I’ve got a BA in hist/journalism, Im LEED AP with experience and have a few MBA credits in marketing under my belt. Whats the best way to approach a CSR position?

Hi Karen,

Sorry for the delay in answering your question!

You have quite a range of skills and interests. From green building to journalism and business.

When you say CSR, are you referring to Corporate Social Responsibility position focusing on community and non-profits? Ethical business? Energy and environmental management? Corporate sustainability? Corporate citizenship? and the list could go on!

So that’s my first advice, do some exploration of these areas to determine what you mean. What kind of role do you want to have in what kind of company? Being able to use everyday language to describe your career goal to others is essential. You want people you talk with to be clear about your goal so that they can refer you to resources, events, training opportunities, and jobs that fit your needs. (I would give this same advice to someone who asked me for advice on finding a “green” job.)

To understand the current CSR arena, I highly recommend you download a report based on research by Ellen Weinreb entitled the SUSTAINABILITYrecruiting CSR Jobs 2009 Report released Mar 2010 – http://www.ellenweinreb.com/Guidance.html. In this report Ellen analyzes CSR positions listed on a particular job board over six years, which enables her to spot trends in this field.

Visit the CSRWire for news about corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Pay attention to the companies that are releasing sustainability reports. A great source of information about what that company is doing and what’s possible – http://www.csrwire.com/

If you are on LinkedIn, do a search to find LinkedIn Groups related to these topics.

Hope this information gives you a few jumping off points for your job search.

Carol

Your topic begs the question: how can we, as job searchers, even hope to “go green” when obviously the corporate CEOs hold all the cards? Are they interested in “going green”? I think not. (Maybe using bamboo floors and recycled wood beams in their megamansions?) It has always been the lower income people that have had to use less resources and make a smaller carbon footprint. To me the whole “green Movement” is just another marketing tool for companies to charge more for their product. (Like solar energy ever being cost effective for individual houses!) Please tell me I am way off base, I would love to hear the reasoning!

Hi Liz

Some CEO’s are very committed to shifting how they do business to lighten their company’s impact on the planet. In the process of moving beyond business as usual they are finding that their efforts to be more energy efficient, less wasteful, and more sustainable are actually saving the company money….and in many cases their customers’ money as well.

Keep in mind that we are in the early stages of a shift into a new economy era. As a result some technologies do cost more than traditional ways of doing things…and as you know are priced so high that they may be out of reach for some. This has happened in previous early stage industries as well, such as computers, electronic devices, telephones, televisions, etc. Before prices can begin to decrease the entire industry has to reach an place where they can benefit from economies of scale. It’s only at that point that individual prices will begin to decrease, and in some cases, decrease rather dramatically.

I remember my family purchased our first computer for $4000.00…it used a cassette tape machine to store data! We are talking the mid-1980′s. The thing crashed every time I worked on it. You had to save your file BEFORE you printed it or you lost everything. Now there are hand held devices that cost a fraction of that price and have many times more power. Furthermore current day devices are much more reliable and have far more capability.

Solar and other emerging technologies are likely to go through a similar journey. Too high priced in the early years, but as more technological advances are made and as there is more dependable demand, the prices will come down and more people will be able to use solar energy to generate electricity. New technological advances will help as well. Even now we are seeing innovative companies taking solar cells to a new level. I’ve seen solar cells on back packs to power a laptop, on roof shingles, and even in paint. Some day solar arrays will probably be integrated into other building materials. Eventually I suspect it will become standard operating procedure to incorporate a solar element into all construction.

In the mean time, solar technology and other innovations are for the early adopters. I’m thrilled there are people willing and able to buy electric cars for close to $100,000. Those purchases are allowing Tesla Motors, for instance, to perfect their technology. Over time they’ll be releasing a sedan that’s more affordable. After that I believe they have plans to release another model that is even more affordable.

Newsweek recently announced 500 of the biggest corporations that are going green. If you scan this list you’ll see that many name brand companies are seeing value in this shift in how they do business. http://greenrankings.newsweek.com/top500

Although there are certainly companies that are trying to greenwash their way to success, there are plenty of companies that are committed to shifting their business practices because it makes sense financially, environmentally, and socially. It’s a journey for everyone to make these changes. It not going to happen overnight. The companies that are early adopters are pioneers that are paving the way for innovations and new more sustainable business practices.

I hope this information gives you some additional ways of thinking about the new economy.

Good luck.
Carol

I have an electrical engineering degree and a background in electronic products. How would I find a company that would develop a home or business system that used both conventional AC lighting and DC lighting (i.e. LED) to save energy as well as monitor the climate control system for maximum efficiency while saving energy. The company could also be involved in the R&D of new appliances that worked more efficient for extra cost savings. I believe to become green we all have to change our mindset on how we view what we take for granted as comfort features in our homes and where we work.

Hi Joseph,

You are very clear about the kind of company you are looking for. That’s great! Congratulations on your clarity.

Unfortunately we don’t yet have common knowledge to know exactly which start up companies and which large name companies are entering specific aspects of the green economy. What this means is that we have to do a bit more detective work to find these companies.

Here’s how I would approach this treasure hunt.

1) What conferences would these companies attend? Even if you can’t attend the conference, you might be able to find references to company names by scanning the sponsors, exhibitors, and members.

2) What trade/industry associations would these companies belong to?

3) What blogs would write about these products and companies? You might start with Green Tech Media (www.greentechmedia.com), under the energy efficiency category.

