 Any time an economy is in flux, layoffs and fears of unemployment haunt the nation’s work force, but as rapid changes in industries rattle some, others look to the ‘frontier’ to anticipate how to get the most out of new realities.
Our companies and organizations are getting some new priorities, and jobs in some sectors are becoming more and more in demand. ‘Green jobs’ are being touted as the way of the future, with all kinds of job fields looking for qualified workers and leaders to help work places better handle resources and compete in a world that suddenly values things like environmental health and energy efficiency.
So what are ‘green jobs’? There are a lot of different ways to enter a career related to the idea of helping promote ecology and protect the planet.
Public Administration and Planning
A huge source of green jobs is in municipal or community planning, whether you’re working for a business, a civic organization, or a third party firm. Lots of industrious people are going into fields related to improving the general landscape with specialized knowledge of ecology and human health.
Green Education
As corporate and community processes change, this will require a lot of instruction. Workers in the education field will find growing opportunities to teach others about how to adapt to new ecological standards and practices.
Green Medicine
Traditional “pharma-based” medical networks with overblown costs may find themselves competing with a growing number of leaner ‘alternative medicine’ practices using natural products and lifestyle adaptation to treat a wide range of ailments effectively. Green medicine can be the right fit for professionals with the right skills and knowledge about the relationship between humans and their world.
Jobs in Renewable Energy
More and more small energy providers are popping up across the country, competing with the traditional regional coal-burning and nuclear providers and offering wind, solar and other energies through the grid. These companies will be hiring at a rapid clip as new subscribers sign on to power their homes more responsibly.
Administration
Accounting, HR, data handling and IT will all be needed in green offices and organizations dedicated to a positive impact on the planet.
Telecommuting Jobs
As Americans are now cutting back on their fuel consumption, a lot of traditional office jobs will get more mobile and less fuel-hungry, erasing long unnecessary commutes. Remote workers will take on more responsibility for doing their jobs well independently, managers will learn to handle the challenges of remote motivation, and companies and workers will profit from sensible use of home vs. office resources, and less cars on the road every morning.
Jobs in the Great Outdoors
Community farms are producing locally grown food to meet demand from more conscientious shoppers: if you have a green thumb and a love for nature, you may find yourself working as a “neo-farmer” and bringing food to market. Another big job sector in nature is federal and state park services that now employ thousands and will be sure to employ many more in the future.
These are just some of the opportunities for getting involved in a greener workforce. Look for green jobs on large job sites like Hot Jobs, Career Builder and Monster. Remember, when applying for green jobs, most applications are done online to make the process more eco-friendly. If you have to print out a resume, be sure to use recycled paper so that you're off to a green start with your application.
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