Green Career Central Blog

Find the Green Career Direction That Is Unique to You!

"Choose a target green career that is based
on the best blend of your existing strengths and
your current passions that are leading your forward."
- Carol McClelland, PhD

 

When clients begin working with me to identify their Green Career Focus, they are often in the midst of quite a tug of war. They want to transition into a new career that gives them the opportunity to make a difference. At the same time they carry the worry that they are destined to continue doing what they are doing now, even though they aren't feeling fulfilled or excited by the position. Take a look at this week's article to discover how to work with this dichotomy in a way that gives you the power to create a green career direction that's unique to you.

If you are making a transition to a new greener, more sustainable career, it's likely you are searching for a sense of your career direction.

If you are like many of my clients, you may be running two primary scenarios around in your mind. Going from one to the other and back again. 

• Scenario #1: "Should I let go of my old career completely to step into a new industry, a new field, or a new profession?"

This option most likely feels as though you are asking yourself to stepping off a ledge into the unknown. Not the easiest future to contemplate!
 

• Scenario #2: "I am better off using my existing skills and knowledge in my existing industry, perhaps with a new mindset and perspective."

This option feels more secure, but, truth be told, this path feels more than a bit flat to you.

Temptation to Think "This" or "That"

Most of my clients fall into this pattern of thinking that they need to choose between what they did in the past and what they will do in the future.

This perceived dichotomy generally fuels a degree of fear. "What if's" bubble to the surface over the first few weeks I work with them.
 

• What if I don't have the skills? 
• What if I don't have the funds to get a new education? 
• What if I have to stay put
• What if I never find my way to the thing I'm supposed to do?
• What if I can't make the leap to this new career?
• What if I don't have the experience I need to perform this role?

Read the rest of this article . . . 

 

As our gift to you we've just released a new Free Guidebook, "Two Ways You May Be Unwittingly Derailing Your Transition to a Greener, More Sustainable Career and What You Can Do Right Now to Get Back on Track"

Visit our Facebook page to grab this informative free report -->

 

 

Green Economy Success Stories - What Else Is Possible!

If you watch mainstream media for news about the state of the green economy, you might catch an occasional story that gives you a glimmer of hope about the state of the planet.

But sometimes it feels like it's too little, too late! Are there any advancements that hold promise? Are there any success stories that actually demonstrate that innovative solutions can be implemented and scaled successfully? 
 
One of the best sources I've found for evidence of actual success stories that make a difference is EARTH - The Operators' Manual

I first ran across them when their posts landed on my Facebook news stream.

I scanned their page earlier this week to search for stories to share with you. I've sorted these stories into three categories based on the status of the project: v Currently Operational, Nearly Implemented, and Testing.

Read these success stories . . .

 

Have you grabbed our new Special Report?  Our gift to you! "Two Ways You May Be Unwittingly Derailing Your Transition to a Greener, More Sustainable Career and What You Can Do Right Now to Get Back on Track"

OR

Visit our Facebook page to grab this informative free report -->

As we celebrate Earth Week this year, we are excited to be stepping into a new era at Green Career Central and we look forward to working with you.

 

Are You Innovation Ready?

"The capacity to innovate -- the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life -- and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far more important than academic knowledge."

-- Tony Wagner, author of Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World

~~~

I've been drawn to exploring innovation lately. A recent op-ed by Thomas Friedman caught my eye this week. Although the article as written is talking about training young people to prepare to work in the emerging economy, I found nearly every section of the article was equally relevant to experience professionals who are drawn to dedicate their expertise to the issues of our time.

Are You Innovation Ready? Check out my article below to find out.

In his recent op-ed piece, Need a Job? Invent It, Thomas Friedman highlighted how education must change to prepare young people to work in the emerging economic landscape.

 
Tony Wagner, the Harvard education specialist and author of "Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World," is quoted as saying: "Which is why the goal of education today, argues Wagner, should not be to make every child "college ready " but  innovation ready" -- ready to add value to whatever they do."
 

As I read the article I realized that these concepts aren't just relevant to students; they are relevant to experienced professionals navigating your own career journey.

What Is Innovation Ready?

Wagner continued with this statement about being Innovation Ready: "Today, because knowledge is available on every Internet-connected device, what you know matters far less than what you can do with what you know.  The capacity to innovate -- the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life -- and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far more important than academic knowledge."

In another part of the article, Wagner mentions "Every young person will continue to need basic knowledge, of course," he said. "But they will need skills and motivation even more. Of these three education goals, motivation is the most critical. Young people who are intrinsically motivated -- curious, persistent, and willing to take risks -- will learn new knowledge and skills continuously. They will be able to find new opportunities or create their own -- a disposition that will be increasingly important as many traditional careers disappear."

Continue reading . . .

