The green economy is picking up momentum. The year 2012 holds great promise for people looking for green jobs. People across all segments of the United States are beginning to see the importance of environmental sustainability. Government, private industry, entrepreneurs and regular citizens have begun to take up the challenge to take action to save the planet by embracing the newer, greener technologies. Opportunities abound for people with training and ideas who want to find green jobs or create green businesses. They can find positions in government, the corporate world and urban and rural communities which will allow them to use their time, energy and ideas to have a positive impact on the movement to bolster environmental sustainability while earning a great salary.

As 2012 opens many green jobs will become available in the energy sector. President Obama and Vice-President Biden have proposed spending $150 billion on the New Energy for America plan over the next 10 years. These new positions are slated to begin in spring and summer of 2012. They can add tremendous impetus to the green economy. People who have training and preparation can utilize them to help America create and manage the new technologies designed to break the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Wind, solar and water power industries are poised for a dramatic influx of new people and ideas necessary to bring the benefits of these renewable clean powersources into the homes and businesses of millions of Americans. Already major corporations have begun to make changes in the way they do business to align themselves with the green wave which is washing over the country. Innovative new farming techniques, the growth of recycling, the production of biodegradable packaging and the design and construction of new more energy efficient homes and offices all portend well for people seeking green jobs in 2012.

People seeking green jobs need not create their own companies. Many major corporations are greening their supply lines and are looking for people with training, ideas and experience to assist them. There is a growing demand for green transportation options. Colleges and universities across the country are gearing up to offer more majors in fields related to environmental sustainability. Federal, state and local governments are looking for people with expertise to design, implement and manage systems and technologies to better utilize their air, water and solar resources. It is truly an exciting time for people interested in environmental sustainability.

From local stores to multinational corporations business leaders see the value and long term impact of ensuring their companies take steps to better manage their resources. In a broad spectrum of industries 2012 is shaping up to be the year of the green jobs.

2012 Predicted Top Green Jobs 

Now is as good a time as any to get your foot in the door of a green job. Many companies and states are either beginning or continuing to grow their green industry sector in an effort to create some serious job growth in America.

Below is a list of some of the top green jobs in 2011:

#1: Solar Installation

An increasing number of homeowners are making their homes more energy efficient by installing solar panels. As a result, solar panel technology is increasing at an incredible rate. According to The Daily Green, many businesses in opted to go solar in 2010 and the trend will continue in 2011. Their prediction is that this will create many new jobs with a starting salary of at least $35,000.

#2: Energy Auditor

With little training anyone can easily become an energy auditor. Energy auditors visit homes and businesses and essentially note the areas where energy efficiency can improve. It costs very little to be certified and the starting salary can be anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000.

#3: Eco Home Design

Home design trends in 2011 are predicted to take a shift toward the greener side this year. This means more opportunities for the environmentally savvy designer or home staging business. If you are already a designer, get ahead of the game by getting a certificate in environmental studies or becoming LEED certified. Many universities and associations offer this and it will help you tremendously with this year’s home design trends.

#4: Mass Transit

Mass transit could be seeing a lot of money this year as cities and towns attempt to become commuter friendly. The U.S. federal government has already been on record saying that it wants to see increased investment in transit and infrastructure, meaning it could get about $60 billion in the next few years.

#5: Electric Car Manufacturing

More and more companies are coming out with electric car models. Electric cars have become the icon of the future of cars and green technology to come. People are getting tired of paying for oil and the advances in technology coupled with the popularity of these cars is going to make for some serious car growth sooner rather than later.

Many of these jobs require further education and technical training.

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State of the Market

The top city for green employment over the past year is Washington DC, reflecting the many executive director positions at green NGOs. Other top 10 cities are those with aggressive green business incentives and policies: the San Francisco Bay area, New York, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Portland, Oregon and Burlington, Vermont. The top 20 cities include Houston, Madison, Wisconsin, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego in California, and Philadelphia.

