5 Tips for Finding and Landing a Green Job

Going green is important to many job seekers, especially those young professionals who have grown up conscious of their environmental impact and worked hard to reduce it.

However, finding a green job is not as simple as typing in “green” into a job search engine and sifting through the results — so how do you find what you’re looking for? Here are five tips to finding and landing a green job:

Research green companies. Although some are obvious, there are many organizations who have implemented eco-friendly business practices or sustainable work environments that you may not be aware of. Check out Newsweek’s annual “green ranking” of U.S. companies — surprised to see all of those technology companies made the list?

Don’t focus on the job title. Job searches for words like “environmental” often yield results like Environmental Scientist or Environmental Planner. These may not be exactly what you’re looking for. Instead, search for open positions based on the companies you’ve identified as “green” or find open positions in your industry and then research the organization.

Take steps to go green in your current position. Implement new practices to make your job more environmentally friendly — use natural light when possible, scan instead of print, turn off equipment when you’re not using it, telecommute if possible, etc.

Gain other green experience. Check out volunteer opportunities for green organizations in your community to show your commitment to going green. Then, when you’re ready to apply to a company that is committed to environmentally friendly practices, you’ll stand out among others with similar qualifications because you’ve shown commitment to green practices.

Highlight your passion for green practices. Help the employer understand why you’d love to work for the company by showing your previous experience with going green and emphasizing how important it is that you work for a company with a similar philosophy.

What do you think? What additional tips would you share about finding and landing a green job?

Kat Krull is the Marketing Manager of Resunate, the world’s only automatic resume tailoring tool. You can find Kat and Resunate on Facebook and Twitter.

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