squashing some green job hunting myths
Each week, I spend hours talking to job seekers of all levels—from those just graduating from school to highly-experienced C-level executives. Many are contemplating a green career, either out of their passion for the environment or simply because other markets are tight and the green market shows promise. Often, what I hear is a fatigued and resigned voice on the other end of the phone saying, “I’d love to join a green company, but they all want you to already have vast experience in the green industry.”
When anyone, let alone a top-level, international, well-accomplished executive, says this to me in the midst of cataloging his or her milestone achievements—such as dramatically increasing revenue, efficiency, and organizational prestige; adeptly handling countless mergers and acquisitions; building exceptional cross-cultural and cross-functional teams; applying proven project management and Six Sigma skills; and achieving numerous patented inventions across regulatory environments—I am astonished. I am astonished as editor-in-chief of a green information portal, and I am astonished as a communications specialist who works closely with companies, schools, recruiters, and job seekers. I am also astonished just as a thinking person. There is an apparent and unfortunate mystique built around the green industry—and, frankly, around the job search industry itself—that is completely unwarranted.
Fact 1:
For many functions, changing to a green career is no more complex or mysterious than making any other career change. There are fundamental, logical steps that go into the process that are applicable to any shift in professional direction. Usually, making a career change involves leveraging the skills you have gained and how you have applied them in other arenas, identifying and articulating these transferable skills, and making a coherent argument as to why these are transferable and applicable. This is not mysterious; it just requires thought, logic, and some well-developed writing and argumentation skills.
Fact 2:
Green companies are still companies. As far as I know, companies typically have at least some common elements and functions. Commensurate with their size, most companies across industries still need accountants, purchasers, managers, leaders, coordinators, assistants, trainers, researchers, and so forth. Any company worth its salt that is seeking, for example, an effective project manager is going to want you to have a proven history as a project manager and is going to expect that you have the ability to apply your project management skills to different types of projects. You can be as green as you like, but if you do not possess the required project management skills, you will most likely not get that particular job.
Fact 3 (related to Fact 2):
Companies like to hire people who are good at what they do. If you are a top-notch accountant, you will likely be a top-notch accountant whether you work for an oil company or an alternative energy company. You will be equally valuable to—and equally qualified to work for—each company. Certainly, there may be nuances and pockets of knowledge that will help you to perform your job better in your new environment, but if you have a proven track record in your field of expertise, most companies will assume you can learn the additional nuances and pockets of knowledge in a reasonable amount of time and they will be willing to provide the needed training. I seriously doubt that green companies are so myopic in their vision that they will only hire those who are steeped in knowledge of things ‘green,’ thereby overlooking their need for seasoned experts in the different facets of effectively and competitively running a business.
Before sitting down to write this article, in fact, I conducted some research on green jobs currently available to see what the requirements were for different functions at different levels. Of course, I found that, for example, an aquamarine specialist should have an aquamarine biology or related degree and that a LEED specialist should be LEED accredited, but I also confirmed my hunch: that green companies and companies in the process of greening some or all of their operations want applicants to first and foremost be good in their specific field. Alongside that, they would like applicants to have a strong interest in and—sometimes—existing “knowledge of” environmental affairs and issues. For most entry-level positions, an expressed interest in or commitment to the environment was sufficient.
Fact 4 (related to Fact 3):
We live in a Jim Collins, et al, management theory era. Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great” and “Built to Last,” argues that the best companies hire competent, intelligent people and then find the right position (the ‘right seat on the bus’) for them, and are willing to make the expenditures to train them on details and specifics. I personally have experienced working in a $2 billion, stable, highly reputed company that routinely does just that. Given the number of Jim Collins’ books sold, read, and followed religiously by management consultants and companies alike, I imagine the company I worked for is not the only one that either already put this theory into practice or did so after reading his books and the books of others that echo this theory.
Fact 5:
Hiring managers are thinking people in living, breathing, unpredictable environments. They are not automatons or computers. This means that when they are presented with a specific ‘package’ (the job applicant), they will consider the pros and cons of each applicant’s assets and deficits—none of which will match the stated job requirements exactly. This is true in any hiring situation, not just in relation to green careers. The trick is simply to adequately summarize, market, and portray your specific package in a way that presents the correct value proposition to the employer you are approaching.
