Applying for a green job that’s not a good fit, lack of focus, applying to companies that don’t have openings, and asking everyone you meet if they know of any job openings, are four ways to sabotage your green job search.
Green job boards are popping up all over the internet. I review them regularly and my assessment is this: the chances that you will land a job in sustainability because of something you see on a job board are slim. Very slim. Consider that in more flush times, Americans have a much higher chance to find a job through networking than responding to an ad. Statistics vary, but I have seen anywhere from 60% – 80% quoted as the percentage of jobs found through networking. Now consider that these are difficult times for the American job market and companies are having a hard enough time finding the resources to add jobs to their payroll that we all know and understand, let alone something “new” like sustainability director. In a nutshell, there is not much on these job boards in either quantity or quality to give a job seeker hope.
The following are links to green career advice and perspectives that I found around the web. The topics include: What are the the qualities you should look for in a green mentor. Find out 6 critical skills needed to be a successful environmental professional in the global “green” economy. Randy’s Career Tips provides a list of seven green jobs that are currently in demand. Green Gigs has compiled a list of what they see are the best industry specific green job boards. CleanTechies provides the most important things to consider when writing a resume. Carolyn, from Bright Green Talent puts forth, her Linkedin Manifesto.
