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Green Careers

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Reach Communications Consulting Inc www.reachcc.com

© 2000-2009, Reach Communications Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. “Reach” and “where branding gets personal”

are trademarks of Reach Communications Consulting. All other marks are owned by their respective companies.

Contents

Introduction from William Arruda, Reach Founder 3

Five Tips for Getting a Green Job – Frank Marquardt 4

Advice from Reach Preferred Personal Branding Strategists

Have a Clear Strategy and Go Green with Ease – Randi Busson 5

You Don’t Have to Leave to Get a Green Job – Become the

Internal Environmental Champion! – Paul Copcutt 6

It’s Important to Act Green When You Are Green! – Rachel Gogos 7

A Green Career Makeover – Susan Guarneri 8

A Future Trend in the Job Market – Kristen Jacoway 9

Distinguishing Yourself as a Green Leader – Tara Kachaturoff 10

How Green is Your Personal Brand? – Valerie Sokolosky 11

Advice from Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategists

Do You Bleed Green? – Harp Arora 12

Want to Transition to a Green Job? Research and Network

Your Way In – Meg Guiseppi 13

Changing to a Green Career – Kathy Vandenbury 14

Green Career Resources 15

About … 16

Resources from Reach 17

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Introduction from William Arruda | Founder, Reach

Green. It’s the color that gets the most attention these days – thanks to environmental awareness, concerns about global warming, government

initiatives and the general public’s growing interest in preserving nature.

I once delivered 14 presentations in two days to journalists in Paris for the

re-launch of Garnier Fructis (hence the photo). The presentation was

focused on one thing – GREEN. I know a lot about the color green (you can watch this fun video to learn about this fascinating color on Youtube:

http://bit.ly/3kaC2 Is Green Your Brand Color?). This report, however, is not about green – the color, it’s about the green – the movement.

The green movement is spawning jobs that didn’t exist a few years ago, entrepreneurs who are starting “green-focused” companies and new

“green” offerings from all kinds of established organizations. A friend of

mine and renowned documentary filmmaker Donna Vermeer, for example, launched Green Focus Films to help companies create videos highlighting

their green efforts: www.greenfocusfilms.com. This new movement is also

giving environmentalists of all types the mandate to inject their passion for nature into their career. The global attention on the environment is an

opportunity for all of us.

I’ve been pondering Reach’s contribution to the green movement for some

time now – seeking a way to add value to this worthy effort. In addition to being more environmentally conscious (like going paperless), I decided we

should do what we do best – help people build their brands and advance

their careers. That’s why we produced this report and are making it available to anyone who wants it.

On the pages that follow, you’ll find advice from some of the world’s most sought-after career counselors and executive coaches – all Reach-Certified

Personal Branding Strategists – along with words of wisdom from one our

Reach Personal Branding Interview Series guests – an expert in green careers. Enjoy!

Best.

Wi!!iam

William Arruda

www.reachpersonalbranding.com

What have you done for YOUR brand today?

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Going Green: Five Tips for Getting a Green Job

1. Understand why green matters.

To those working towards sustainability, green isn’t a fad or trend—it’s a serious and critical shift in how to think about business, resources,

and the planet. Study up on the origins of sustainable development;

read leading books in the field like Biomimicry, Cradle to Cradle, and The Ecology of Commerce; and track the developments and trends in

the industry by checking out websites like Treehugger, GreenBiz.com,

and Greentech Media.

2. Get clear on your goals. Green jobs vary widely, from climate scientists studying air quality to

engineers designing solar panels to restaurateurs serving menus

where all ingredients are sourced within a 100-mile radius. What do you want to do? Even within seemingly targeted areas, like clean tech,

there are a wide range of subsectors—wind, solar, biofuels, battery

technology, and more. Knowing the type of company, the type of work, and the customer category you want to serve will help you

communicate your goals to others and make it easier to find the folks

who can hire you.

