With the steady increase in green jobs, green companies, and green-collar workers, it seems that “green,” as a trend in the American workplace, is here to stay. “Going green” is not only good for the Earth; it's good for positioning a company competitively, for employee morale, for recruiting top talent, for people seeking new jobs, and for an organization’s bottom line. Green and socially responsible companies are attracting and retaining talented people. Many job seekers affected by global economic downturns are looking for green opportunities as they consider their next career path.
Green is growing.
According to a report by the United Nations, millions of “green jobs” are likely to be created around the world over the coming decades because of trends in the emerging global “green economy.” Here in the United States, there’s a clear and growing movement towards more environmentally friendly and sustainable practices, both on the job and at home. These trends have implications for the qualified and motivated jobseeker.
For example, President Barack Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus plan is intended to revive the economy, largely by putting people back to work. A hefty chunk of that money, $40 billion, is aimed directly at creating what the administration calls “green jobs.”
Both “green industries” (e.g., renewable energy, or the companies that serve these industries), or companies that embrace “green principles” as part of their business model, are on the rise. For example, Lee Hecht Harrison, while not considered part of a “green industry,” has instituted its own “green workplace” to encourage the organization to improve their practices. And LHH is certainly not alone in creating these initiatives.
Research shows that employees want to work at green companies and are happiest at companies with solid, socially responsible programs in place. A survey conducted by Adecco showed that 34 percent of all Americans would prefer to work for a company that makes a conscious effort to promote socially and environmentally friendly practices, and 31 percent would take a pay cut to do so.
Some green trends worth noting.
- Green jobs can be found in every area of the workplace and economy. They include jobs at every skill level, in organizations with a commitment to “green,” and “ecopreneurs” (people starting businesses within the green economy).
- Green jobs are being defined as full-time, part-time, or consulting opportunities that provide a social or environmental benefit. This definition encompasses everything from a solar panel installer to an accountant at an organic food company to an HR manager who runs a recycling program.
- Green jobs are attracting people from all walks of life, from freshly-out-of-school graduates, to career changers, to disadvantaged urban youth looking for meaningful work.
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- Statistics show “green” as a career path with growth opportunity. Green jobs are expected to grow very rapidly in the U. S. – from 750,000 in 2006 to 4.2 million by 2038. Between 1998 and 2007, clean energy economy jobs grew by 9.1 percent, while total jobs grew by 3.7 percent. More recently, while certain industries have contracted, green industries and companies continue to show growth.
- Companies that are green have a competitive advantage in recruiting, especially with younger workers, since these organizations stand apart from the competition.
- Searching for a green job is not unlike searching for any other job. Networking is still key! Understanding the green market and targeting a job search is still very important. A thorough skills assessment becomes essential to identify and transfer current skills into green industries. If candidates do not have green credentials, they must figure out how to leverage their current backgrounds to make themselves attractive.
- Focusing a green internet job search takes work! Fortunately, job seekers are better able today to work their green connections, including green networking groups on social networking sites such as LinkedIn®. Following green niche job boards and green blogs can also help significantly.
- Aligning interview skills to demonstrate “green speak” becomes crucial when trying to land a green job. In the green arena, candidates need to demonstrate both green know-how and commitment.
- Green MBAs are no longer a contradiction. An increasing number of learning institutions are offering programs that look beyond the conventional business of developing critical thinking and leadership skills, to the training of MBA students to promote financial viability, ecological sustainability, and social justice.
- Community colleges across the country are reporting a surge of unemployed workers enrolling in courses that offer training for "green-collar" jobs. Students are learning how to install solar panels, repair wind turbines, produce biofuels and do other work related to renewable energy and other green fields.
The green workplace is clearly an area of opportunity. And, while we encourage motivated job seekers to pursue opportunities in this area, an effective “green track” job search must also take into account what has proven useful in a “general” job search. Candidates still need to work their marketing plan. They still need to talk to people. And they still need to land interviews and to do well on them. We advise job seekers not to abandon proven approaches to job search – but rather, to adapt and apply them to their green job search effort.
If you’re ready to go green, we can help.
To learn more about the initiatives involved in creating an environmentally friendly workplace, contact LHH today at 1.800.611.4LHH or visit www.lhh.com.
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