Green career expert, Carol McClelland came to the Green Economy Post to answer your green career questions and they were some good ones. So, we decided to run a series of posts on some of the commonly asked green career questions. Carol McClelland, PhD, author of Green Careers For Dummies and Founder of Green Career Central
Today’s question ….
“Everyone says that the best way to find a green job is through networking and that you should network using social media. How do you use social media to network and find a green job?
Thanks Carol
Shalimar De La Cruz
Carol McClelland says:
Hi Shalimar,
I agree with you that at first glance it’s difficult to see how the two are related.
The key is in remembering that finding a job is all in who you know! When you network you expand the list of people you know and the people who know you. If you activate your network effectively you’ll expand the number of job openings and opportunities you hear about.
So the question is HOW do you use social media to build your network. I recommend starting with LinkedIn first and then adding Twitter.
Within LinkedIn you can search for your target green companies and see who you know that has worked or is working for the company. If you are connected to the people through your network you’ll be able to read their profiles which can provide you with valuable clues about which groups they belong to, what training they’ve done, who they interact with, and what they do in their job.
LinkedIn Groups are a fabulous way to connect with people who share your values and interests. Use the keyword search to find Groups that match your professional interests. Once inside the group, join the conversation, ask questions, provide resources, learn about resources, and link up with people who you want to get to know. As members of the same group you have an affiliation so you can contact them directly.
While you are in the groups, keep your eye out for recruiters who work in the industry. Become aware of them and what segment of the market they focus on. If you are active on the group, you’ll be raise your visibility with the recruiters as well.
If you are targeting a specific company, and you aren’t directly connected with the people you want to talk with, you may be able to request an introduction from someone in your network.
Be sure to check out job listings on LinkedIn as well…as a source for your company/industry research and as a source for potential job openings.
Now with Twitter, the game is a little different. Within Twitter it’s all about the conversation and who you follow. You can use a social networking control panel like Hoot Suite or TweetDeck to set up searches on Twitter so that you can see all the tweets on specific keywords. When you find someone who tweets a lot on topics that interest you, follow them. If there’s a strong connection, reach out with a comment, a resource, or a direct message. It’s amazing what can transpire through a conversation based on 140 character messages!
You can also use hashtag searches to pull up conversations about topics you are interested in. We have a series of green career tips from Green Careers For Dummies that will show up if you search for #greencareers. By following your target industry or topic of interest, you’ll pick up on the hashtag terms that are relevant to you. Then go to http://search.twitter.com to pull up the tweets about that topic.
You might also want to check out http://www.twitjobsearch.com, which is a job search tool that leverages Twitter.
If you want to get more ideas, I dedicate an entire chapter to building your green network (both in person and online) in Green Careers For Dummies. If you’ve never used these networking tools I provide step by step instructions on how to get started.
Good luck in your job search!
Carol
Recommended Green Career Resources Provided by Carol
SEVEN STEPS TO YOUR GREEN CAREER AUDIO – In this recorded audio program, Carol McClelland, shares a seven step plan you can follow to find your green career. In this audio you’ll discover: How to shorten the path to your green career with our 7-Step Action Plan; Tips to keep you moving forward to your goal; and answers to your questions about your next steps.
HOW TO SHORTEN YOUR PATH TO YOUR GREEN CAREER – This free ebook is a step-by-step process helping green career seekers use their passions, interests, experience, and training to plug into the green economy.
UNCOVERING YOUR GREEN NICHE – One of the most important skills you can have as a green career seeker is being able to articulate your green career niche. This free ebook shares the secrets of finding your green niche.
SIX STRATEGIES TO FIND YOUR GREEN CAREER – This free ebook is a step-by-step process helping green career seekers use their passions, interests, experience, and training to plug into the green economy.
