Green Career Central Blog

Green Jobs Growing: Waste, Recovery and Recycling Opportunities Growing

While waste, recovery and recycling may not be the most glamorous portion of the the green economy, it is an industry that is growing and changing.  Restaurants are one segment where changes are occurring.  The National Restaurant Association found that more than 66% of restaurants already recycle their glass, cardboard, and paper and 13% compost their food waste.  The Association also found customers wanted to dine at a restaurant that recycles.

Using incentive programs to encourage households to recycle more, Recyclebank is growing and recently purchased GreenYour, a website that provides information to consumers about how to recycle more.

Recycling jobs are much more than just curbside pick-up and landfill maintenance.  Marketing programs aimed at consumers and businesses including restaurants urging them to recycle more or in the case of Recyclebank, making an entertaining game of it, are becoming much more common.

There are also jobs in virtually all consumer-product industries that have the goal of reducing packaging and the associated waste.  Proctor and Gamble, for example, has undertaken that aspect and created green friendly products called Future Friendly.

Follow the Cleantech Money: Solazyme IPO Raises $198 Million, WaterSmart Receives $900K

Algae based bioproducts and biofuel manufacturer, Solazyme had an initial public offering (IPO) stock price of $18 per share raising nearly $200 million.  The share price fluctuated somewhat but remained around $20.  The solid showing gives investors confidence in innovative green technology.  Based in South San Francisco, CA, Solazyme has career openings.

Watersmart Software, a water efficiency start-up company, has received $900,000 from venture capitalists.  Watersoft will provide water utility companies with programs their customers can use to reduce their water consumption. Watersmart is based in Tiburon, CA.

Green Career Tip: 5 Time-Tested Strategies to Break Out of Your Rut

Ever get the feeling that your approach to your own career has gotten a bit stale?

The questions you ask yourself (What do I want to do? What’s my next career move?) deliver the same answers, over and over again.

No matter what you do, you keep ending up with the same answers that aren’t getting you where you want to go. 

It’s so frustrating! I know, I’ve been there myself. Many times. When I made my first big career transition and periodically over the last 20 years as it was time for my business to shift and morph in response to the times. In the early days getting out of a thought rut took a lot of effort. Now that I’ve had a lot of practice with this I know what I need to do to shift my perspective to create new options and ideas.

Knowing how to get beyond your rut is essential to any career shift. Hopefully these ideas will give you new insights about how to break out of your career rut!

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Green Jobs Growing: Arizona Public-Private Partnership Attracting Solar Companies

By making attractive offers to solar companies, including a renewable energy tax break, the state of Arizona has landed 11 solar companies in the past year.  With its history of defense contractor companies, silicon tech companies and their educated workforce, and plenty of sun to test solar devices, Phoenix and the surrounding suburbs was the perfect place for solar companies to locate.  It has been estimated that the 11 companies together will create 6,300 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs. 

A public-private consortium entitled the Greater Phoenix Economic Council helped the companies locate to Phoenix and find existing empty buildings.  Some companies were able to set up factories and ship products in as little as seven months.  Being located near California, which has an aggressive renewable energy portfolio standard, has also helped these solar companies ramp up business. 

 

Follow the Cleantech Money: DOE Makes Conditional Loan Gurantee of $737 Million to SolarReserve, Sensus Receives $675 Million, GreenRoad Raises $13 Million

The Department of Energy (DOE) has made a conditional loan guarantee of $737 million to Los Angeles area based SolarReserve to build a solar power plant in Nevada.  The 110 megawatt closed loop plant will generate heat by focusing mirrors on molten salt.  The heat is used to create steam and power a generator, after the salt has cooled, it is reused to capture the heat. 

One of the five largest smart meter manufacturers, Sensus has taken on $675 million in new debt financing to pursue their networking of smart meters.  Sensus distinguishes itself from other smart meter companies by using a licensed spectrum to connect users over a star network rather than the more common mesh network.  Sensus is a global company with 4,000 employees in 19 countries that is based in Raleigh, NC. 

Based near Redwood City, CA, GreenRoad has received $13 million from investors.  GreenRoad has developed tech systems to make automobile drivers safer and more fuel efficient by using devices embedded in cars to give drivers feedback in real time.  Corporate fleets are the target for this new technology.  By reducing accidents, companies will be able to reduce insurance premiums as well.  

Green Career Tip: 4 universal Signs You Are Off Track with Your Career

Over the years I've talked with hundreds of people about the state of their career. As we being our conversation they tell me the story they've been telling themselves. They go over where they've been, where they are now, and where they are going.