3. Learn the language. One of the requirements in any industry is to know what people are

talking about. Within the world of green jobs, however, there are

many languages—from green building acronyms like LEED to solar technologies like thin-film CIGS to wind industry terms like hybrid-

composite. Mastering the language of the industry sector you want to

join will show that you’re serious about the work.

4. Join the community.

Attend green conferences, networking events like Green Drinks and EcoTuesday, and presentations about local green initiatives. Join green

groups on LinkedIn. By joining your local green community, you’ll find

out about opportunities, build your knowledge about what’s going on, and come away with connections that will help you network your way

to people who can hire you.

5. Build your experience.

Take classes, volunteer, and take on an internship. By getting involved, you build your skills and start to show a track record of

facilitating the shift toward a greener world. You’ll also make more

connections and show others in the field that you’re serious about going green.

Guest Contributor: Frank Marquardt

Frank Marquardt is the author of The Solar Job Guide and can be reached

at [email protected]. www.solarjobguide.com

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Have a Clear Strategy and Go Green with Ease

In this economy where change is constant, perhaps you have thought about switching to a field with high

growth potential.

Many of my clients who have come out of high tech-

nology and telecommunications are seeking to trans-

fer their skills to industries offering long-term career potential and opportunities for federal stimulus

money. Two fields come to mind that meet these criteria: healthcare IT and alternative/green energy.

Many alternative energy start-ups are getting increased financing from VCs and other lenders, which translates into staff hiring and increased

sales and marketing efforts. This sector is one of the brightest. VC world-

clean tech investments are up 40% from 2007.

Several sub sectors are hot. Solar still represents the lion’s share of the

VC investments – roughly 40%. Biofuels and transportation follow with 11% and 9.5%, respectively.

So how can you move into this sector? Here are some quick tips:

1. Can you leverage a functional area of expertise (marketing or finance) from a related industry and then use this expertise to

switch over to alternative energy?

2. Is there an opportunity for you to take on a “green project” at work

or volunteer on a task force that has to do with “sustainability”?

This will provide concrete experience you can sell.

3. Does your state provide money and/or scholarships to train

technology executives for the green economy?

4. Do your homework. Read the “Clean Tech Revolution” by Pernick and Wilder. Get well versed on the industry and how you can add

value.

5. Attend networking events, be they professional associations,

business school clubs on the green sector, or venture capital

meetings. Make connections, learn the buzzwords, and rebrand yourself for this growing field.

Randi Bussin

www.aspireforsuccess.com | 1.617.489.7738

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You Don’t Have to Leave to Get a Green Job – Become the Internal Environmental Champion!

The environment could be one of your passions, even a core value. The challenge is that you don’t see your current company doing anything

about it. In fact, the majority of respondents to a Monster survey said that

given the choice, they would leave their current employer for a “greener” one. But the great news is that you do not have to leave!

In a similar survey, also for Monster, only 18% of respondents felt that their employer was being extremely green. The reason that most

employers are not taking the first steps is due to a lack of information and

the upfront cost of doing something. This is where YOU come in.

Identify who in your organization would have

a say in making greener

policies and decisions and understand what

their current opinions

are. Let them know that you are passionate about

this cause and you would

like to spearhead an initiative to establish the

benefits of taking a greener approach.

After all, green programs have been shown not only to save costs, but also to engage and retain employees.

Be sure that your profile, internally, becomes one associated with the green initiative. Consider adding a byline to your e-mail signature, having

something in your work area that reflects green, and even putting an

internal announcement out there.

First, do an assessment of what is being done now and then look to

recommend some quick changes that will have an impact both by being noticed and saving the organization money. After that, think about

enrolling some like-minded colleagues to the cause and establish some longer-term goals and programs. Very soon you will have the unofficial job

title of IGO – Internal Green Officer!

Paul Copcutt

www.squarepegsolution.com | 1.905.628.1100

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It’s Important to Act Green When You Are Green!