4) You can also follow the money to see what companies of this sort are getting funded by VC money and even through the stimulus funding (www.recovery.gov)

5) I’d also recommending setting up a Google Alert for key products or the companies you identify. The email alerts will show up in your in box if news about your target company/technology is found on the web. These alerts can be a very handy way to get up-to-the-minute news.

These companies may not be a complete match, but you might pick up some clues:

Cree – http://www.cree.com/
Bridgelux – http://www.bridgelux.com
Luxim – http://www.luxim.com

All the best in your quest.

Carol

I graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering and worked for years in commercial construction as a field engineer and scheduler. I made a significant career change two years ago to employment in the energy efficiency/conservation arena. Having been laid off last fall, I am now working part-time performing energy auditing and weatherization but am still looking for a more substantial full-time position with a future for growth. I find the options too many and would like input on how to determine and focus on a specific goal in the “green” industry. Also, what are the options for starting one’s own business in the green arena? Your book would be a good resource for answers to these questions?

Hi William,

You are absolutely right when you say the options are many! The other tricky part of the equation is that different industries are growing at different rates, in different regions of the country.

I have a couple of ideas for you.

1) Why did you choose to get into energy efficiency/conservation? Was it a passion or just a move that worked? If it’s a passion, I’d get as much training as you can and do research in your local region about how energy efficiency / conservation projects are going to be funded. There are some programs that may be moving forward in the next few months to a year that could put you in a wonderful position within this field. See my answer to LJ Wilson above for more information about this trend.

2) Given your background in commercial projects I’d also explore commercial projects that may be larger scale. I know there’s a big project underway on the Empire State Building that’s being used as a model for retrofitting skyscrapers. It might be worth your while to read up on this project to see the kinds of work involved and how that work matches your skills. Here’s a website you can check out – http://www.esbsustainability.com/SocMe/?Id=0

3) If you are interested in starting your own company I would do a bit of research on the needs, rebates, financial vehicles, and green initiatives that are available in your region and through your utility. The green companies that are growing the fastest are those that are capitalizing on rebates programs that are available. Keep in mind you have to continue to track development and change your offerings to match the special programs that are available. Starting a business is a big decision so make sure you surround yourself with some sound advisers who can help you assess the situation and make a good decision.

4) If you are interested in opening your eyes to look beyond energy efficiency, then yes, the book, Green Careers For Dummies, does have three chapters to help you identify your green focus. It’s a process to look at your skills and background and the opportunities in the (local) green economy to find the best match. It’s definitely possible to refocus your interests and leverage your background in a number of ways. Depending on your target green career you may need to factor in some time to retrain and transition into a new field.

All the best. Hope these ideas give you some new ways to evaluate your situation.

I’m exploring a number of options that I see as interconnected and related to sustainability/green economy: local food and farming (including waste mgmt), historic bldg rehabs for urban development, creative arts and design (as part of education to help increase innovation and creativity in business). Having difficulty identifying established organizations with a role for which my credentials are suited that can pay a living wage. From your map, I guess my interests to date would fall mostly in the ‘intangibles’ area, which might explain that!

I’m free to relocate. Are there particular parts of the country that are ‘leading the charge’ in the green or sustainable economy, or from which established organizations are operating nationally in any of the areas mentioned above?

Thanks for your willingness to share your insights!

Are you aware of any assisted living project developers who are using GREEN materials to build eco communities in the Midwest? I work for a bathroom remodeling company which specializes in remodeling and building bathrooms for older and disabled persons who need different fixtures, etc for mobility and safety.

Hi Rosanne,

I’m not aware of specific developers in your region. I’d recommend turning to professional associations that green developers are likely to be members of. The United States Green Building Council comes to mind. The USGBC has a section where you can pull up lists of member organizations by specialty.

You might also do some research to see if assisted living developers have an association. Use search terms in your web browser with “industry key words” + Association. Although this list probably won’t highlight green developers, you may be able to see if there’s an overlap between the USGBC and this organization.

If you already know some developers with this specialty ask them which organizations they belong to. An alternative would be to search of their websites and the biographies of their principals to see if their About Us section includes the names of the associations they belong to.

Good luck finding what you are looking for.

Carol

What’s the best way to establish yourself as a “green expert”?

And in relation to that, is there a practical, effective way to stay on the cutting-edge of the constantly and rapidly changing green field?

Hi Sara,

Let’s start with your second question. The best way to start is to get a good sense of the industries and sectors that make up the green economy. In Green Careers For Dummies I profiled over 50 green industries and sectors. As I did my research I was amazed to discover how much effort is going into moving all of these industries forward when it comes to greener, cleaner, and more sustainable business practices.

If you process information better visually, you might want to take a look at the Green Economy Map that I created after I finished writing the book. http://www.greencareercentral.com/map (The numbers in the middle of the diagram correspond to chapters in the book).

To become a “green expert” you must choose which industry/field/profession you want to excel in. Then you must gain the knowledge, experience, and skills that are specific to that field. Chapters 4-6 of the book spell out a process for identifying your green focus. It’s critical to identify your green career focus as soon as possible so you can track the information that’s most relevant to you and your job search.

After you’ve found your target green industry, then you’ll want to find the blogs and professional associations that are relevant to you. Blogs are one of the best ways to track developments in the green economy. Some blogs that can get you started include: http://www.greeneconomypost.com, http://www.greenbiz.com (and their related blogs on greenerbuilding.com, greenerdesign.com), http://www.earth2tech.com.

Always remember to pay attention to the topics that interest you most. Even if you can’t find a direct link to your career, keep tracking that field because you never know when you’ll change careers or your knowledge about that topic will enhance your reputation in your green career.

All the best,
Carol

Thank you so much for your support.

Stephen Hinton