
2.Be informed and be committed
?Although green energy is a key item in the stimulus package, it is first and foremost a critical part of discussions on national security, energy independence and global warming. Any professional pursuing a career in this market segment will need a thorough understanding of the myriad of issues impacting green energy.
3.Learn ?green speak?
?Green tech, cleantech, sustainable?green terms such as these have become part of corporate and popular culture. New idioms show up in conversation frequently. Job candidates need to extend their grammar check to include green glossaries and dictionaries.
4.Find the company that fits
?Find out where green jobs are growing. Identify the top new business in the industries for your green job search. Learn where green jobs are emerging in traditional businesses.
5.Pick the job you want
?What are the job titles for a green energy job. Qualifications? Career track? Pay? Green job seekers will need to see where they fit in the new job market.
6.Take inventory and show your skills
?Assess your skills for a green job transition. How will you transfer them to a green energy job?
7.Bulk up your qualifications
?Do you need more training or certification? Identify short term, cost effective ways to become better qualified for a green energy job.
8.Be sociable and network your way into the back door
?Learn how to get into the back door through personal contacts. Understand how social networking can enhance your green job search.
9.Brand your unique qualifications
?Translate your unique abilities into benefits for cleantech job. Create your own brand, and market it through your resume, letters, networking contacts, and interviews.
10.Make job boards and job fairs work for you.
?Navigate the 40,000 job boards and effectively narrow your search. Utilize job fairs for research and visibility and find the one that will help you make the green job transition.
By following these ten steps, job seekers can successfully navigate the path to a green job. As job losses mount weekly, that transition becomes increasingly urgent. The good news is that, armed with a thorough understanding of its goals and requirements, we have the opportunity to meet the challenge being ?people ready? for the emerging economy.
Get A Green Job
"Green jobs are jobs that provide products and services which use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, conserve energy and natural resources and reconstitute waste."
Although I agree with the definition as far as it goes, I believe green jobs/careers go beyond this particular definition in some significant ways.
When I think through whether a job is green or not, I think about the intention or the goal of that position. In my mind, a "green" goal is one that helps the planet/environment in some way, whether directly or indirectly.
This is my working list of green goals.
Green Goals that Have a Direct Impact on the State of the Planet
The jobs that incorporate these goals are critical to the well being of the planet. Some jobs may focus on just one of these goals while other jobs may tackle several of these goals at once. Companies and industries may focus on these goals as well.
o Generate and use clean, renewable energy
o Lower greenhouse gas emissions and pollution
o Conserve energy, water, and natural resources
o Minimize and reuse waste
o Decrease the use of hazardous materials as inputs and outputs
o Promote biodiversity and restore ecosystems
o Remediate/reverse/minimize human impact on the planet
Green Goals that Help Move the Green Economy Forward
The jobs in this category have a more indirect impact on the planet. What they are doing is helping the green economy evolve. Don't take these to have a secondary role, however. In many instances, the people in these jobs will be front runners, setting the stage for the green economy.
o Create green laws/policies/regulations
o Inspire, educate, motivate, persuade people/companies to take greener actions
o Funding or investing in green initiatives/companies
Why is Defining Green Jobs So Difficult - Reality Check
I have several perspectives on this subject.
Reality Check #1 - Look at All that Has Happened Since An Inconvenient Truth Was Released in 2006
Three years ago this month, before An Inconvenient Truth became part of our national and international psyche, very few people were talking about green jobs or green careers. When the documentary was first released in May 2006 and became the fourth highest grossing documentary to date, we were focused on changing our light bulbs.
Now, less than three years later, look where we are! Think of the changes the nation and the world have gone through with respect to environmental thinking, climate change, and taking green actions.
Reality Check #2 - We Are in the Early Stages of a New Industrial Revolution
Thomas Friedman, author of Hot, Flat, and Crowded and Green: The New Red, White and Blue, says that we are on the cusp of another Industrial Revolution. As forces of the global economy, the population explosion, and the climate come together, it's going to be critical that we evolve how we do business and how we live on the planet. We are running out of other options.
An industrial revolution is not just a new industry showing up on the horizon. We are in the very early stages of an entirely new way of living and working. This transformation isn't going to happen over night. It can't. There are too many factors, too many unknowns, and too much innovation to be able to pull all that is going on into a tidy little package with a green bow on top!
Out of curiosity, I did a little research on the "original" Industrial Revolution. There were actually a series of critical discoveries and shifts that took place:
- The late 1700's (textiles, steam power, and iron)
- The mid to late 1800's (steel, chemical industries, petroleum, electricity)
- Early 1900's (automotive)
Remember Henry Ford's assembly line? That assembly line didn't just pop up in full form as you might have imagined from what you learned in school. It was the culmination of 150 years of technological enhancements and discoveries. The push for efficiencies in production and economies of scale led to a series of incremental changes that ultimately created a huge economic breakthrough.
The early stage discoveries and technological advances we are seeing in the green economy right now are just the tip of the iceberg (sorry, but icebergs are an important part of this story too!). We aren't "there" yet. We don't even fully comprehend yet where "there" is!
I don't think it's a bad thing that we can't define the final, ultimate "there" of the green economy. I think it's a sign we are onto something big.
In fact, I sincerely doubt that the people and generations who first invented a mechanized way to create fabric or steel could have accurately defined, counted and forecast all of the jobs that would eventually be created as a result of their innovations. I bet they didn't have clear job descriptions of these jobs either.
In an even more ironic twist of fate, I really doubt they could have anticipated that their actions back in the 1700's, 1800's, and early 1900's would create the drastic circumstances that are now fueling the new Green Revolution.
Reality Check #3 - The Green Economy Is Evolving and Will Continue to Evolve for Decades to Come
If you are looking for the green economy to be in that tidy little package with the green bow on top...the one where
- All of the jobs are clearly defined
- The job descriptions and career paths are solidified
- The key technologies are identified
- All job growth is predictable
- And the return on investment is guaranteed...
You may be in for some surprises.
We (politicians, career counselors, journalists, states, companies, economists) don't have a clear, crisp definition of green jobs yet. We can't.
We are an economic age in motion. Technologies are evolving in front of our eyes and will continue to do so at a much faster rate than in the earlier Industrial Revolution. Multiple factors are coming together at this time to shift the way we interact with each other and the Planet.
This is not the time to stop, block, or prevent the flow of this evolution.
This is the time to facilitate the flow. Be alert. Prepare yourself for the future. Be nimble. Be ready to jump when your passions, skills, experience, and education are exactly what is needed to move the green economy forward.
Both Carol Beard & Carol Mcclelland are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Carol Beard has sinced written about articles on various topics from Bathroom Vanity, Family and Acai Berries. thecompletegreenjobguide.com is the Complete Resource for Green Job Seekers, green job search, green job preparation, career search,. Carol Beard's top article generates over 450000 views. Bookmark Carol Beard to your Favourites.
Carol Mcclelland has sinced written about articles on various topics from self improvement and motivation, Career Change and The Internet. Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of the forthcoming book, Green Careers For Dummies and founder of Green Career Central, a membership webs. Carol Mcclelland's top article generates over 22200 views. Bookmark Carol Mcclelland to your Favourites.
Bulk Email Marketing Lists Email marketing is the wave of the future. When dealing with the various issues involved in it, remember to stay current by verifying bulk email lists. Stay on top!