It’s undeniable; we as a country have fallen on some hard times. Unemployment has become startlingly common within the last couple of years. Businesses, employees and jobseekers alike are struggling to be more efficient and more competitive within their fields and within the market as a whole. I believe that a lot of (political) emphasis has be placed on the “kill two birds with one stone” green-collar industry, which is expected to expand the job market through technical environmental solutions.
Something to consider when looking at green-collar jobs, or looking for green-collar jobs, is that while the market is, frankly, rather over-inflated to sound like these jobs are being formed out of thin air. They’re not. Instead, what we’re seeing is a shift within the existing workforce, as more technologies – think energy, construction, etc. – are being phased out and updated with more environmentally conscious technologies. This is just the market moving with the tide of demand. In order to remain competitive, technical workers must begin to embrace green technology, or risk being phased out themselves.
I want to be sure to emphasize that green jobs are not limited to technical jobs. Anything that provides a social or environmental benefit, from the public, private or non-profit sector, can be defined as a green job. The term is rather flexible. As such, these jobs are less on display. Think about many of the Eco-businesses that have sprouted up over the past few years. Eco-entrepreneurs are in fact the real source of eco-job creation. Small businesses, start-ups, non-profit organizations are providing an amazing amount of movement within the field, though such jobs are less visible and less profitable (it’s likely that there is a correlation there).
The great, or horribly confusing, depending on your personal perspective, aspect of environmental issues is the interdisciplinary nature of the problems. This has a profound impact on the nature of green jobs. One person from only one background, experience, or perspective, won’t be able to attack an environmental problem with such a wicked, multi-disciplined nature. More and more, we are seeing a need for intricate and effective teamwork, teams of intelligent individuals from a variety of backgrounds, in order to really confront and solve today’s environmental concerns. There is a need for efficient communication and problem solving skills that may be a step above those which are needed within a single discipline. Just think of all the jargon and lingo an individual discipline requires fluency in. Now imagine a group of people from completely different educational or professional backgrounds getting together to solve a problem. It’s like a room full of people speaking completely different languages. Not even an interpreter or translator is enough to make a situation like that effective. There is a need to look beyond individual disciplines in order to best approach and provide solutions to issues that are only going to get worse.
While green jobs may not be replacing the current void within the market, there is a shift occurring. A phasing out of old tech as demand for clean, green energy is on the rise. More people are looking for jobs that are environmentally influential because more people are inspired to take action and work towards effective solutions. Environmental issues inspire passionate responses. Many people are striving to influence the global issues, or even their local issues, through green jobs. I feel this is encouraging. There has long been a need for this kind of paradigm shift. As the competition for green jobs increases, there will also be an increase in eco-entrepreneurship, more jobs will be created, and just think how many people that would leave with the job, literally, of solving environmental problems. That thought is impressive, and frankly, rather inspiring.
If you’re looking for a job in the green market, the following links are great places to start, but there are tons of resources online these days.
Green Collar Blog has a great tutorial on how and where to start your search.
Environmental Career, Eco Jobs, Eco.org, Eco Employ, Great Green Careers, and Green Job Search are just a few examples of the many environmentally focused job boards available.
For more information on environmental living and green jobs, read more articles by Rachel Tamigniaux at www.thechicecologist.com, or follow her on twitter, @rtamigniaux.
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