Fact 6:
The growth of the green industry is currently exponential, albeit slowed by the recession. The fact of the matter is that there are not enough people already specifically trained in this industry to go around. Many people will adapt their skills and expertise while on the job. If the green industry is counting on a vast pool of green industry experts to make their companies run efficiently and competitively, they have a few years to wait as people re-school themselves. Most companies won’t be willing to wait that long—and they don’t need to, given that right now there are plenty of highly skilled, highly educated, and proven practitioners out there looking for work that could help these companies succeed.
Fact 7:
The job search industry is an industry. I know this, because I am in it. And, just as in any other industry, those selling services to job seekers are trying to get and keep a competitive advantage. They work hard to convince you that you need their services or product and, like others, they are jumping on the supposed green gravy train. It is to the benefit of companies serving job seekers if you believe there is a ‘secret formula’ or some highly specialized knowledge that you can’t even guess at necessary to switch to a green career. If they can convince you of that, you will hire them at top dollar prices to do what you supposedly could never accomplish on your own: find a green collar job.
Well, I have news for you—and I tell this freely to people in my workshops everywhere: if you can think clearly, can write, have the time, and walk through the necessary steps, you can get a job or make a career shift on your own, or at least without my help. Yes, you can. I just offer to do it for you to make your life a little easier and because I have done it numerous times for others and am probably a little better and quicker at certain aspects of it. However, I readily admit that any intelligent and resourceful person who puts their mind to it can figure out how to switch to a green career. So, those trying to sell you books and guides containing, for example, the ‘Top 6 Secrets to Greening Your Career’ are, in my mind, selling you snake oil.
Shortly, I will write a follow-up article providing specifics for topics I have touched on here and providing some tips on how to transition into a green (or other) career. For now, however, I want to drive the following messages home: You are qualified. Many will find you qualified. The fact that you are good at what you do makes you qualified. You may have to expend some extra effort—just like anyone making a career shift or just starting out in their career—to further qualify yourself or to learn on the job, but there is no mystery, no mystique, no secret formula. Anyone who tries to sell you anything on the premise that there is, is either wrong or simply trying to profit off of you.
For more information on developing effective career documents, see the Resumes & Job Search Coaching pages of our site.
[ Return to Top ]
Top Five college Admissions Essays “Don’ts”
Many prospective students have sought my advice recently while working on their last-minute college admissions essays. So, I decided to publish a few critical tips—at least in terms of the ‘don’ts.’ Whatever you do to increase your chances, you can ruin it all by making a few key mistakes.
Don’t answer those vague, “What else would you like to tell us?” optional questions.
Particularly business school applications offer these open-ended deathtraps as last questions. Avoid them. Unless you have been convicted of a crime or need desperately to explain something that simply doesn’t fit anywhere else, just leave these blank. Give just enough information to answer their specific questions and then let well-enough be. Frequently, I’m an advocate of the "one-shot-at-the-kitty” approach, but not when they are giving you enough rope with which to hang yourself. If you are going to answer these questions anyway, be cautious and as brief as possible.
Don’t waste precious space complimenting the school to death.
The admissions committee members already know you want to go to their school, and they read their own brochures. Moreover, they know you are more than willing to blow smoke up their skirt to get in the door. While you can't really avoid saying something positive in response to a question asking you why you want to attend their school, don't just give empty compliments. Find a concrete reason their specific stature, faculty, research trends, or other attributes will help you achieve your specific goals, and then explain in a thoughtful way.
Don’t ‘wax philosophical.’ Really! You must avoid this!
There is nothing wrong with showing strong analytical skills or exceptional intelligence. But please avoid making broad ontological statements or theorizing about the ways of the world! You are not a 19th century philosopher. Further, nothing you say will convince the committee members you are. The most you will achieve is sounding pretentious and like someone they would prefer not to have on campus or in the classroom.
Don’t whine or play the victim.
Institutions and organizations want winners. They want people who overcome obstacles and people who will make them look good. That doesn't mean you shouldn't talk about adverse circumstances you have faced. But, think about it: Would you pick the guy who, when shipwrecked on an island, lay down on the sand and cried himself to death, lamenting the fact that no one was there to help him? Or would you pick the guy who figured out how to grow his own vegetables and build the boat that brought him to safety after he taught himself to navigate? Which of these guys is more likely to reflect well on a school once he graduates? So, go ahead and tell them how you got shipwrecked—just make sure you tell them how you used your resourcefulness to get back off the island, too.
Don’t forget to spell-check and proofread!
As elementary as this seems, failing to spell-check and proofread is apparently the most common error people make! Reviewing your essays for typographical and other errors is absolutely critical. Fair or not, people tend to associate poor writing with poor thinking and sloppiness. Alternatively, they tend to associate clear, error-free writing with clear thinking and conscientiousness. By the way, while you’re proofreading, make sure you have the right school name in all of your essays (hint: you shouldn’t be using identical essays for different schools anyway)!
