How to Find Green Jobs

25 Jun 2008 Publish your eco thoughts here on EcoSignal.org Send Y!M  Email This

As a consultant who works with green companies, people often ask me how they can find a “green job”. Whether it’s alternative energy, transportation, green building, or any other industry experiencing a shift towards green, everyone wants to get involved. Fortunately, there are many resources both nationwide and here in Los Angeles that can help you on your quest.

First, keep in mind that the best way to find out about any job, including green ones, is through networking. Most job seekers find new opportunities through people they know - many positions never even make it to the job boards. So get out there and meet people! Keep in mind that the key to good networking isn’t finding people who can help you, it’s finding people that you can help. By providing the information and making the introductions they need, you’ll form relationships with people who want to help you in return.

I’ve found green networking events to be great for this. My favorite one here in LA is Green Business Networking, which I wrote about a while ago. I’ve met many a client there, and have made some friends, too. It’s pretty casual, but business focused - make sure to bring plenty of cards. It’s fine to let people know what sort of job you’re looking for (how else can they help you?) but avoid the mistake made by one attendee, who moved from person to person asking if anyone worked in solar, then moving on quickly if not. Manners, people!

Nationally, Green Drinks is the go-to networking event for green. it guarantees a casual way to meet others interested in environmental issues; thus, the crowd tends to be a mix of all sorts of greenies. With a meeting every Thursday in different locales around town, there’s sure to be one near you.

Another organization appears to be growing around the country: Eco Tuesday. With a bit more structure, the event includes a new guest speaker each month, followed by brief introductions from the entire group, and then open networking. Other organizations, like the Sustainable Business Council of LA, host events on a regular basis, which usually include plenty of time for networking.

Of course, scouring job boards also provides an opportunity to apply directly to open positions. There are many out there, but I tend to keep an eye on these:

• Grist
• Sustainable Industries
• Care2
• Environmental Career Center
• Business for Social Responsibility
• Net Impact
• Green Biz
• Green Dream Jobs
• Idealist
• And, of course, Green Options Media’s Green Options Jobs

If you have other sources, I’d love to hear about them. Happy hunting!

Image credit: Andy Welsh at Flikr under a Creative Commons license.

Source: EcoLocalizer

Publish your eco thoughts here on EcoSignal.org