Articles by Carol McClelland on ArticleSnatch.com

Your Green Career Path: Are You Getting in Your Own Way?

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:35:17 -0500

On a recent survey, I asked what obstacles job seekers are experiencing in their search for a green career. I wasn't surprised to see responses centered around these themes: - Not enough green job openings in my local area. - Not sure how to translate my skills into a green career. - Lack of experience. - Figuring out how to manage the transition to a new career from a financial standpoint. Other people were able to give a specific reason they weren't making the progress they wanted. - Not enough time. - Feeling discouraged. - Being unfocused. - Feeling unmotivated. Another group of people listed themselves as their key obstacle. Are You Getting in Your Own Way? Over the last two decades I've helped many people change careers. By witnessing their journeys over the years I've learned that career changers experience certain blocks that impact their ability to move forward toward their goal. Figuring Out Your Green Career Goal Not sure what your passions are? Knowing what you are passionate about is a key component to clarifying your future career goal. **End Summary** Topics: Green Career Central]]> green career]]> green job]]> green niche]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert, Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Green Careers For Dummies and founder and executive director of Green Career Central, a virtual career center with a distilled and organized set of easy-to-use resources, programs, and events to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a green business or get a green education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to learn more about finding your green career.

First Step to Grasping the Critical Issues of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:03:12 -0500

From December 7th through December 18th the United Nations Climate Change Conference will be taking place in Copenhagen. Approximately 10,000 people will gather from countries around the world to discuss, negotiate, and create an agreement about what the world is going to do about climate change. Some of the attendees are government officials, while others work for governmental agencies, or non-governmental organizations. The third contingent at the event will be the media. Although people have been referring to the conference in Copenhagen in broad brush terms for some time, it's important for you to understand the purpose of the meeting and the key issues being addressed. I've developed this quick overview to give you a head start in tracking developments during the meeting. United Nations Climate Change Conference Although this group meets on an annual basis, with the last two meetings being held in Bali and Poland, this meeting in Copenhagen is demanding the world's attention for several reasons. - Recent scientific findings tell us that rising temperatures are due to our industrialized ways, and that we must find ways to reduce greenhouse gases to ensure that average temperatures do not continue to rise. **End Summary** Topics: Copenhagen]]> United Nations Climate Change Conference]]> technology cooperation]]> environmentally sound technologies]]> mitigation]]> adaptation]]> Kyoto Protocol]]> dev]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert, Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Your Dream Career For Dummies and founder and executive director of Green Career Central, a virtual career center with a distilled and organized set of easy-to-use resources, programs, and events to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a green business or get a green education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report -- "Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career"

Five Ways You Can Leverage Unique Qualities of the Green Economy

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:55:41 -0500

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. **End Summary** Topics: green economy]]> green industries]]> green career]]> green economy map]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert, Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Green Careers For Dummies and founder and executive director of Green Career Central, a virtual career center with a distilled and organized set of easy-to-use resources, programs, and events to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a green business or get a green education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to learn more about finding your green career.

Take Action to Create Green Career Opportunities

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:48:09 -0500

Since 2007 the green/clean/sustainable economy now has more form, though the policy cornerstones are still being defined. Funding from the venture capital community and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is providing stimulus to a number of industries and research areas. We continue to discover additional industries stepping forward to take concerted efforts to make their business practices greener, cleaner, and more sustainable. Although it's tempting to think the momentum has created a mature green economy, it's important to remember that we are in the midst of the earliest stages of the green economy. Any time a new era begins opportunities abound if you are creative, determined, and flexible. Right now green efforts are sprouting in start ups, large companies, governmental agencies, non profits, non governmental agencies, academic institutions, and solo businesses. The Actions You Take To find these opportunities you must do your homework to connect with those opportunities. It's not enough to just: - Dream about having a green career. OR Think about your possibilities. OR Hope for green opportunities to come your way. OR Read about your target industries. To be in the right place, at the right time, knowing the right people, you must take action! **End Summary** Topics: green economy]]> clean economy]]> sustainable economy]]> green opportunities]]> green career]]> Green Career Central]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert, Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Green Careers For Dummies and founder and executive director of Green Career Central, a virtual career center with a distilled and organized set of easy-to-use resources, programs, and events to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a green business or get a green education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to learn more about finding your green career.