Practice what you preach

Many companies focus on

green products or green aspects of business such as

producing solar panels or

designing green buildings.

These companies market themselves as “green

companies.” If you dig a little

deeper you can find out if they act green too.

• Do they recycle paper?

• Do they brew coffee in house and use non-disposal mugs or paper cups?

• Do they have lights that are operated by motion sensors?

• What do they do with old office equipment?

• How do they dispose of old computers and gadgets?

• How are meetings organized (do they include lots of papers or are emails used to pass along pertinent information)?

Remember – as you brand your green business make sure you’re consis-tent in every aspect of portraying your image.

Rachel Gogos

www.thebrandiD.com | 1.724.260.0026

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A Green Career Makeover

Does your career need a make-

over to be more competitive in

the current job market? Think green! Green jobs are not just for

technical and scientific profess-

sionals such as eco-consultants and renewable energy engineers.

In fact, your current job or

profession could undergo a

“green jobs” makeover without any additional training to become

much more desirable by

employers and more secure.

Every company or organization in

the green sector has openings for people in finance, administrative services, sales and marketing, and

human resources. Begin by researching green industries such as hydro-power, fuel cells, pollution control, waste reduction, alternative energy,

clean manufacturing, sustainability, as well as green companies within

those industries.

Read about green initiatives and green careers and find a mentor already

in a green industry so you can gain knowledge about the green sector and discuss it more confidently as you network and interview. You do not want

to be asking basic questions. Build your credibility so you can be consid-

ered a viable candidate, rather than a newbie who will require lots of training or coaching to speak the language of the industry.

Susan Guarneri

www.AssessmentGoddess.com | 1.715.546.4449

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A Future Trend in the Job Market

The industry buzzword is “green.” I see it in commercials, TV shows, and when I walk through a store. Interestingly, entire new fields of careers are

sprouting from the green initiatives and it just might help some people

who have experienced job loss.

According to an article written by Kent Hoover of the Dayton Business

Journal, the recent economic stimulus bill included $500M for “green jobs” training. In the article, Mr. Hoover reports that, “priority will be given to

training programs that target low-income workers, the unemployed, and high school dropouts in areas with high poverty rates.”

In the book, “Green Jobs: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Employment,” written by

A. Bronwyn Llewellyn, James P. Hendrix,

and K.C. Golden, the authors discuss how this “green wave holds significant

implications for the future of jobs and

careers.” The authors also reference the $300B federal funding proposal that the

Apollo Alliance has recommended for eco-related projects that has the potential to

create approximately three million jobs.

The majority of companies are showing an interest in their “carbon foot-

print” and taking initiatives to change. A recent Google search found 121

million results for the term “green companies”. In an article appearing in USA Today, “Companies Turn Up the Green,” by Mikki K. Harris, the

author lists some companies that are taking green initiatives

(http://tinyurl.com/4rhxho).

To find green jobs, you may want to visit a few of the websites listed in

the resources on page 15.

Kristen Jacoway

www.careerdesigncoach.com | 1.888.970.5553

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Distinguishing Yourself as a Green Leader

Our global environmental crisis requires we align our thoughts and actions with the furthering of renewable, sustainable, eco-friendly solutions at

work, home and play. With green career opportunities growing at an ever

increasing rate, it’s an opportune time to stand up and stand out as a leader in your niche.

Businesses will be looking to hire and partner with those authentically

engaged with the green movement. Those who are knowledgeable about

eco-friendly alternatives, actively

integrating green lifestyle changes, and demonstrating leadership in these

areas, through speaking and writing,

will be setting a positive and beneficial example for others, not to mention

gaining a competitive advantage.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or careerist, you can increase your visi-

bility and credibility by showcasing your talents and your understanding of what it means to incorporate a green-mindset into your area of expertise.

Here are some easy ways to distinguish yourself:

1. Be authentic. To be a green leader in your niche, you need to “walk

the talk.” How are you living a green life? Why is this important to you

and the work you do? What contributions do you hope to make as a result?