Although there have been fewer green job openings over the past year, there are a wide variety of employment opportunities in many fields and for people of all skill levels. As the economy recovers, expect a surge in openings in the various renewable energies, as seen in previous years. See the jobs directory at the bottom and right of this page to  locate the hundreds of green jobs available across the US.  Many Universities and Colleges now offer green training and certification courses.

Top 20 Green Job Titles:

1. Executive Director, Nonprofit

2. Project Leader/Manager

3. Sustainability Program Director/Manager

4. Sales/Business Development Associate or Manager

5. Marketing Manager/Coordinator

6. Community Crew Leaders/Supervisors, Conservation Associations

7. Business/Data Analyst

8. Research Analyst/Manager

9. Environmental Educator/Naturalist

10. Account Executive/Manager, Sales

11. Professor (various academic fields)

12. Sustainability Analyst/Consultant

13. Operations Manager

14. Wind Energy Engineer

15. Administrative Assistant

16. Trainer, Training Specialist or Training Coordinator

17. Electrical/Design Engineer

18. Green Architect

19. Green Building Project Manager

20. Solar Process Engineer/Process Integration Engineer

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The 2011 Job Outlook survey from NACE

The top 5 candidate skills desired by employers:

1. Verbal Communication Skills
2. Strong Work Ethic
3. Teamwork Skills
4. Analytical Skills
5. Initiative

Source: Job Outlook 2011, National Association of Colleges and Employers

While the NACE organization focuses on entry-level careers, the above list is important at all levels to stay competitive.    So how do you score?

If you are a job seeker do you have specific examples for each of the above skills?  Do you have multiple examples that show a range for each?  For example, regarding verbal communication skills you might highlight your ability to have difficult conversations, your concise and clear communication style, your engaging presentation style, or your ability to communicate effectively with different types of people.  These are all compelling and very different attributes of verbal communication.  For strong work ethic, this could mean working long hours, working a volatile or heavy travel schedule, or working in turnaround situations against all odds.  You need to know your unique skills and experience to position yourself effectively for what prospective employers care about.

Even if you are happily employed, work environments and priorities change.  You want to make sure that you are not getting complacent and allowing your skills to rust.  The above five skills are always valued, but the standards by which they are measured change over your career.  Maybe you got to where you are now because of superior analytical skills and despite below average communication skills, but now you are a manager.  You may not get a pass for your lack of communication skills now because proficiency is measured differently at different levels.  On the flip side, maybe you were always a great people person with soft analytical skills, but now you have been promoted to running a budget and need to get the numbers to work.  The strengths that served you and the weaknesses you could dismiss might be different now.  In addition, as situations and people change, your style and approach might need to be modified.

For both the job seeker and the happily employed, you want to translate the overall top five list to your specific prospective employer’s or current employer’s top five list.  You want to know the top five desired skills for your specific industry, functional area at your specific level.  These overall survey results are a great framework to start reviewing your skills and experience, but they are not a substitute for paying attention to your market and getting regular feedback from people with whom you regularly interact.

• How do you score on these 5 commonly desired skills?
• Do you know if these skills match your target or current area?
• What do you need to do in the next 30 days, 90 days, 365 days to improve?

A great book to start the year off with is:

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2011: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard Nelson Bolles

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Top Green Energy Jobs

Author: Katy

Environmentally friendly practices and cleaner energy have become important subjects in recent years. That’s led to an increase in all kinds of jobs in the environmental sector. Wind, solar, and other alternative power projects are growing fast, creating a need for workers in those fields. Which green energy jobs are likely to be the best in coming years? Let’s take a look at a few of the options. One of those jobs might be the right one for you!

Solar Power Installation
Currently, the production and installation of solar power employs nearly eight hundred thousand people across the globe. This job pays relatively well, with rates ranging between fifteen and thirty-five USD per hour, and there are opportunities available wherever the sun is shining. In the US, around three thousand companies in the solar energy sector are responsible for about thirty-five thousand jobs, with a predicted increase to over a hundred thousand jobs by 2016. Companies which may be hiring include Sungevity, Sunpower, and Akeena Solar.