 ~~~

Would you like to connect with others who share your passion for the planet and for sustainable solutions? 

Join our Green Career Central Facebook Community - look for the "Join" link in the upper right corner of the group's page.

See you there!

Expand What You Know about Sustainability

"The longest journey begins with a single step"  --Lao Tzu

When I listen to my clients talk about their passions and their career direction, it's amazing how frequently they talk about having an "a-ha" moment after hearing someone speak or learning about a new concept they'd never heard of before.

In this week's newsletter, I highlight a 3-month opportunity to immerse yourself in the presentations of 30 top experts in sustainability...all at NO COST! It's a great opportunity to expand your knowledge, and open yourself up to new insights about the field you are passionate about.

Read all the details about the Spring of Sustainability online conference and how you can get involved.

~~~

Would you like to connect with others who share your passion for the planet and for sustainable solutions? 

Join our Green Career Central Facebook Community - look for the "Join" link in the upper right corner of the group's page.

See you there!

 

Dedicate Your Expertise to Removing Plastics from the World's Oceans

You may have heard about the plastic garbage patches that are collecting where ocean currents create circular movements, called gyres, in five specific areas around the world. The most notorious gyre is in the Pacific.

 

• Did you know plastic debris covers millions of square kilometers of the world's oceans - such a large area that it's nearly impossible to comprehend?
  
  
• Did you know that beaches around the world are covered with plastics - toothbrushes, cigarette lighters, plastic bags, soda bottles, etc. - impacting the local environment, gutting the local economy (think tourism dollars), and causing costly damage to sea faring vessels.
  
  
• Did you know that animals, particularly sea birds, mistake the colored bits of plastic for food - feeding themselves and their young food that kills?
  
  
• Did you know that fish that make up part of our food chain are also being contaminated by the chemicals leaching out of the plastics they have consumed?
  

 

If you want to know more - check out this infographic.

Although a number of people are quite concerned by the problem, no one has come up with a suitable way to address this situation. But there may be some hope on the horizon.

Feasibility Study Underway for an Innovative Idea for Removing Plastics from Oceans

Continue reading . . .

~~~

Would you like to connect with others who share your passion for the planet and for sustainable solutions? 

Join our Green Career Central Facebook Community - look for the "Join" link in the upper right corner of the group's page.

See you there!

Are You "In The Know" about Sustainability Career Trends?

The roles of sustainability managers and executives continue to evolve. A recently released report prepared by GreenBiz.com provides a window into the current emerging employment trends within sustainability.

If you plan to work in this field, I highly recommend that you take a close look at both of these resources.

State of the Profession: The Latest Trends in Sustainability Executive Salary, Hiring, and Priorities

"State of the Profession: The role of the sustainability executive in corporate America is still in its early stages. The fact that there is no clear-cut definition of either the term or the role is indicative of this nascent time (one doesn't need to ask a CFO what her role is all about). Sustainability continues to evolve as companies test the limits within their unique corporate cultures. There is no one-size-fits-all approach that can be readily adopted." (From page 4)

• Previously known as the GreenBiz Salary Survey.
• Based on the responses of 500 companies that part of the GreenBiz Intelligence Panel, 75% have annual revenues over $1 billion.

