15 Places to Search for Green Collar Jobs

Photo by greenforall.org

The increased focus on sustaining our environment is turning blue collars green.

Many traditional industrial workers are turning green by receiving training to produce alternative power, increase energy efficiency and overhaul energy-inefficient buildings. By definition, a green-collar is employed in the environmental sectors of the economy. Green jobs help satisfy the demand for green development by implementing environmentally conscious design, policy, and technology.

Some jobs obviously fall into the green-collar category, like the hundreds of employees working for the Spanish wind company Gamesa in Fairless Hills, Pa. (The plant is built on the site of an old U.S. Steel manufacturing facility.) If you make wind turbines or solar panels, your job is definitely green. But some argue the work of decarbonizing America's economy also will create millions of new jobs because, in the next 20 years, an estimated 75% of buildings in the U.S. will either be new or substantially rehabilitated.

So how do you find green jobs? We've compiled a list of the top job boards and alternative ways of hunting down green-collar jobs.

1. Idealist.org: Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995. The interactive site lists a variety of jobs in the green sector, provides a career center for those new to the industry and lists green career fairs throughout the U.S.

2. GreenJobSearch.org: This comprehensive listing of jobs is searchable by keywords, states and major cities. It also includes tips for job seekers.

3. EnvironmentalCareer.com: You can use their advanced search engine, view all jobs, create an account and post your resume onEnvironmentalCareer.com. This useful site also lists local career events and provides a fairly detailed resource center.

4. JobsForChange.org: This idealistic site is an offshoot of change.org, with a keyword search and category listing that tends more towards green/white collar than green/blue collar. An excellent advice section discusses everything from interviewing to job-hunt resources.

5. GreenCollarBlog.org: Here you'll find an extensive listing of green job boards with separate sections for jobs inLEEDs construction (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), solar, clean energy, wind power, etc.

6. Company job boards: Some companies post jobs on their own web sites but outsource the actual recruiting. Identify the companies that interest you and check their jobs or careers page regularly.

7. Associations: Green organizations often provide corporate job sites or links to job sites for members and non-members. For example, the American Solar Energy Society has an extensive list of direct links to corporate job pages. You can find these sites using your favorite search engine with keywords related to the green job that interests you and either "organization" or "association."

8. Conferences: Review the list of exhibitors and presenters at industry conferences or symposiums and search their web sites for jobs.

9. Publications: Read relevant industry publications (either online or at your local library) for articles and advertising mentioning potential employers.

10. Directories: Study national or local lists and directories of green businesses (i.e. the National Green Pages).

11. Network, network, network: Many green jobs never get advertised. Networking allows you to find job openings before anyone else and already have your foot in the door. There are many strategies for networking discussed in general employment articles. You might consider attending organizational events, participating in the local chapter of a national organization or attending green programs and conferences. EHow.com has an excellent step-by-step article on how to network for jobs.

12. Social Media: LinkedIn.com, the business-oriented, social-networking site, includes a "jobs" tab where company representatives can post job opportunities. For example, the Green Jobs and Career Network Group of LinkedIn allows you to establish relationships with other green workers and search for jobs throughout the country or by region and city. Mashable, a social-media guide, provides advice on leveraging social media for career success.

13. E-mail lists: Yahoo, Green Jobs and YNPN provide specialized e-mail lists to distribute job postings and network with other professionals and students in the green industry.

14. Recruiters: The green recruitment industry is growing every day. You'll find find a fairly comprehensive list of green recruiters on Green Collar Blog. "Confessions of a Recruiting Director: The Insider's Guide to Landing Your First Job" by Brad Karsh is an excellent guide to selecting a qualified job recruiter. It can often be found  in the "job search" or "business" section of your local library.

15. Higher Ed: Take advantage of job-related resources offered to students and graduates, such as job fairs and job listings. Network with professors at your closest higher-education institution. Many Cooperative Extension specialists now work in green areas and, because they work closely with employers, may know of opportunities before they're advertised. Check with your County Extension Agent if you don't live close to a land-grant university.