Energy Efficient Construction
Buildings in the US are responsible for nearly half of the energy this country uses, as well as about the same amount of greenhouse emissions. Currently, LEED, the major certifier of green buildings, employs over forty-three thousand accredited workers. Skilled engineers and architects, as well as a workforce of trained retrofitting specialists, will be required to improve the energy efficiency of the homes in the US.

Wind Turbine Construction
Wind is the fastest growing alternative energy sector, currently supplying about three hundred thousand Green energy jobs worldwide and about fifty thousand US workers. At least ten thousand new jobs in the wind turbine fabrication sector are expected to be created per year, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Their site features a helpful job board for anyone looking for a great opportunity.

Wind Turbine Installation and Maintenance
There’s more to wind power than just building turbines, too. Those turbines need to be installed on wind farms, creating jobs for professionals who understand the way wind energy works. They also need to be maintained. While wind turbines are relatively low maintenance, they do still need to be adjusted and repaired. This field should employ an additional high quantity of workers over the next few years, especially in Texas, California, Western New York and other windy states.

Environmental Lawyer
With increasing concern about the environmental effects of industry and building, and improving regulations in these areas, companies need good legal advice. Environmental lawyers are specialists with knowledge of environmental law and regulations. They’re employed by all kinds of organizations to help them find the right environmentally solutions to their business and practical problems.

Green Project Manager
A successful green project requires good management. Leaving wind, solar, and building projects to conventionally trained managers could be a recipe for disaster. After all, this type of project requires a lot of specialized knowledge. Management professionals with knowledge of the wind, solar, and other green industries could be looking at a great opportunity in the years to come.

Information Technology Specialists
It might seem a little unusual, but the IT field offers a number of Green energy jobs. Information technology specialists with a knowledge of energy efficient work practices are incredibly useful to large companies and organizations hoping to cut their carbon footprints. These workers help show organizations how to use their computing power more efficiently, spend less money, and pollute less, too.

Green energy jobs are an excellent choice for anyone who cares about the environment, wants to make a difference, and is interested in this growing field. Almost every discipline has jobs relating to green energy, so there’s a good chance there’s one for you.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/top-green-energy-jobs-2095314.html

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5 Green Jobs to Consider

Green jobs are an important step toward to helping the struggling economy, while preserving the environment, a win win. Thus as you start looking for a new job, you will want to consider jobs that are going to be available now and in the future.

The following 5 green jobs are all examples of environmentally friendly undertakings which you could take on in the hopes of not only having a career, but with helping to promote the environment as well.

1. Solar Panel Installer – This is an example of green jobs which are going to greatly expand into the future. Solar panels are an extremely cheap way to generate electricity for any home, which can help to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. More people are turning to solar power in the near future to help themselves accomplish both tasks.

2. Farmer – Studies have shown that there are less than 2 million farmers in the United States and their average age is in their mid-50s. Farmers are going to be needed in a very high demand to support the food production of the United States. They will be needed on a small-scale, localized and be organic production farmers.

3. Urban Planner – This job will help any city reduce their typical carbon footprint and plan out the city in a better method. This includes public transportation routes, new buildings being erected, and city waste disposal. An important green job based on the sheer number of people who live in the city who need to be taken care of in a way to reduce their carbon footprint.

4. Green Entrepreneur – You may have an idea which can help you start your own business. Chances are that it would not be much more effort to turn that business into green job. It is really not hard to take any kind of job and make it eco-friendly.

5. Energy Efficiency Builder – As more buildings start to be erected, the need for energy efficiency is only rising. If you have skills in learning how to plan out any buildings or wire them to make them more efficient, you are going to have one of the most popular green jobs. Put your skills to good use and find green jobs that are going to promote a better energy efficiency all around.

See our many job listings to the right of these articles. –>