EnergyCareerPath.com

Making a career change is no easy feat by any means.  Whether it was voluntary or a move under pressure, changing course from the path that you've grown accustomed to can leave you grasping for direction.  What if you're not going through a career change and just happen to be faced with an unknown?  How about a "known" and the details just plain freak you out?  To make  matters worse, you may be bombarded with the constant pressure to "blaze your own trail", or "make a difference" or "control your destiny". I've even talked about bringing yourself to the point of discovery here , but what I want to circle back to and acknowledge is that through every step of my life, there was always....and I mean ALWAYS someone who I can turn to (whether I knew it or not) when faced with a challenge.   If you're like me, you may seem to continuously find yourself up against challenges that seem bigger than the goals beyond them and if those cha...

2011 Sierra Innovation Summit Series – Part 2 of 6 Focus on Opportunities and Solutions In part 2 of the 2011 Sierra Innovation Summit Series, I want to address the theme of focusing on opportunities and solutions.  During the opening statements of the summit, the audience was reminded to "focus on the opportunities", "focus on the solutions."   This message should not be new to anyone yet it seems to surface often in light of knowing that for any industry to succeed, this set of rules must be included. As a new student entering the industry, you may very well have the solutions or even believe that you are the solution.  So what are we missing here that would prompt the reminders?  Perhaps it’s the overwhelming possibilities that come with solution generation.  But more importantly, not all possibilities are solutions. One of the common words of guidance that I've received from those who are successful in their green careers is that you must first ...

Okay.  We're not going to really talk about rats, but imagine the outcome if you had to decide on the survival of your family over sparing an endangered animal.  I love life, I love nature.  But at some point we have to make a decision that results in a better tomorrow.  I'll come back to this. The Sacramento Business Journal recently posted the report, " California, Sacramento keeps growing 'green' jobs " which highlights the achievements of the region that includes California's Core Green Economy Job average annual growth rate of 3%. First, I want go in to Next 10's report and focus on ideas for the green-tern. Page 14 (report is no longer avail as of 2018) provides a quick reference table of Green segments and job types that can help you with your research for careers in the Green industry.   Another great find in this report is how major cities are defined by the type of energy solutions they focus on determined by employment shares.  For examp...

We grow up being told that education leads to job security and that job security determines direction.  While this may be true in some aspects, focusing only on job security will be your inhibitor. Many of you have made the decision to leave that comfort zone...  that hourly - that salary - that position  - that status.   Some of you have spent years studying for one industry only to find yourself in the green industry.  Now faced with the decision of whether or not to continue down your current path, you may be tempted to go back to something that you probably determined won't make you happy. I want to remind you of the importance of bringing yourself to the point of discovery, learning what your tolerance for adversity is and then pushing past it.  Job security is one thing.  Knowing what you're made of is another. It's been said that if you can go to bed at night knowing that you've learned something new that day, then you've allowed your...

Renewable Energy Certificates (REC's) are starting to buzz more often in my ears, so I figured that it was time to begin understanding what will someday become the "alternative" market for trading. Renewable Electricity Certificates or Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs) is viewed as the solution that will help states meet their Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) sooner, if not more aggressively. To simplify how the process works, here's my take: 1. Grid-tied producer of electricity (solar, wind...pick your flavor) produces a) electricity and b) the REC. 2. Once the renewable-based electricity is created and sent to the grid, there is no way of distinguishing between electricity generated from other sources. ("Come on! I swear my 1-panel system is powering Grand Central Station.") 3. The solution is to give the point of generation 1 REC for every megawatt of electricity contributed to the grid. 4. This gives you the two products (electricity a...

I recently received interesting feedback about the whole idea of green as an over stretched issue exaggerated by the government and that an industry that revolves around the sciences leaves one at the mercy of other people to determine what the problems are or are not.  What I appreciate the most about this response is that it was genuine.  The sentiment is shared by many people and it serves a purpose in creating a certain degree of resilience in society.  It also came from a very good friend who I can count on to tell it to me straight. I like this perspective because I can go into many industries and apply the challenge.  In telecom, how does the customer know he or she is really getting four gigs of data when the tools that measure bandwidth are driven by engineering-manipulated software?  Do they know the value of spectrum purchased from the government, let alone the reason for pages of additional charges on their bill?  In medicine can a patient arg...

As the first Monday of the new year approaches, I wanted to start off this post by reiterating the importance of viewing your industry with the big picture in mind.  When I was doing my first solar installation, one of the rooftop ramblings involved the close and obvious relationship between solar and electricity vehicles. Now the idea of electric cars is not new.  Neither is the idea of charging stations.  However, the opportunities that present themselves are great for those that want to get in to solar, electrical technician positions, and yes, even smart grid.  As the charging stations become more popular and we see the charging stations appear as frequently as the highway rest stop, there should be a demand for technicians to service those stations. The article brought up an interesting issue on load clusters that helped broaden my own perspective on the career possibilities with charging stations.  The article states, "Load clusters occur when several ...

When I was in telecommunications, there was nothing more fascinating than being part of cutting edge technology.  Part of the enjoyment while in the industry is being able to watch your industry to not only evolve, but to also be a major influence in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  But that psychological theory was never a prominent thought in my own mind as I watched the progression of technology in the wireless industry slowly choke out the workforce that supported it. While working in a switching office between late '98 and early 2000, I recall the size of the switch rooms and the many rows of equipment required to provide communications to mobile subscribers.  Jump ahead 10 years and you'll find that technology has either eliminated that switching office or reduced the equipment down to a single box.  Less equipment, less headcount. I recently sat down with a very good friend of mine who was with me in the industry from the beginning of our careers in telecommu...

Many of you may have already been pressured with the challenge to keep networking throughout the holidays, especially when you’re at family gatherings or holiday events.  Although this is definitely the tried-and-true approach to achieve success in your pursuit for a fulfilling career, I believe that there additional ways to channel your focus. The traditional preaching indicates that we continue to create accountability by delivering to the audience the dynamics of our goals at every opportunity.  However, if you're not reflecting on the methods that you have used during the year, you could be using that same incorrectly packaged delivery used during the last holiday gathering.  Odds are that you'll be back with the same family, who by all expectations should already be aware of your agenda. So take advantage of the opportunity to reflect on the following: What family member do you believe has a bigger net to cast in the networking world?  Can you spend mo...