Five Strategies to Shorten the Path to Your Green Career
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Green Career Tip of the Week
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"Other people and things can stop you temporarily.
You're the only one who can do it permanently."
-- Zig Ziglar
Each week I hear stories from people who have spent months, if not a couple of years, trying to transition into a green career. In almost every case, there's something missing in their approach. Either they don't have a clear enough picture of their target or they aren't sure how to break into a new field. In this week's newsletter article, you'll discover five ways you can shorten your path to your green career.
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Tip of the Week: Five Strategies to Shorten the Path to Your Green Career
There's no doubt about it. Making the transition into a green career can be a long, drawn out journey.
- If you aren't clear where you are going, it's extremely hard to arrive at your destination.
- If you don't know what actions to take to get where you are going, you can invest a lot of time without getting any clear results for your efforts.
The key to remember is that there are ways to shorten your journey if you are strategic in how you approach your transition.
Five Strategies to Shorten the Path to Your Green Career
Leverage the Skills You Have - One of the best ways to shorten your path is to figure out how your existing skills are going to be of value within the green economy.
If you don't know the answer to this question right now, don't worry! No one does when they first start out.
The first step is to understand what you have to offer.
Then and only then can you look at a variety of green industries and sectors to figure out where your skills, experience, and knowledge fit.
Find out What's Needed to Excel in Your Target Field - Rather than just focusing on what it takes to get into a new field, pay attention to the best way to succeed! You may not be able to gain the additional skills, knowledge and training all at once, but it will certainly help you make better decisions as you prepare for your transition and your early years in the field.
If you discover you need additional training, do some research to discover the best solution. Talk to a variety of contacts before you leap into a degree program.
Start with a course or two (which is a great way to test that a new field is a good fit for you). Then invest in a conference or a series of webinars. By getting your feet wet, you'll know more about what you need to learn, where your gaps are, and what's required to fill out your resume.
If you do decide to take a certificate course or earn a degree, make sure you understand how that investment is going to prepare you to do the work you want to do. If possible, talk with people who have taken the training to see how they've leveraged the experience. Go into the program knowing what you are going to do the make the most of your investment of time, money, and energy.
Search for Ways to Build Your Credibility in Your Target Field -One of the fastest ways to get noticed in a new field is to become active. Find ways to gain visibility through professional organizations, networking meetings, targeted networking conversations, and social networking. Through your actions, you can gain visibility and catch the attention of key players in the field.
Is this strategy going to produce a job opening tomorrow? Probably not.
It is the quickest way I know to become known and respected in a new profession.
The benefits of getting involved early are many. By being proactive you'll meet more people, build up a reputation for being active, engaged, helpful, knowledgeable, and well connected. In addition, people will remember you; which is just want you want when you are trying to find your way into a new field.
Demonstrate Your Ability to Have an Impact - Employers hire people who make things happen. They are more likely to take your word for it if you have examples that showcase your impact. As you gain insight into your new industry, your main job is to find opportunities to do what you do best...whatever that is.
At first this might feel like a daunting task. Don't let yourself feel overwhelmed. Start small by offering to help someone with a project. Perhaps you meet over lunch to brainstorm with them or you help them get connected to the people they need to know.
Say YES! - When offered the chance to work on a project - volunteer or paid - say YES! It's these small projects that are your ticket to larger, more involved offers. You never know where each YES will take you!
Within four months of starting Green Career Central I was asked to give a talk at a local bookstore during a green expo. Although it didn't seem like much was going to come of that green expo at the time, I can trace several talks, clients, and media opportunities to that one event in 2007. Four years later, I'm still getting leads as a result of that one talk.
The bottom line - Say YES when given an opportunity to play a role in your new field. When you are first starting out, don't turn away from an opportunity that seems small. Give it all you have and make the most of each and every opportunity. You never know how your opportunities are going to lead you to the position you are hoping for!
Copyright 2011, Transition Dynamics Enterprises Inc.
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Are you trying to figure out the next step on the journey to your green career?
During our time together, we'll explore your biggest challenges
and identify the steps you can take to have a breakthrough.
I'm offering a limited number of complimentary Green Career Strategy Sessions.
Follow the Green Money: Money flows to lithium-ion battery materials developer, insurance firm covering crops losses due to extreme weather, and bio-based chemicals.
This weeks Trends include Recyclebank Named to Clean Tech List, AT&T's energy efficiency efforts saved $44 million on an annual basis, a blog of energy efficiency market opportunities.
New Content for Green Career Central Members
About Us
Green Career Central(TM) is an online coaching and resource center designed to help mid-career professionals, students, new grads, and career counselors make sense of the green economy and the green job market.
Carol McClelland, PhD, author of the award-winning, Green Careers For Dummies, is one of the nation's leading green career experts and founder of Green Career Central. Throughout her career, Carol has helped thousands of people find careers that match their values and interests.
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Are You Ready to Figure Out Your Strategy?
...To have a fulfilling, rewarding green career ...Where you can make a difference and prosper? So what's stopping you?
- Are you sorting out what training to get to prepare for your future career?
- Are you unclear about how to focus your target goal?
- Are you trying to figure out where your skills fit?
- Are you wondering how to tap into the green network in your area?
If you aren't sure how to proceed, you waste a lot of time and energy. By not knowing what steps to take, you lose the chance to connect with valuable contacts. In addition you miss powerful opportunities to become engaged in your target industry. I know what you're going through! Throughout my life I've made several major career transitions. I know how hard it is to be in a career that's not fulfilling or meaningful and I know how frustrating it is to want to change, but not see a clear path to your next career. Now I show green career seekers like you the most effective strategies to reach their goal to make a difference and contribute to a sustainable future. When you know where you are going and how to get there, you'll use your time more wisely and achieve results more quickly.
I invite you to apply for a complimentary one-on-one
Green Career Strategy Session with me. During our time together, we'll explore your biggest challenges and identify the steps you can take to have a breakthrough.
Given my schedule, I'm only able to set aside
a limited number of appointments, so act quickly!
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Get Started with Your Green Career Journey
Are you passionate about finding a way to contribute to the emerging green economy?
- Not sure where to start?
- Unclear about what steps to take?
- Trying to figure out where your skills fit within the green economy?
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Copyright (c) Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc. 2007-2011.
All Rights Reserved.
Green Career CentralTM is a trademark of
Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc
PO Box 354, Menlo Park, CA 94026
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