Penned by Nick

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t244-zEENSs&feature=related]

The NY Times covered a breaking story titled, “Critics Assail British Police for Harsh Tactics During the G-20 Summit Meeting“.

The footage (above), is horrifying. In defining the police’s perception of the protesters as the “proto-enemy”, the climate change debate has moved beyond the semantics and become frighteningly real.

Smart mobs of impassioned people are self-organizing to push for action on issues climate change. Popular demand for environmental stewardship is overwhelming. Alas, governments are slow–at best–to respond, and corporations continue to externalize their environmental costs of doing business. With unemployment at decade-long highs, civil unrest is growing, and putting people back to work is increasingly not enough.

Van Jones and other global leaders continue to emphasize the importance of supporting integrative solutions to poverty, health, and empowerment. Green collar jobs are one “pathway out of poverty” that will bring us a step closer to harnessing the power of market-based solutions to these crises. Putting people back to work in responsible, meaningful careers must happen now, if we are to reconcile social and environmental injustices that are at the roots of many inequalities: extreme poverty in the face of first-world over-consumption, curable diseases gone untreated due to the high cost of drugs, and illiteracy despite the spread of the internet.

The G20 will continue to be a forum for political theatre until true consensus translates into measurable results on crises like climate change: “Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.

Change must come, and it must come soon–the people and the times demand it.

Penned by Nick

It’s been a busy few weeks. And I’ve been remiss on the blog.

While checking out a friend’s recent web redesign, I stumbled across the plugin below. Despite the fact that we’ve yet to find a VP of Engineering and our website is the bane of our existence, some cool stuff has been happening between the cracks.

We’ve seen our community grow by ~2,500 folks in the past couple months. Clearly a sign the recession is still very much with us. Our blog is taking off, courteousy of Carolyn and Christina. And our LinkedIn and Twitter followings continue to climb. Apparently our photo blog is getting some traction, too.

But the reality remains that California continues to lead the nation in job losses. It’s no secret that our practice has slowed precipitously from this time last year. Despite the tough times, we remain optimists. We continue to pull together to expand our message and realize our common goals, if at a glacial pace (any VP’s of Eng out there?). We know our time will come, though it may take some patience–something, alas, I’m learning to develop as we work to put 63,700 Californian’s back to work in good, green jobs. Bear with us…

We want to be sure the advice we’re throwing out there is what you’re looking to hear. Let us know what you want us to blog about by choosing one of these or suggesting another title/topic, and we’ll start scribbling!

[polldaddy poll=1656477]

Penned by Carolyn

I’ve gotten some great feedback and questions in response to the post on 3 Reasons Why Your Resume is Being Passed Over When You Apply Online.

In response to the questions we’ve received, here’s a closer look:

Is it preferred and OK to attached the cover letter as the first page of the resume?

Yes and no. To qualify what I wrote last time (that you should put your cover letter into the body of your email), I would do so and then attach a copy of your cover letter below your resume, as the second attachment. That way it will also go on to your automatic file (depending on the back-end system the company is using).

As for combining the two documents, avoid it at all costs. It’s cumbersome, and where employers are making quick judgments based on a glance at your resume, having to scroll past a 1pg cover letter may be just enough of an annoyance for them to overlook your application entirely.

Is it an acceptable format to convert the Word document into a PDF when asked to include an attachment?

PDF certainly looks cleaner and you can make sure the formatting won’t get screwed up when someone opens your resume with a different version of Word.

My only hesitation is that some back-end systems have trouble parsing PDFs correctly, or creating “previews” of these documents for the recruiter to easily glance at. However, if a company or recruiter prefers one type of file to the other, they’ll probably specify, so just read the instructions and do what seems appropriate.

What if you’ve been heeding these recommendations since day 1 and you still never get any job interviews?

Unfortunately, following these guidelines for submission of your resume doesn’t necessarily mean that the content of your resume is what the company or recruiter is looking for - it just makes the resume and application more likely to be read and properly judged.

As for content of your resume and formatting, check out the Jobseekers section on our site for tips and guides.

Have more questions? Post them here and we’ll respond.

We just started using Scribd to post our documents, such as a sample resume and our extensive interview preparation packet. Log in to our Greenhouse to access the others!

[scribd id=15629617 key=key-2929zxlc3buxgg8qptz3]

Penned by Carolyn

There’s been a fair amount of news and public service announcements recently about kids and cyber-bullying - the basic concept being that kids will say things online that they would never say to a friend or peer in person.

This phenomenon unfortunately sometimes applies to adults as well. In your jobsearch especially, e-mail etiquette is just as important as phone etiquette, the way you’d speak to someone in person, or how you’d present yourself in a cover letter.

