Green Options » employment

Find Green Job Recruiters on Twitter

Cindy Tickle — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:42:34 +0000

Are you looking for a green job? Or a job in corporate social responsibility and sustainable business? Well, all you need to do is Twitter. “Green” recruiters understand the best way to reach the new generation of “green” talent is via social media…Facebook, Linkedin, blogs, Flickr, YouTube and of course, Twitter. So fire up your laptop and hop on Twitter. Who knows? You may find a career that aligns with your life’s passion.

Rampant Opportunity In The Midst Of A Recession

Danny Kennedy — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:00:35 +0000

Editor’s Note: The is a guest contribution by Danny Kennedy, President of Sungevity. This is part of a series from the CEO’s of major solar companies. You can follow the complete series here.

Sometimes it is hard to contemplate what a good news story our industry – solar sales and installation – and the broader clean energy economy really represents. I was reminded on Monday at the graduation ceremony for the Oakland Green Collar Jobs Corps.

» See also: Canvassers for solar energy and energy efficiency
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In short, forty diverse, young and not-so-young people graduated from a tough, practical 30 week training course to be job-ready for work in the solar, weatherization and green construction sectors. 8 of them were not able to attend their own graduation, which had the Mayor and the great and good of the East Bay present because they already had jobs!

That is a big deal given that at this time something like 25 – 40% of union electricians in the area are going without work. It speaks to the excellence of their training, their own caliber, and the fact that green collar jobs are hot jobs even in a recession. And cities like Oakland are leading the way out of it with programs like this, which, at a very human level mean a lot to the people involved. They are also important for the whole economy.

Yesterday, I heard someone from the government-backed California Clean Energy Fund say that a clean energy company employs 4 – 5 people more than a non-green company, for every unit of production. And of those jobs created in solar, most are in the community – not short-term construction gigs or heartless factory jobs - but service positions selling systems, installing them on roofs, or maintaining them in other ways.

Obama, the Arnold Schwarzenegger, and everyone on down has been talking about green-collar jobs and workforce development, which is great. There’s a lot more they can do to support the kinds of job creation that are possible with the clean energy economy but I won’t try to tell you just what they should be doing in DC and Sacramento right now with various bills being debated.

But I do want to point out that at the end of the day, people are the limiting factor on the success of the solar industry. It is not just about the hardware. It’s about employees that sell, install and service the solar systems that will make our business’ succeed and grow and spread the sunshine of solar electricity. We have to train more of them for all the functions required to get this great technology onto the rooftops of middle America.

I look forward to the time when there are too many Green Collar Jobs cohorts coming out of various programs nationwide to go to them all. That’s when we’ll know we’re winning! Shine on!

Photo Courtesy greenforall.org via Flickr under Creative Commons License.

Environmental Defense Fund: Less Carbon, More Jobs in the New Green Economy

edfblog — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:39:54 +0000

One bright spot on the dark economic horizon is the number of companies across the U.S. poised for growth under a cap on carbon. EDF president Fred Krupp joined Vice President Joe Biden Friday in Philadelphia for the first meeting of Biden’s task force on middle class jobs.

At the meeting we unveiled our new interactive map highlighting more than 1,200 companies in coal country, the rust belt and other manufacturing regions. These companies all stand to benefit from the demand for clean energy technologies created by a cap on global warming pollution.

Eco Child’s Play is Looking for Writers/Bloggers

Derek Markham — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 05:30:47 +0000

Do you have a passion for green living?

Does writing about natural parenting, environmental issues for families, or the latest in green home products appeal to you?

Have you ever considered blogging for us?

We’re searching for new writers for 2009 to help us grow this blog into its full potential as a resource for parents (and parents-to-be), teens, and kids.

Eco Child’s Play is now hiring writers to cover topics and issues related to the chemical-free home, environmental education, kids activities, nutrition and health, as well as current events as they relate to green living. We’re looking for bloggers who can commit to posting several times a week (even daily, if you can) and can follow our editorial guidelines. You don’t have to be a pro, but you do have to love what you do and be willing to learn.

Want to know more?

