Landing Your First Green Job

Green Career Ladder.com

Landing Your First Green Job

“He who considers his work beneath him will be above doing it well.”

—Alexander Chase

Whether you’re still in school, a recent graduate, or changing careers, landing your first job is one of the

biggest steps you’ll take on the Green career ladder.

Is there a Green job for me?

In late spring of 2009 I was watching a news report of a college graduation. A student had hung a banner

that read “Worst Job Market in Decades!” That’s pretty pessimistic, but a lot of new graduates worry that

there isn’t a place for them in today’s market. And unless you live in Oregon, Green jobs still account for

less than 1% of the total workforce according to a recent study by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The good news is that Green is growing fast. Between 1998 and 2007, Green jobs grew about 2-1/2

times faster than the economy as a whole. Green jobs are even growing in many areas that are loosing

jobs overall, including Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska and Ohio, and the

District of Columbia. Note that all this data was gathered before the Obama administration went to bat for

creating more Green jobs with stimulus funds, which is certain to increase the number of “green-collar”

positions. So if you’re concerned about getting a job, especially if you’re switching from another career,

adding Green to your resume can give you a competitive advantage. What’s more, since Green is an

emerging field, jumping on now will give you a leg up further on in your career.

If you have training in a skill that every business needs, such as sales, law, accounting, marketing, or

management, you’ll probably have an easier time getting in with a Green company. You’ll need to

demonstrate some familiarity with the industry, or at the very least a willingness to be trained. If you’re in a

more technical field such as science or engineering, you’ll need to bring more specialized training to the

table: a certification, a degree, or proof that you have the right kind of related experience. For example, if

you have a background in semiconductors, it’s not a huge step to transition into photovoltaics.

Once you boil away the prerequisites, however, the secret to getting a Green job isn’t that much different

from getting any other job—knowing what your prospective employer wants, and demonstrating that you’re

the right person to deliver it.

What are employers looking for?

I interview hundreds of people every year, and I see some classic mistakes again and again. It never

ceases to amaze me how many people come in saying “well, I need a job worse than the next guy, so I

really deserve this one.” They seem to believe that their need for a job is more important than what they

have to offer the employer.

The interviewer’s job is simply to evaluate whether you are a good match for the organization, and if so,

whether you have the documentation to prove a certain level of education. It’s not to determine who would

benefit the most financially from full time employment or who needs a job the most. That’s just not the

interviewer’s concern.

It’s important for you to know what the employer wants from an employee, so take a moment to see the

interview from their perspective before you arrive. If you ran this company, what kind of people would you

want to hire? What qualities are most important? What skills are prerequisites? How important is having

the right attitude?

Markets change and evolve very quickly, and Green business is moving faster than others. In today’s

workforce, you not only have to fulfill the basic requirements for the job, you’ll also need to demonstrate

that you’re flexible and willing to be trained in new skills, both now and as the market changes.

Put yourself in the employer’s shoes for a moment. They’re basically trying to figure out how to make

money in one of the most competitive markets in history. They’ve got vendors to pay, competitors nipping

at their heels, government red tape, fickle buyers, and rapidly-changing technology to keep up with. If the

economy’s bad, they’re probably dealing with many of the same problems that you’re having but on a

larger scale. They need people with the right skills who are flexible, willing to be trained, okay with change,

and not stuck in the mindset of “we use to do it this way at this other company.”

The people who do the best in a job interview are easy to spot. At my office we call them “slam dunks,”

and they rarely walk away without a job. We love them because they make themselves easy for us to hire.

They’re the people who show up on time, have a great attitude, know what they want to accomplish, listen

for feedback, and have the documentation to prove their educational background and experience. None of

these things are difficult to do, as long as you take a little time to prepare before the interview.