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‎For any person or organization that directly provides training to those that are new to the industry: "Remember, the measurement of success is based not on the number of students that go through your program, but rather the experience that you and your company delivers that help them confirm that they are in the right industry." ~Michael

Despite the capital invested in your education or transitional training, be prepared to enter the industry at the bottom of the pecking order.  No matter how strong of a game-changing attitude you may think you'll bring, understand that the hierarchical system of social organization in that company is going to ensure that your aspirations of coming in as top chicken will be de-feathered.  At least initially or until you’ve made enough coffee runs.  Corporate culture alone takes a period of saturation to understand.  Add in passion for environmental responsibility to that culture and you have one of the toughest organizational environments to penetrate if you don't support the vision.  In addition, the game has become ...still remains challenging as many career individuals with the very experience you desire to obtain have been displaced and are now fighting for the same position you're willing to do for free.  This only adds to the necessity ...

As you dive in to the vast world of sustainability, you must first recognize there are many applicable sustainability standards depending on the industry you choose to participate in.  As with any job interview, one of the main cards you can have in your back pocket is the element of industry standards knowledge.  Familiarizing yourself with sustainability standards for your target industry is essential to determining the health of an organization and whether that company compliments your level of environmental ethics. ASTM International , formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is an organization that develops standards that address environmental and economic concerns in buildings and construction.  These standards focus on measurements for sustainability action impact.  This organization offers a virtual classroom to new members which may be of interest to you. Have an eye for interior design?  Perhaps the sustainability st...

One of the biggest worries of entering a job site as the intern is the possibility of becoming the gofer (pronounced gopher). A properly designed internship program would take the desired job position and establish roles and responsibilities between both the intern and the supervisor, minimizing the possibilities of you performing menial errands for the sake of convenience. So what do you do if after all the agreements and words of reassurance that you will not have your availability misused, you still find yourself making a pizza run for your coworkers? My warrior intern, I would like to give you a quote from Sun Tzu’s Art of War: " Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots" Before you take this literally, put away the samurai sword and understand the relevance. "Take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness" - In the office or at a job site, nothing keep...

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...

There's something beautiful about a green internship. At the start of my Photovoltaics class, an assessment of the class was made to determine who is serious about "going solar".   For me, any time I'm enrolled in a class, there's some degree of seriousness otherwise, why go?  From the initial assessment, I was fortunate to be given the chance to take a position as a solar installation intern prior to completing my campus training.  Tip: Any of you who have done the same now have a bullet item for your resume to highlight adaptability .   When I was interning for the solar company (one which will be covered soon), I had come to realize just how important the opportunity was. While on the roof, my coworkers and I came up with many ideas for green companies to not only support solar, but ideas for other focuses such as electricity. Here are several things to take away from this: 1.  We are solution-driven .  Being part of an internship progr...