Green Occupations: New Official Descriptions Announced by O*NET

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:52:53 -0500

Recently the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) unveiled a new set of occupations that gives credence to the idea that the green economy is transforming the world of careers. This centralized collection of green occupations is a tremendous step forward for job seekers, career changers, and career counselors. For the first time there is a place to explore green occupations, and obtain detailed descriptions about what it takes to work in those occupations. In this article I give you an overview of where to go to explore these green occupations. Be sure to read to the end of this article for a few caveats. O*NET Web Site Tabs - Where to Find What You Are Looking For The O*NET site now has a section designed to describe the green economy. Use these descriptions to find your way around the site quickly and easily. Green Sectors http://www.onetcenter.org/green.html The first tab on the site takes you to a list of twelve green sectors. Click on each sector name to read a short description of the sector. Green Occupations http://www.onetcenter.org/green.html?p=2 The second tab offers three different lists of green occupations. 1. Green Increased Demand Occupations. **End Summary** Topics: O*NET]]> green occupations]]> green economy]]> green jobs]]> green positions]]> green industries]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert, Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Your Dream Career For Dummies and founder and executive director of Green Career Central, a virtual career center with a distilled and organized set of easy-to-use resources, programs, and events to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a green business or get a green education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report -- "Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career"

What One Thing Can You Do Today to Move Toward Your Green Career?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:00:16 -0500

Any time you commit to making a career change you are faced with a seemingly endless list of tasks to handle. There are so many additional tasks to include in your daily life, you may feel a bit overwhelmed with how to get it all done. A number of years ago, I made the decision to leave my corporate job and build my own business. At the time I had a full time job that had a way of extending into my personal time on a regular basis. I traveled for work at least once a month, if not more. And, on top of all that, I was recovering from a health challenge that had me very fatigued. Needless to say, it was a lot to handle. With a vision of what I wanted, I became highly motivated to create my new work and life. Sixteen months after I created my goal, I walked out of my corporate job with everything I needed to start my business in place. The first few months after I made the decision, I struggled with how to balance my current corporate job and my quest to create my new business. **End Summary** Topics: green career]]> green economy]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert, Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Green Careers For Dummies and founder and executive director of Green Career Central, a virtual career center with a distilled and organized set of easy-to-use resources, programs, and events to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a green business or get a green education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to learn more about finding your green career.

Why We Need a Green Revolution: Insights and Opinions of Thomas Friedman

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:35 -0500

My husband and I went to see Thomas Friedman, a best selling author and NY Times columnist speak about his most recent book, Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution - and How It Can Renew America, which is a follow up to his previous book, The World Is Flat: The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. We enjoyed his presentation which was full of vivid examples, memorable images, and humorous lines. American Industry Problems According to Friedman, America has lost its way over the last decade or so. His entire book is about, as he put it, how America can gets its groove back. His ideal solution is that the U.S. should become a world leader in the green innovation and technology that's needed to tackle the world's largest problems, which all stem from the fact that the world has become: - Hot: As you can guess, this part of his book is about the climate crisis due to global warming. **End Summary** Topics: Hot]]> Flat]]> and Crowded]]> Thomas Friedman]]> Energy Technology]]> ET]]> The World is Flat]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of the forthcoming book, Green Careers For Dummies and founder of Green Career Central , a membership website with useful programs, 500+ pages of effective, targeted information to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a business or further your education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report - "Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career"

Pace Yourself on the Climb to Your Green Career

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:03:22 -0400

In my ongoing conversations over the past two years with Green Career Central members and audiences, I've discovered that many people are approaching their transition into the green economy as though it is just another job search. Deciding you want to move your career into the green economy is a significant decision. It's not the same as deciding you want to get a job or find a new job. It's not a one-time job search that puts you in a new job. It's a decision that defines both your short term and your long term future. What makes finding a career in the green economy different? - The green economy is just beginning to take form. New green industries are beginning to develop and existing industries are beginning to transition into green, but not all companies are ready to hire people into green jobs right now. New innovations, policies, and regulations that are yet to be defined will help shape where the green economy is going. - It's likely you'll need new knowledge and skills to succeed in the green economy. Developing yourself in these ways takes time. **End Summary** Topics: green career]]> green economy]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of the forthcoming book, Green Careers For Dummies and founder of Green Career Central , a membership website with useful programs, 500+ pages of effective, targeted information to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a business or further your education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report - "Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career"

