Five Ways You Can Leverage Unique Qualities Of The Green Economy
Since March 2007 when I started researching the green economy
, I've been absorbed with making sense of all the different green jobs, green functions, green industries, and green sectors. As I reviewed green job boards in 2007 it became clear to me that each site was using a different system to structure their job listings.I figured that if I found it frustrating and confusing to go from one job board to the next, job seekers were most likely having the same problem. Frustration, overwhelm and confusion are not the best way to build confidence about one's job search!
In the last 2.5 years, I've been searching for a visual image that would give green career seekers, students, and career counselors a clear sense of the industries and sectors that make up the green economy.
- I started out with a collection of columns that reflected different categories of green industries. We discovered the silo categories didn't hold up at all.
- Next came a multi-layered grid that worked for a while, until I realized that various industries belong next to each other because they are related.
- Then in September, my grid concept morphed into a pie chart.
In all, I drafted 11 different green economy maps before I developed Version 12 of the Green Economy Map.
Insights I've Gained While Building the Green Economy Map
Interconnectedness
One of my most pivotal observations was that the industries and sectors within the green economy are interconnected. You can't talk about renewable energy without considering the smart grid. You can't fully define the smart grid without also thinking through the role of information technology (IT) and green building. And so on.
Your Take Away: As you begin exploring your target industry, be sure to familiarize yourself with related industries. In addition to gaining valuable information about your industry, you may discover opportunities in new aspects of your industry that you haven't considered yet.
Collaboration
A corollary of Interconnectedness is Collaboration. To find solutions to the problems we face we must cross boundaries and establish new ways to collaborate. Bringing a group of people with different backgrounds into a discussion about a joint problem is really the only way to make progress toward a solution. New alliances and partnerships, as well as new ways to state the problems at hand, are opening up doors between industries, professions, and fields of study. Such cross fertilization is leading to amazing instances of innovation and discovery.
Your Take Away: Reach outside your immediate field as you build your network. To strengthen your position in your field, you want to be known as someone with great connections. Someone who knows just the right person to ask, or has just the right resources to apply in a situation. In the green economy this means building relationships with contacts in a wide variety of industries and sectors. As you develop your network notice who is willing and able to step beyond the confines of their own field or profession to explore a problem or situation in another field. Your contacts that are able to interact at this level will be very valuable to you as you build your green career.
Defining What the Industry Is Made of
As I discussed previous drafts of the Green Economy Map with green career seekers, career development professionals, and industry experts, it became clear that understanding the scope of a particular industry was critical to understanding how it fit into the whole picture. Making decisions about an industry based on a brief description was not fruitful. The process of digging deeper to understand the components of the industry, and to look at how all the components worked together to create the industry, led to much greater clarity.
Your Take Away: When you are in the early stages of understanding your target industry, make sure you grasp the components that make up the industry. Although many people use broad terms to describe the kind of career they want, saying you want to work in renewable energy, the smart grid, or green manufacturing isn't enough. Each one of these industries or sectors is multi-faceted. Your skills may be useful in several different areas within each industry. The more you know about the components that make up the industry, the more career opportunities you'll see for yourself.
Constant Evolution
Although the main stream media may have you wondering if the green economy exists, exploring your target industry will prove to you that movement is happening in the green economy. Granted, some industries are developing in faster, more visible, and more quantifiable ways than others. Most of the industries I researched while writing Green Careers For Dummies were making discernible headway. Furthermore, signs of continued growth and development are also clearly evident as professional and trade associations talk about their plans for the future.
Your Take Away: Now is the time to begin tracking developments in your target industries. Even if you aren't able or willing to make a career change right now, becoming familiar with the developments in your industry will give you a strong foundation that you can leverage when you are ready to make your move. I've found that watching an industry unfold gives me a much deeper understanding. I can then follow the logic of insider discussions about future trends more fully, and I'm better able to spot trends myself.
Can't Find Everything You Need
As I researched various green industries for my book, I came across industries that weren't developed enough for me to fill in all the blanks in my standard profile. I could see signs that the industry was moving in a green direction, but I couldn't find a sufficient number of job titles, professional associations, or future trends. When this was the case I had to step back to determine what I really knew about the industry. In some cases I grouped two related industries into the same section, in other cases I wrote a short side bar to give readers the information I found, even though it wasn't as complete as I would have liked. Although this turn of events always frustrated me, I had to accept that in that moment the industry was not developed enough to profile. There wasn't much I could do about it except continue to watch for future developments.
Your Take Away: Given the early stage of so many of the green industries, you may worry about the lack of information or resources about your target industry. You may not be able to fill in all the gaps in your understanding through Internet research alone. The answers you are looking for may not be recorded yet. You may need to connect the dots through conversations you have, classes you take, books you read, and blogs you follow. Although your first inclination may be frustration, consider how your perspective might be different if you viewed that same gap as potential for opportunity.
Being on the cutting edge of a new economic revolution has its pros and cons. Sometimes the cons associated with the constantly evolving, early stage industries seem to outweigh the positives in our minds. We get so caught up in the fact that WE don't know something that we forget that NO ONE knows everything about everything in the green economy. It's precisely for this reason that opportunities abound! If you have the determination, fortitude, and creativity to follow your threads of interest until they begin to weave together, you'll witness the unfolding of your future career.
Green industries are taking shape, developing, and maturing... right now! Begin (or continue) your exploration so that you can get in on the bottom floor.
by: Carol McClelland Website -A Business Card for Your Company The Tools to Make Your Auto Detailing Business Excel Finding Recession Proof Franchise Opportunities That Work For You Small Business Help and Advice Every Business Could Use A Business Coach Compression Springs Design, Calculate Compression Spring Rate Chicago Storage Why You Need Climate Controlled Units? Dubli - How Can You Make Money? How To Work With A Business Plan Service Provider Consulting Firm Business Plan: Beyond Freelancing Start A Catering Business Through Networking Daycare Marketing Plan - A 6 Step Outline Cafe Business Plans - Financial Projections