How to Access the Trends   ... continue reading ...

~~~

Would you like to connect with others who share your passion for the planet and for sustainable solutions? 

Join our Green Career Central Facebook Community - look for the "Join" link in the upper right corner of the group's page.

See you there!

Embrace Your Uniqueness and Change the World

"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action,
and there is only one of you in all time."
-- Martha Graham
American modern dancer and choreographer

When you bring your passions, skills, talents, past experiences, and education together into one career, you have a unique perspective and expertise to create or contribute to sustainable, restorative, and regenerative solutions that build a better world--where the land, people, wildlife, and economy thrive.

Although you may not think of yourself as all that unique, you really are the interaction of everything you've ever done, experienced, and researched through your childhood, your school years, and your professional life.

If you don't claim and express your uniqueness, you are withholding all that you have to contribute to the issues of our times.

Continue reading . . . 

~~~

Would you like to connect with others who share your passion for the planet and for sustainable solutions? 

Join our Green Career Central Facebook Community - look for the "Join" link in the upper right corner of the group's page.

See you there!

Changing Times Bring New Ways to Birth Innovation

Attention Innovators, Trailblazers, and Aspiring Pioneers!

Over the last few months I've noticed a specific misconception that is causing my clients a fair amount of frustration. My hope is that these tips will help you so you don't fall into the same pit of frustration.

Here's the core notion:

You may think that bringing an innovative idea to life is something you need to do on your own, but what I'm seeing more and more is that true innovation comes about through a collaborative effort that leads to a creative evolution of the original seed of your idea.

Initiating Change on Your Own

To give you a sense of how this unfolds, let me share a compilation of the scenarios I see in my work with clients and the conversations I have with colleagues.
 
You have the seed of an idea. It's an innovative idea. Something no one has approached in this way before. You may be seeing a way to tackle an existing problem in a way that brings new potential solutions to the surface.

You are doing all you can to nail down all the details, thinking you need to figure it out on your own. You may spend weeks, if not months, trying to rein in the many ideas circling in your mind.  Continue reading . . .

~~~

Would you like to connect with others who share your passion for the planet and for sustainable solutions? 

Join our Green Career Central Facebook Community - look for the "Join" link in the upper right corner of the group's page.

See you there!

An Unexpected Tip for Navigating the Path to Making a Difference

As you start to walk out on the way, the way appears ~ Rumi

 

If you are waiting for perfect clarity to begin what you are called to do, then you may never get the clarity you are looking for.

Clarity evolves and refines as you start walking in the direction of your vision. Each step, each encounter, each conversation adds another piece to give you a better sense of where you are headed.

This may feel like it's the exact opposite of what you've seen in my writings before...about the importance of knowing where you are going.

What I've found in my own work is that finding a core vision comes FIRST - what I want to do/how I want to contribute.

THEN with that point on the horizon as a guide, I start moving in that direction -- before I know exactly how I'm going to get there, before I know exactly what it's all going to look like.

So there is a phase of inner reflection and new insights that then guides us as we begin walking in the direction of that future.

• Where are you with these two parts of the journey?
• Have you experienced these before?

(Use the comments area below to share your thoughts!)

 

~~~

Would you like to connect with others who share your passion for the planet and for sustainable solutions? 

Join our Green Career Central Facebook Community - look for the "Join" link in the upper right corner of the group's page.

See you there!

Tip of the Week: A New Angle for Envisioning Your Career for 2013

As the New Year begins, are you contemplating your career options?

• Would you like to transition to a new career or position that allows you to have more impact and feel more fulfilled?
• Do you wonder what your best career move is going to be?

If you are like most people, your first instinct is likely to focus on what you will DO on the new job.

You are no doubt making a mental (or written) inventory of your skills, interests, and experience to dream up options for the next stage of your career.

Although considering what you can contribute to a new position is an essential step in your exploration, there's another question I'd like to highlight in this article.

How Do You Want to "Feel" in 2013?

Why is feeling so important? Well, when you think about it, what you are doing on your job is only one element of your job satisfaction, your sense of fulfillment, and your overall happiness. A number of other elements contribute to how you'll feel this year....

Read more of this week’s Tip of the Week.

~~~

Would you like to connect with others who share your passion for the planet and for sustainable solutions?

Join our Green Career Central Facebook Community - look for the "Join" link in the upper right corner of the group's page.
 
See you there!