We’ve had several cases recently of finding people we were excited about putting forward for a job… and then we received an email from them that was rude, out of line, or just so strange that we had to reconsider whether we really wanted to support that candidate.

A golden rule of online jobsearching and interaction: you’re still dealing with PEOPLE. There is a real person - with feelings, and an ego, and their own personality - on the other end of the communications you send out.

Think to yourself - If you met the recruiter or hiring manager in person, would you still communicate in the same way as you do on email? Make the same claims? Use the same tone? Be as pushy?

There is a thin line between assertiveness and aggressiveness that is even harder to walk in the online space. While we’re not telling you to be too meek or passive, it’s better to err on the side of politeness than rub someone the wrong way and get blackballed altogether by the company.

Some thoughts from our founder, Paul Hannam, on why people are so intrigued and inspired by the idea of a green job.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2Ruox3jlM&hl=en&fs=1]

Penned by Tom

It’s always good to look at the bottom-line when assessing the environmental movement. There are a plethora of interesting success stories which demonstrate to executives the importance and benefits of going green, even if you’re a climate-change denier. Here are a few examples from Sustainable Business Consulting:

• A Global cleaning products company maximized natural lighting, installed occupancy sensors and enabled employees to control heating and cooling at their work stations. The ROI: Saved nearly $100,000 a year.
• A Fortune 500 global technology company gave employees the option to telecommute from home. The ROI: Saved $67.8 million in real estate costs in just one year and reduced 29,000 tons of CO2 emissions, and increased worker productivity by 34 percent.
• A 41-story, Class A+ office building with 1,000,000 square feet of office space located in the US reduced unnecessary after-hours and weekend lighting and initiated a high efficiency lighting retrofit. The ROI: Saved $386,000 in annual operating expenses.
• A Global cleaning products company restored native and drought tolerant plants, such as prairie grass and wild flowers, to the site. ROI: Saved $2,000 per acre in annual maintenance costs.
• A Global forest products company encouraged employees to commute using vanpools, carpools, walking or biking. ROI: Reduced total vehicle miles driven by 1.2 million and reduced emissions by 66,884 pounds of CO2 in one year.
• A US-based independent federal agency developed an advanced preventative maintenance inspection process for its delivery fleet. The ROI: Saved $3 million and 330,000 quarts of oil to date.
• A Cancer research center utilized off-hour lighting, fan shutoffs, occupancy sensors, high-efficiency chillers, L.E.D. exit signs, heat recovery from washers and efficient lighting. The ROI: Saved $317,000 annually, which is enough electricity to power 1,200 homes annually.
• A Medical center sent used toner cartridges to a recycling company that refurbishes and refills them. The ROI: Saved $20,000 annually.
• A Healthcare company recycled more than 6,000 tons of paper, plastic, glass and aluminum waste. The ROI: Saved more than $300,000 in disposal costs, diverted more than 18,000 cubic yards form landfills.
• A Major US-based retailer changed the specifications for individual item packaging and reduced the quantity of excess pins clips, bags, paperboard inserts, tape and tissue paper in its items. The ROI: Saved an estimated $4.5 million in labor costs and eliminated approximately 1.5 million pounds of waste.

Penned by Paul Hannam, Founder of Bright Green Talent

At the end of 2006 I moved with my family from the UK to California. My goal was to be at the forefront of the Green Business Movement as I felt that the US has to lead the world in this essential mission.  For the five previous years, I had taught environmental business and leadership at Oxford University, yet at heart I am an entrepreneur and believe that business is the #1 agent for change in the world right now.

So my first step was to set up Bright Green Talent with Tom Savage, who I met at Oxford, and then Nick Ellis who I met in California. Our goal has always been to recruit and develop the next generation of Green Leaders, and to coach and place these talented people into positions to make a positive contribution to our world. I had previously set up and owned a very successful technology recruitment business in the UK, and it has been a great adventure working with my colleagues at Bright Green Talent to build what we believe will be the world’s leading Green Recruitment and Career Coaching Business.
Given the attention and buzz around the concepts of “Green jobs” and “green careers,” a lot of people ask us to share our perspective on the market. As such, I have given a number of presentations over the last few weeks to hundreds of green job seekers, and I also did a TV interview here in San Diego.

Though less “green” than San Francisco, there is still a lot happening here in San Diego and, of course, we have to make every city and every community in the US sustainable. With this in mind, I set up Bright Green Leadership to provide consulting and marketing services to green and socially-responsible organizations. One of my clients is the Marshall Goldsmith School of Management at Alliant International University in San Diego.  I am now the thought leader for the first Green MBA in Southern California - the “Bright Green MBA.” If you’re curious to learn more, you can watch this video in which I explain the 5 main reasons for getting a Green MBA.