Everything they say hangs together until the very end of their story when they begin to tell me where they are feeling stuck.

In many cases, I've already spotted where they are blocked. Something they say, their tone of voice, or their approach to their circumstances tells me what's really going on underneath the story they are telling themselves.

As you read these four signs, think about how they show up in your life - in the past and the present.

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Follow the Cleantech Money: Fisker Automotive Secures $100 Million, SunRun Receives Tax Equity Sum of $200 Million, Westly Group Raises $50 Million of $175 Million Goal

Manufacturer of plug-in electric vehicles, Fisker Automotive has secured $100 million in funding from venture capitalists.  Fisker is the maker of the luxury sedan, the Karma, which is anticipated to sell for $95,000 sometime later this year.  Fisker also has plans for a lower price model, the Nina. 

SunRun, a solar power service company, received a tax equity commitment of  $200 million from US Bancorp for the purchase of residential solar systems. SunRun owns, installs, maintains residential solar panels, primarily roof-top photovoltaic.  Home owners pay for their electricity through a fixed monthly charge for 20 years.

The Westly Group, a cleantech investment firm, has raised the first $50 million of its $175 million goal.  Director of the fund, Steve Westly, will focus much of the fund on green building technology.  Start-up companies in this industry may catch the attention of large conglomerates such as GE or Siemens when they are ready to be purchased.

Green Career Tip: 3 Signs Your Job Search is Sluggish

If you are searching for a job, you know without a doubt whether you’ve succeeded or not. You either have a job or you don’t.  That marker of success is black and white. Without an offer in hand, you may well feel like you are failing in your mission.
 
Rather than seeing your job search as an all or nothing proposition, look at the building blocks that lead to a successful job search. By understanding which element of your job search is sluggish, you can focus your attention on revitalizing your job search to get the big results you crave…a job!

Take a moment to assess your current job search. Where do you stand on each of these items?
 
1.You aren’t finding enough jobs to apply for
a.You aren’t sure where to look for more openings.
b.You don’t know who to talk to about possible openings.

Although the abundance of online job boards may make you think that is THE way to find jobs to apply to, you are far more likely to hear about your job from someone in your network.

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Green Jobs Growing: Venture Capital Companies Offer Clues to Green Companies

One of the best ways to find posted green career jobs is to follow the venture capitalists that are funding many enterprises. 

The Maryland Clean Energy Center has compiled a list of Green Venture Capital Firms. When you visit this site you'll find over 20 venture capitalist firms with a brief description of their specialties. When you see one that interests you, click through to the firms Web site to review their entire portfolio.

Use this list for four purposes,

1) If you want to work for a green venture capital firm, review the list for potential employers.

2) Even if you aren't interested in working in venture capital, review each venture capitalist profile to learn about their portfolio of companies. If you know the kind of position you are pursuing, you'll be able to pinpoint potential companies for your target list.

3) As you review each venture capitalist, take a look at the job openings they have listed for their portfolio of companies. For instance, San Francisco Bay Area based Kliner Perkins currently has 200 career openings culled from their portfolio of greentech companies and 1357 openings from all of their companies. 

4) By tracking developments through the eyes of a venture capitalist you will pick up trends within your target industry.

Follow the Cleantech Money: Applied Materials Purchases Varian for $4.9 Billion, DOE Makes Conditional Loan Guarantee of $90.6 Million to Cogentrix, Scientific Conservation Receives $19 Million

A manufacturer of equipment that is used by solar panel makers, Applied Materials has purchased Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates for $4.9 billion. This acquisition is expected to add technological advances in photovoltaic solar panel manufacturing as well as light emitting diode (LED).  Here is the career page for Applied Materials and their openings in worldwide locations.

The Department of Energy has made a conditional commitment for a $90.6 million loan guarantee to Cogentrix for the construction of a 30 megawatt photovoltaic solar plant to be built near the Colorado city of Alamosa.  The plant will have dual axis tracking system that allows the panels to rotate throughout the day, maximizing their contact with the sun.  The DOE and USDA also awarded $48 million in grants to companies and universities for the development of biofuels.  Among those receiving a grant was a Domtar Paper, which received a $7 million award for the development of converting paper waste into oil and sugar.

San Francisco, CA based Scientific Conservation, a building energy management company received $19 million from venture capitalists including Intel. Scientific Conservation uses software-as-service to reduce energy consumption by comparing energy use to computer models and making adjustments in real time.