Map to Your Green Career - New and Improved Plan

Most of the people we talk with know they want a green career, but they don't know how to find that new career.

When you look for a new career, what's your first action?

- Do you start doing informational interviews?

- Do you go directly to job boards looking for positions that might work for you?

- Do you talk to your contacts to see if they know of any job openings?

- Do you start going to networking events to try to meet people who can help you find a job?

Although all of those steps are important, viable steps, none of them is actually your best first step. In fact, without completing the first task, all of the actions above will lead to limited success. It's like you are rolling the dice or throwing a dart to find your green career. There's a much better way.

After helping thousands of people find careers they love, I know there's a process people go through to discover, confirm, and find their ideal work. Understanding the process gives you a map to follow to reach your goal.

What Steps Should You Take to Find Your Green Career?

If you are committed to greening your career, you'll have a better, clearer journey if you follow the steps below.

Step 1: Customize Your Green Career Plan

If you want to shorten your path to your green career, familiarize yourself with the steps to your green career.

We know that your goals and your personal situation will define the path you'll take to your green career.

Step 2: Green Economy Big Picture

Before you focus in on your green career goals, take some time to get a sense of the overall green economy. Get a map of the green economy that will give you a framework you can use to understand where your skills and interests fit.

Step 3. Find Your Green Niche

Before you step out to talk with others, your first task is to discover your place in the green economy. What industry or profession are you most interested in targeting? What position will allow you to use your passions, interests, talents, and experience? Although you may feel you don't know what green options are available, this question is really one you answer from the inside out.

Although it is tempting to latch onto one or two of your passions and push forward to find a job, most careers are actually a blend of your skills and interests.

- Think about Your Favorite Work Setting. Although what you do is important to determine, how you work can also have a big impact on your sense of fulfillment and happiness. Spend some time thinking about the kind of work setting that allows you to be productive and feel good. Do you want to work inside or outside? Do you want to be in a large corporation or in a small office?

- Choose Your Path. When you have a good feel for each of your options, assess which idea is the best fit for you personally and professionally. It's possible one or more of your ideas will drop to the bottom of your list. Then decide how you are going to reach your green career goal. Your path will be the one that works for you. If you can move right into job search mode, you'll do that. If you aren't able to move toward your goal that quickly, you may decide to green your current job, volunteer, or work on a project to gain more green experience. Knowing what path you want to take, will help you determine who to network with and what actions to take.

Step 4. Explore Your Possibilities

When you have two or three career ideas you are drawn to, you are ready to move to Step 4.

- In this step, you conduct research to understand your target industries/professions. You don't have to be 100% sure about your targets, you just need to feel excited and drawn to each of your ideas. Before you jump into doing informational interviews, get a sense of what you want to learn about your target industries/professions.

- After creating a plan, your next step is to do online research to gain a general understanding of your target industries/professions. In this section you'll discover the best strategies and resources to use to conduct your research online.

- When you have a good understanding of your target industries/professions, you are ready to do your informational interviews. We've got a number of tips to help you make the most of your conversations with your contacts. Begin by listening! Don't try to make a decision until you have enough information to make a solid decision.

Step 5. Build Your Green Network

With your target career and your path in mind, you'll have a much easier time creating a green network online and in person. With your green niche in mind, you'll know what networking events and conferences to schedule into your calendar. You'll know what professional associations to explore. You'll know who to target to talk to about the best way to reach your career goals.

Step 6. Prepare for Your Green Career

At some point in your research and your networking, it's likely you'll realize you need to strengthen your green resume in one way or another. Your preparations for your green career may take a couple of weeks, several months, or even a couple of years, depending on your personal situation and your career goal. Remember each step you take is moving you closer to your green career goal.

Step 7. Take Action to Reach Your Green Goal

When you are ready to move forward, look to Step 7 for support as you:

- Start your green job search

- Launch a green business

Our Next Step:

Now that you understand the overall map to reach your green career goal, keep in mind that you may spend more time in some steps than in others based on your goals.

- I need to find a job now.

- I have some time to explore my green career options.

- I have a green career idea.

- I know I want a green career eventually, but for now I want to figure out how to green the job I have.

- I have green work experience, and I'm ready to identify my next move.

- I want to go back to school.

- I plan to start a green business.