Recently I have also launched a very exciting new business called Big Green Breakthrough with Diane MacEachern who is one of the top experts in the US on Environmental issues. We have put together consulting, coaching and online training products specifically to help small businesses gain the green advantage. And one of our first products is specifically aimed at women executives and business owners - here’s the video.

So these are very exciting times, and after a lot of hard work I really feel that the Green Business movement is advancing rapidly. And this is a movement - of entrepreneurs, executives and professionals who want to transform our society. There is a new mood in the country since President Obama’s election. People are looking for success and significance in their careers, and businesses are beginning to realize that they need to be transparent, responsible and authentic if they want to be successful.

I see green careers and green entrepreneurship as the ultimate means to integrate our professional and personal development. Indeed, last year I wrote a book about personal, organizational and social/environmental change that tried to capture my philosophy of life. The book, The Magic of Groundhog Day and explores how the movie “Groundhog Day” can help transform your life. This movie is all about how we get stuck in repetitive patterns and ultimately provides an invaluable blueprint to break free. In a parallel fashion, I believe our whole civilization is stuck in very dysfunctional and destructive patterns, and that we have to change every element of our lifestyles, our culture and our infrastructure to break free and live sustainably.

Though we face a very tough and long struggle ahead, I am very optimistic. As so many people have realized, now is the time to choose a green career and dedicate your life to social, economic, and environmental aims. Our generation and the generations to come need you!

Penned by Carolyn

We always encourage students and grads (and everyone else!) to volunteer with environmentally-focused organizations/initiatives in order to network, get some green experience on their resume and do good as they’re jobsearching.

So, you ask: What opportunities are there to dive into a green career through volunteering?

Non-profits: Given the state of the economy, non-profits need a lot of help right now and could really value your volunteer time. Find a non-profit in your area that works on issues you’re interested in - policy, water issues, international development, etc. Do keep in mind that it’s better to focus on a specific project that you are willing to help with or spearhead. Idealist.org has an extensive list of volunteer opportunities that you can sort by interest and location to get a sense for what’s out there. Find your local Sierra Club chapter; Green for All has resources on how to support green jobs growth in your local community.

Get down and dirty: Add some manpower to a green building project and get industry exposure at the same time. GRID Alternatives is popular in the Bay Area, where volunteers help install solar panels on low-income housing. Habitat for Humanity has some green building related projects as well. Friends of the Urban Forest in San Francisco asks for volunteers to help with tree-planting. Find your local community garden project or farmer’s market and offer to help out. Join AmeriCorps for a year of service. Go help clean up your local park, or find a summer or seasonal job in a National Park through The Student Conservation Association.

Get political: Find your state PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) and help them canvass and push green legislation in your state (we’ve got Environment California here in the Bay Area). Apply to spend a year working with GreenCorps, a year-long hands-on training program around the U.S. that breeds the country’s top environmental organizers (and has a really strong job placement program and alumni network to take advantage of at the end).

Go abroad! Foundation for Sustainable Development places students and recent grads in internships in developing countries around the world. You are placed in a domestic non-profit there depending on your development-related interests and can design your own project, seek funding, and get some great hands-on experience… all while experiencing a new culture. Ecoteer.com connects you with green volunteer opportunities around the world. Join Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) and spend some time trading your work for room and board in one of many countries around the world that hosts a WWOOF network.

Take a “pay the bills job” and volunteer for a company you’re interested in. Make sure you have a specific project suggestion to put in front of them, rather than just willingness to work. For example, a 2007 graduate named Ajay sent us this note about his efforts to get “green” experience. He works for a utility, and offers a few days a week for free to a solar company in the area, who he reached through a contact there (go network!). As he says, “The more I work with this solar manufacturer, the more people I meet and the more people know my name.” Troll green job boards such as Treehugger and GreenBiz for unpaid internships or volunteering; use contacts at these organizations and others to find out whether you can lend a hand.

Network: Another example is helping to organize green networking events in your city. Green Drinks is a great monthly meet-up that has chapters in many cities. Contact your local chapter to help organize; if none exists, start one up! We’re working with an amazing team of Green Drinks volunteers here in San Francisco that are helping set up a “Green Careers Connections” event - by doing so, they’re networking with eachother and getting to reach out to lots of companies that they might be interested in working for themselves. We’re also big fans of Net Impact - lend a hand with your local chapter and get connected to passionate professionals.

Conferences need volunteers. When you hear a green conference is coming to town, find out ways to volunteer with the organization and actual conference. Green Festivals needs lots of hands on deck; keep an eye on GreenBiz’s list of events for whether anything’s being planned for near you.

If you’re already out there volunteering, send us a success story of how it’s helped you in the job search process!