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With the holidays coming up, I wanted to remind everyone that now is the time to start preparing yourself for 2013 and recall the approach that I gave regarding the preparation for the new year.   Remember, while everyone is focused on figuring out how to please families in different cities, this is your time to develop the game plan for the coming year.  This plan can include developing a list of people you want to meet/interview/help, certifications you want to earn, etc. If you haven't found your place in the green industry yet, ease some of the self-inflicted tension by reminding yourself this is a growth process and that the energy you choose to spend is better applied to emotions that move you forward, through recognition of small accomplishments, appreciation of those that have supported you along the way, and excitement about your vision of how great your journey will turn out.   The latter is something that has to get you up in the morning.  If your visio...

Green-Tern  has accepted the opportunity to help with the promotion of  Ecology Action ' s Energy Upgrade Volunteer Core Training.  For my friends and followers in (or near) Placer County, read on and share... Ecology Action is pleased to announce a free Energy Efficiency Public Outreach Specialist training program for residents of Placer County and the Capitol region. In exchange for the free training, students become a part of the EA Energy Upgrade Volunteer Core program, a grassroots effort to promote residential energy and water efficiency rebate programs in Placer County.  Please see the attached flyer and application for details and a class agenda ( volunteercoreapplication  ) , or go to  http://www.ecoact.org/Volunteer_Application/ . Please consider posting the volunteer application link to your website and/or distributing this announcement to people in your circle who may be interested in joining the EA Energy Upgrade Volunteer Core. Please...

Recent articles describing some of the challenges of solar companies (i.e. bankruptcy and facility closures) made me think about the natural progression of any industry.  You may recall an earlier post about how the telecommunications industry went through its own house-cleaning and the advice to stay informed with your chosen field.  It's just a matter of time before the renewables go through the same thing, if it hasn't started already.  However, do not despair and abandon your efforts to gain a foothold in the industry.  One of your responsibilities is to stay in tune with the industry of your choice and understand the dynamics.  Why is one company going bankrupt?  Is it a true depiction of industry strength or weakness? What is influencing change? Or is just the result of the cycle that all industries go through?  I would lean toward the latter with the belief that this is a good thing. But let's step this aside from the obvious and start ap...

I was recently asked to comment on some of the skepticism toward the availability of job opportunities within the renewable and sustainable industries.  Both classifications are included as there is a difference, but for the sake of simplifying the message, we'll refer to the "Green" industry.  As an organization focused on accelerating opportunities within this industry, I was more than happy to help with the common goal. The Perspective Challenge The challenge is to decipher between the health of the job market relative to the overall economy and recognizing the true level of opportunities within the Green sector.  As broad as this subject is, you can choose to further dissect the viability of each industry within it (solar, wind, bio, [insert passion here]).  Given that elements such as political influence, local economies (consider the predominant industry as in the oil states, great example here ), regulations and incentives, acceptance of technology, effect...

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...

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...