Beyond school: Sharpening your green edge

By Jennifer Coleman

Environmental Defense

Assistants, receptionists, managers, human resources, finance and computer staff: Workplaces need staff with many specialties, regardless of the industry. If you have these skills, what more does it take to bring your resume to the top of the pile?

Cheryl Pickard, HR specialist, has worked for the national nonprofit Environmental Defense for 15 years. Says Cheryl, "Is it nice to have candidates with an interest in the environment? Absolutely. It's not always a requirement for the job; but it does help to know something about the workplace to which you are applying.

Cheryl's job is to screen the resumes of applicants, looking first for the basic skills necessary for the position. Next, she looks at the cover letter to get a sense of a candidate's personality, before selecting the candidates that she sends along to staff for consideration. Cheryl offers a few tips on making sure your resume to stays at the top of the pile.

Know the Industry!
Cheryl says that candidates who feign interest in environmental issues seldom know much about environmental action beyond recycling. You don't have to be a climate scientist to fit in at a green company, but if you are familiar with current issues, your genuine interest will show through. "It is always a good sign when a qualified candidate is looking for a meaningful job," says Cheryl. To keep abreast of the latest environmental news, check out these online resources:

Grist: http://www.grist.org

This environmental news and commentary site features environmental news, interviews with people in green jobs and businesses, and a blog where readers can contribute their own questions and opinions. You can post your environmental questions to their columnist "Umbra," or sign up for "Daily Grist" to receive emails with current green news.

Green Wombat: http://blogs.business2.com/greenwombat

Green Wombat is a daily blog that covers the intersection of the environment, technology, business and policy. Blogger Todd Woody is assistant managing editor at Business 2.0, where he oversees the San Francisco-based magazine's green tech coverage. From cars and planes to solar and wave power, Todd writes about the newest technology innovations and the green companies that are developing them.

Digg news: http://digg.com

Digg is all about user powered content. Everything is submitted and voted on by the Digg community. Share, discover, bookmark, and promote stuff that's important to you! Digg has an "environment" category in its science news; but you may wish to browse the business news for green stories as well!

Know the Company! "It helps the process immensely when people know who we are and what we do," says Cheryl. "It's discouraging when people don't get the position title right, or even the name of the organization, or when they address their letter 'To whom it may concern.' I want to know that you are applying for a job at Environmental Defense, not just any nonprofit." Here's some tips on where to look for the inside scoop:

Blogs, blogs, blogs: Many businesses and organizations now have blogs on their web sites, where you can read stories directly from the people who work at the organization. Here are some examples:

McDonald's Vice President, Bob Langert, offers personal perspective on corporate responsibility issues at http://csr.blogs.mcdonalds.com Environmental Defense has a blog on climate issues written directly by their experts: http://climate411.org The blog at Clifbar gives you a great sense of the culture of the company: http://www.clifbar.com/blog

Action Network and beyond
Many environmental organizations offer a glimpse of current issues through online activism.

Actionnetwork.org: This online environmental activism community allows you to sign up for email alerts from about 20 different environmental advocacy groups. You can become a member, or simply stop by the site to see a sample of the current issues.

Facebook & MySpace: Look for green issues in these social sites.

Know the Benefits!
Working for a better world isn't about wearing tie dye and eating granola; you can get personal fulfillment through green action and show your dedication to making the world a better place. "Increasingly, job seekers rank personal fulfillment as important as compensation, family time and flexibility," says Cheryl. "An environmental organization offers a community of smart, dedicated people working to make the world a better place."

• Measure your carbon footprint. See how your electricity, travel and other choices contribute to global warming pollution.
• Get shopping savvy: May sites can help you make purchases that reduce your impact on the environment. Here are a few examples:
• Energy-saving light bulbs
• Green cars
• Seafood

Get inspired
See a list of inspiring and influential environmental books, as recommended by Environmental Defense staff and members.

© 2008 MonsterTRAK