Rebuilding Greensburg, KS: A Look at an Emerging Green Economy

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:34:59 -0400

A recent New York Times article, entitled "After a Tornado, a Kansas Town Rebuilds Green," highlights a community that had an unusual opportunity to rebuild from the ground up. The community's journey provides an amazing glimpse into what happens as a community makes the decision to go green and acts on their plan. Greensburg's Story In May 2007, an intense tornado basically flattened the town of Greensburg, Kansas ( http://www.greensburgks.org ) in a matter of minutes. It was a direct hit. The tornado damaged 90 percent of the buildings in the town. After the dust settled, the community came together and decided they wanted to rebuild their community. Rather than rebuild what they had, they created a vision for the future of their town that will make it the greenest town in the United States. (At the end of this article you'll find links to a number of the documents they created during this phase of their project). Greensburg's accomplishments give us an unusual inside look at what happens as a community wrestles with how to become green. **End Summary** Topics: Greensburg]]> Kansas]]> NY Times]]> Greensburg Sustainable Master Plan]]> green building]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of the forthcoming book, Green Careers For Dummies and founder of Green Career Central , a membership website with useful programs, 500+ pages of effective, targeted information to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a business or further your education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report - "Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career"

Moving from the Electric Grid to the Smart Grid: What You Need to Know Now

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:33 -0400

Our current electrical supply system is a collection of regional networks that were built to generate, transmit, and distribute power from fossil fuels and river dams. As more and more power comes from renewable energy sources, the grid must be updated to transmit and distribute power from different areas in the country and different kinds of power generation systems. The electrical supply chain incorporates several key components: - Power generation. Power is generated through several means: from coal, oil and nuclear, to wind, solar, hydroelectric and geothermal. - Power transmission. Power is then transmitted throughout the country using high voltage lines. - Power distribution. The next step in the chain is to distribute the electricity from the substations to commercial, industrial, and residential users. As the smart grid evolves, two components will become more evident to all users. - Energy storage. Although utilities have always used energy storage systems to manage power, a wider range of users will use energy storage systems to store power from more variable sources of energy. - User consumption management. A new component to the system is software that enables residential, commercial, and industrial customers manage their own power consumption in real time. **End Summary** Topics: smart grid]]> electric grid]]> npr]]> wind]]> solar]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of the forthcoming book, Green Careers For Dummies and founder of Green Career Central , a membership website with useful programs, 500+ pages of effective, targeted information to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a business or further your education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report - "Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career"

Five Green Industries that May Surprise You

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:01:17 -0400

In researching my upcoming book, Green Careers For Dummies, I've had the opportunity to write profiles of 45 growing green industries. I have been amazed at the resources I'm finding, the innovations I'm seeing, and the dedication so many industries are taking to make their products and services more sustainable. It's been an eye-opening process for me and my team. As many of you know, my team and I have been studying the green economy since March 2007 when I decided to launch a green career business. On a daily basis we scan online resources and media announcements to gather as much information as we can about the growing, evolving green economy. Even with these 29 months of research behind us, I was surprised and amazed by some of the industry news I found in my research. In a few instances the industry wasn't on our radar at all and in other cases the rate and/or depth of the industry's movement toward green/sustainable actions was unexpected. Environmental Education and Training - When I first started researching this industry I figured it was mostly about teaching students about how the environment works. A worthy cause to be sure. **End Summary** Topics: green industry]]> green industries]]> Environmental Education and Training]]> Organic Textiles]]> waste to energy]]> organic personal care products]]> natural beauty pr]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of the forthcoming book, Green Careers For Dummies and founder of Green Career Central , a membership website with useful programs, 400+ pages of effective, targeted information to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a business or further your education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report - "Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career"