2. Expand your knowledge. Actively educate yourself about green initiatives, products, services, companies, and global issues by reading

relevant periodicals and books, skimming blogs, attending seminars,

and connecting with other thought leaders.

3. Express your expertise. Write articles and post them to your blog and to other online article sites. Join the conversation by actively

commenting and contributing to relevant green blogs and podcasts.

Interview book authors, founders of green companies, and leaders of environmental causes. Consider writing a whitepaper, ebook, or even

a short self-published book that ties your industry expertise to all

things green.

Be green. Be authentic. Make a difference.

Tara Kachaturoff

www.PersonalBrandEssentials.com | 1.248.723.1926

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How Green is Your Personal Brand?

As momentum for the green job market continues to grow, make sure your branding is as green as possible…and that often takes thinking out of

the box.

You may not be able to build a

wind turbine, but you may work in sales at a financial firm that

encourages green investments or be an accountant at a bank that

funds green construction. These

experiences count and may be invaluable in landing a “green”

job.

Here are some additional tips to color your personal brand green:

• Walk the talk. Practice the three R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle – in your home life as well as your professional activities.

• Emphasize your concern by adding “green” credentials to your resume.

• Volunteer locally in green initiatives.

• If you’re in sales, decide how you can “green” your business processes, such as recycling paper, using a hybrid automobile or

going paperless.

• Describe yourself and your work ethic in “green” terms – and don’t hesitate to talk about “green” issues whenever you’re networking.

• Demonstrate your personal environmental sensitivity, i.e., having your own reusable coffee cup, using paper cups or reusable

containers rather than bottled water, recycling printer ink cartridges and recycling your wardrobe by giving old clothing to charity and

finding “nearly” new items at consignment and vintage stores.

• Keep up with the latest green trends, such as using reusable grocery bags when you shop. Also know what’s happening with conservation

of clean water and clean air in your area.

• Invest in energy-efficient appliances, fixtures, rainwater collecting systems and solar panels for your home.

• Be sincere. Care about the planet.

Valerie Sokolosky

www.valerieandcompany.com | 1.214.290.0100

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Do You Bleed Green?

Before you jump headfirst into the green fray, step back and ask yourself

this: “How can I demonstrate my

authentic motivation to make the world more sustainable?”

Skip the memories of recycling water bottles and bringing your own coffee

mug to Starbucks. Now dig a little deeper. What moved you to change

your way of life and when, where, and

why did it happen?

Is there a story that clearly expresses your value or passion for sustain-

ability? If the answer’s no, you’ve led yourself down the garden path. But if that story exists, communicating it from the heart will set you apart

from those who aren’t truly committed. And the more emotion your

personal story stirs up for you, the more you will engage, and the more powerful you will be at every stage of the job search. After all, you’re not

just looking for a job; you’re seizing an opportunity to change the world.

Harp Arora

www.sedonacommunications.com | 1.519.747.5793

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Want to Transition to a Green Job? Research and Network Your Way In

Competition is growing exponentially for jobs in this hot industry. The key

to success is investing time in targeted research, compiling a list of com-panies to focus on, identifying hiring decision-makers or leads within those

companies, and penetrating their networks.

Practice “give to get” networking

Gently get to know them, what their needs are, and how you can solve

their problems. Build evangelism for your brand and stay top of mind with them. When they hear of jobs that may be a good fit, they’ll think of you.

• Familiarize yourself with industry trends, culture, and the lingo, so you’ll converse intelligently.

• Identify companies through Google search and at www.hoovers.com, www.forbes.com, libraries, etc., then

dig deeper at websites of each com-

pany on your list.

• Create career marketing communica-tions that align your niche expertise

and brand value proposition with the

needs of your target companies.

Connect with leads through online social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter,

Facebook, etc.) and professional associations. See job-hunt.org’s list of 175+ green industry groups: www.job-hunt.org/associations/green-

industry-associations.shtml

The payoff for targeting and networking?