Read our FAQ – Writing For Green Options, then head over to our Write With Us page and apply.

Still have questions?

Send an email to the editor: Jennifer(at)greenoptions(dot)com

Or the lead writer: Derek(at)greenoptions(dot)com

We’ll get back to you right away!

Image: Håkan Dahlström at Flickr under Creative Commons License

Gas 2.0 is Looking for Writers/Bloggers

Clayton B. Cornell — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:21:27 +0000

Are you an avid follower of the latest developments in green car technology? Does biofuel news get you all fired up? Want to write about it?

Gas 2.0 is now hiring writers to cover these topics. We’re looking for bloggers who can commit to a daily posting schedule and who are willing to adopt our editorial best practices. If you can knock out a solid three paragraphs on the latest development in the topics we know and love here at Gas 2.0, we’re interested in talking to you.

Apply Here

(Choose “Gas 2.0″ as the blog you’re applying for)

Energy Efficiency Policies and Products Create Jobs

Leah Edwards — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:21:33 +0000

In this uncertain economic time, it is great to hear some good (and not just on a relative scale, but really good) news. A just-released report authored by UC Berkeley professor David Roland-Holst, called “Energy Efficiency, Innovation, and Job Creation in California,” documents the job growth and economic development that resulted from thirty years of policies enacted in California to encourage residents to adopt energy efficiency measures.

A summary by the author David Roland-Holst on the sponsor (Next 10’s) site, documents that there is wealth to be created in reducing greenhouse gases and improving the environment. You can also download an executive summary or full report via that link.

The report shows that there were job losses in a few sectors due to energy efficiency policies, but it also lists over a dozen industries where the employment gains were significant. The net result is

Now Hiring? How Going Green Makes Companies More Attractive to Potential Employees

Jessica Jane French — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:18:39 +0000

With more and more people graduating from college every year, the pool of potential employees is growing at a breakneck pace. Not surprisingly, these new additions to the workforce have very different values than those that arrived on the scene some 20 years ago. More and more, potential employees are looking to work for companies whose views are aligned with their own.

Given that environmental issues top the list of concerns for generation Y, it makes sense that businesses should consider going green as a way to become more attractive to potential employees. According to the Harris poll, "33 percent of Americans would be more inclined to work for a green company compared to an organization that does not make conscious efforts to promote socially and environmentally friendly practices."

Aside from drawing in new employees, going green can also breed company loyalty. Today’s employee is looking to contribute to something they can be proud of, and to be a part of a company that they can feel good about. Incorporating environmental sustainability into the workplace is not only a good way to bring in new employees, but an excellent way to keep them!

New hires are not the only employees looking for more eco-awareness in the workplace. According to a poll by Mortgage Lenders Network USA (MLN), 94 percent of employed Americans prefer to work in a building that is designed to be energy efficient and ecologically sound.

Because job satisfaction greatly affects productivity, businesses tend to take into consideration the desires of their employees. Oftentimes, it takes only one major business implementing a new green technology to get many others to fall into line. Because no one likes to fall behind in the world of business, ‘keepin up with the joneses’ may actually work in the Earth’s favor on this one.

The fact the green building has experienced a growth in popularity is reflected in the 2006 figures from the U.S. Green Building Council (GBC). The GBC has seen its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications for newly constructed green buildings jump in the past 3 years by 150 percent, from 167 to 417. If this trend continues, more and more business will feel the pressure to build in a more eco-friendly fashion.

The increase of eco-minded employees can also be seen to benefit consumers. By using environmental sustainability to gain an edge in employment appeal, companies have the obligation to live up to their claims. While customers may not always know what goes on behind the scenes, employees see it first-hand. Employees hired under the pretense of working in for an eco-friendly company will not take kindly to waste and overconsumption. Moreover, eco-employees can be seen as a good resource for new ideas about ways to make their workplace more sustainable.

While the reasons to be a greener business are nearly innumerable, companies can now add ’strengthening the employment base’ to the list. Because Americans are looking to work for greener companies and in greener work environments, the motivations for businesses to become more environmentally conscious are now imperative to the bottom line.