[ Return to Top ]
the Top Three Elements Missing From Resumes
Over the course of working with hundreds of job seekers, I’ve found that even the most sophisticated among them often 
fail to address the following three elements in their resumes:
Scope
Think about it this way: If you say you managed Bob’s Market, it makes a big difference to me as hiring manager if Bob’s Market is a local store serving 30 customers a day or a national chain serving millions. Quantification is one key way of conveying scope, but it’s not the only one. If you don’t have metrics, you may have to think of other, more qualitative ways to convey scope. If you start to think about each section of your resume this way, however, your document will be that much more effective.
Impact
Let’s say one of your responsibilities as Manager of Bob’s was handling key accounts. Because you understand that conveying scope is important, you’ve correctly pointed out that there were 50 key accounts at any given time. Great! But—what tells me, the hiring manager, that you handled them well? Maybe you lost each and every one! If you indicate, however, that you increased the amount each of those key accounts spent at Bob’s by 60%, that tells me you are highly effective—that your efforts had a positive impact! There are many ways to convey impact. It just takes a little brainstorming.
Method
So far we know that you managed up to 50 key accounts for Bob’s, a sizeable national chain, and that this resulted in a significant increase in how much each account spent at Bob’s. What we don’t know yet is how you did it! Did you do it through lowering prices so much that Bob actually lost revenue, regardless of the increased spending? Or, did you design and implement a targeted customer satisfaction program that resulted in increased trust and loyalty?
Addressing scope, impact, and method can dramatically improve the impression your resume has, helping hiring managers to understand how you will affect their bottom line. That is, after all, what they really want to know, isn't it?
For more information on developing effective career documents, see the Resumes & Job Search Coaching pages of our site.
[ Return to Top ]
Good Site Design / Bad Text: Lipstick on a Pig?
As the World Wide Web matures, our ideas of good website design are maturing with it. We have learned the importance of such elements as easy navigation, ample use of 'white space,' and a minimum of distracting bells and whistles. With the small window of time we have to capture a viewer's attention, our choices in design must be pleasing, purposeful, and digestible rather than overwhelming.
Even the best site design can fail to capture viewers, however, if the content it houses is not equally effective. No matter how attractive your design is, there's simply no sense in putting lipstick on a pig. A site's text will quickly turn viewers off if it is too dense, repetitive, irrelevant, or grammatically poor.
Using Simple Language
In online documentation—particularly in the era of information overload—the goal is to convey ideas as clearly as possible to the reader. This means using 'normal,' direct language and eliminating jargon, extra words, and redundancies. Many people, for example, think that writing well means sounding like an 18th century philosopher. However, not only are lofty, 'ponderous' words and fancy constructions pretentious, they often create unnecessarily complicated text and lead to embarrassing errors. Unless you are a poet or a novelist (and even then you may want to reconsider), it is best to keep it simple.
Organizing Your Text Visually
It also helps to organize your text visually to maximize quick comprehension and give the reader 'breathing room.' Nothing makes a reader lose interest more quickly than having to wade through long, dense paragraphs. Combining short paragraphs with bulleted lists, tables, and graphs can be very effective in presenting large amounts of information efficiently. Please remember, however, that if you refer readers to a table or graph, it is helpful if the table or graph is actually there and clearly marked!
Relevance of Text to Page
In addition to language and spacing considerations, it is important that the text is relevant to the core concept of the page on which it appears. For example, the Services page probably should be about Services, rather than about both Services and the CEO's dog. If you have the right text on each page, you can also avoid the annoying habit of repeating text on several pages. Most readers 'get it' if you tell them once. If you need to repeat text as filler, you may want to reconsider how much you really have to say and how many pages that requires.
Proofreading
Once you have streamlined your language, made efficient use of your space, and eliminated all redundancies, do not forget to proofread! Nothing undermines credibility faster than grammatical and punctuation errors in text displayed to the world as a finished product. There's no sense in going to the trouble and expense of creating a dynamite site and then failing at the finish line by looking sloppy or ignorant.
Effective site design and effective text go hand in hand, and neither is sufficient alone to create a positive impact. Truly great websites are elegantly simple and put together flawlessly - in navigation, appearance, and text. Don't just put lipstick on your pig. Instead, make sure your text matches your design in both concept and composition.
[ Return to Top ]