• You’ll have first-response to unadvertised positions. Or, your target companies may decide to chisel out an opportunity for you. You probably won’t have any competition!

• You’ll circumvent HR departments and tap into the hidden job market, because you’re not moving through the traditional HR-

driven search process.

• Your research will also serve as due diligence work to pre-qualify whether companies are a sound choice.

• You’ll become a known commodity and valuable asset because you’ve taken the time to extend your brand value to the companies’

inner decision-making circle.

Meg Guiseppi

www.executiveresumebranding.com | 1.973.726.0757

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Changing to a Green Career

Research ways to transition your current or new career within the green economy. By researching, you will discover the various opportunities for

professionals and trades people. Evaluate your current skills and how they

could transfer as well.

For example, an accountant may

consider a career in environmental accounting, or a salon/spa owner may

transition to an eco-salon/organic spa.

Stay-at-home mothers could create an

entrepreneurial adventure by selling organic home-cleaning products, or

start an organic home cleaning business

addressing the importance of a clean “green” home for their children’s health.

Connect with professional associations and virtual communities, as well as

write articles in green magazines such as The Green Parent or Organic Spa.

Kathy Vandenburg

www.prosperousfutures.blogspot.com | 1.908.995.2193

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Green Resources

You can find out more about green careers and jobs at:

www.greencareercentral.com

www.greencollarblog.org

www.greenforall.org

www.ecojobs.com

www.greenenergyjobs.com

www.greenjobs.com

www.cleantechrecruits.com

Green industry resources:

www.renewableenergyworld.com

www.theultimategreenlist.com

www.awea.org

Going green:

www.gengreenlife.com

http://green.venturebeat.com

http://blog.cleantechies.com/cleantech-links

Links for “Going Green: 5 Tips for Getting a Green Job”

www.treehugger.com

www.greenbiz.com

www.greentechmedia.com

“Follow the Green Jobs Road” at:

http://blog.careergoddess.com/blog

“Facing the Future”: Article about Prince Charles’ green lecture on

thepersonalbrandingblog.com:http://bit.ly/Q0lfT

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About…

About Reach Personal Branding

Founded in 2001 by personal branding pioneer, William Arruda, Reach is

the global leader in personal branding. Focused on the human side of

branding, we deliver training, workshops, certification programs and assessments to large enterprise clients, small businesses, professionals

and entrepreneurs throughout the world.


About William Arruda

Dubbed the Personal Branding Guru, William Arruda is the founder of Reach, the global leader in personal branding and the author of Career

Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand. You can learn more at:

www.williamarruda.com

About the Preferred Reach-Certified Personal Branding

Strategists

This subset of Reach-Certified Personal Branding Strategists have joined a

special program reserved for those Strategists who commit to using the Reach Personal Branding methodology with all their clients. They benefit

from special mentoring programs and product bundles to help them help

their clients. www.reachpersonalbranding.com/certification/preferred-program/meet-

the-reach-preferred-personal-branding-strategists/

Why Work with a Reach-Certified Personal Branding

Strategist

This impressive group of executive and coaches, image consultants, HR executives and careers industry practitioners have undergone an intensive

training program to fully understand how to uncover and build the brands

of their clients. In going through the process, they learn how to brand themselves so they are better equipped to support their clients’ brand-

building activities.

www.reachpersonalbranding.com/certification/why-hire-a-reach-certified-personal-branding-strategist/

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Resources from Reach

The Personal Branding Blog

www.thepersonalbrandingblog.com

YOUnique | The Reach Personal Branding Newsletter

www.reachpersonalbranding.com/newsletter/current/

360ºReach™ Personal Branding Assessment

Register for your free 15-day account at:

www.reachcc.com/360v4register

Reach Personal Branding Web Site


William Arruda’s Web Site

www.williamarruda.com

Guide design and layout by Sue Brettell

Personal branding identity design and communication www.id-creativesolutions.com

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