Have you ever thought about how come we all are surviving in polluted cities and struggling to get to work days due to heavy traffic? Well, this is what our lives have become now. Many of us have already shifted towards eco-friendly life choices and are slowly adopting the new normal. How about if you can mix your lifestyle choice with your work? Yes, Green Technology jobs are the next future.
Are you wondering why these fields become popular recently has and why several business giants have launched sustainable programs and promoted them religiously to the public? Let’s see what is the hype about.
Top 10 Advantages Of A Career In Green Technology
Well, this is the industry of the future as an environmental threat is real and we all have started facing various consequences of our non-diligence in this matter. Glaciers are melting at high speed and floods have become normal. On the other hand, we frequently face heat waves in our cities, and air and water pollution is making us sick. Many renowned organizations have started their work for green vision and now need a workforce to assist further.
1. No Specific Requirement Of Degree:
The field is currently relying on online learning to train its technicians and other service providers in different fields. Online is a much cheaper option as compared to the traditional method. If you want to add an extra degree or training to your resume, Green career is the right choice for it. As you progress in your career, you can keep adding certifications to your resume!
2. Start Right Away!
With proper training and skills, you can easily start your career in this field straight away. By the time, it becomes the new normal; you will be well trained to perform at a much better position and pay scale.
3. Jobs And Entrepreneurship Opportunities Are Available
Green Technology training opens both jobs and business opportunities for all individuals and one can easily decide how they want to move forward in their career. You can join a company as their energy consultant and help them achieve their goals or even start your own business in the fields like Green Building infrastructure or as a technician. There are vast options and freedom to choose a career you might have dreamt of. With your skills, you will be able to start your own venture and take your business further.
4. Incentives By The Government To Support
Due to the popularity and demand of today’s world, Governments are offering great incentives for such ventures that have built the interest of the people. Many new business owners are taking benefit from this incentive offered by the government as it opens new jobs and careers for several careers.
5. Your Role In Better Environment
With green careers, the energy levels are improved and efficiently used to improve the health and life quality of the environment. With your skill set, you will be able to play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air and waste pollution, and restoring the ecosystem to its original which is the need of the hour today.
6. More Job Opportunities
It has been estimated that every dollar invested in green technology that helps the economy, creates 3x more job opportunities as compared to nonrenewable choices in our lives.
7. Fastest Growing Industry
Today, the green technology sector is growing at the rate of 8.3% on annual basis with zero side effects on the environment.
8. Fuel Your Economy
The Green Career choice is not only fueling the economy but also creating several opportunities while bridging the gap between fossil fuel-based businesses with energy-efficient solutions.
9. Explore More Sectors In Sustainable Industry
Your career can easily be shifted and gain better opportunities with your green skillset. Today giant companies are investing in sustainable industry and are in need of different green people to improve their business. With your training, you can go following sectors to serve:
- Consultation: Experts are hired for best practices when it comes to sustainability. The consultants help in making environmental-friendly policies at work and recommend improvements throughout the cycle. They also train the employees to sustain the new changes as per the initiatives.
- Military: To serve in the force, military training is required but there are various options to serve in green.
- Insurance: The business model of the insurance sector is directly impacted by environmental changes. Today, all residential and commercial projects are insured from climatic risks like floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes. With drastic changes coming through, the brokers are required to assess the future and calculate insurance rates that can cover their business model as well.
- Education: There are limited graduates from the sustainability background who can offer their services in creating more graduates to fill the need. To teach at high school, university, or community colleges, teacher training programs are required but a background of sustainable degree is important too.
- Government Sector: Experts are needed by all the governments worldwide in local, federal, and state departments to research climatic threats and generate reports for elected officials who can manage the new policies of the government. One can also work in the communication department of such initiatives to generate their communication strategy and educate people about new regulations.
- Energy Sector: Experts are needed that can assist the businesses in shifting their business models to renewable energy including solar and wind. Businesses can also create communication campaigns for the public for their environmental initiatives. One of the most popular careers in choice in Green Technology is Energy Auditor. With proper training, You can start your own business and become a consultant for several companies that are operating in the same field. You will be guiding them regarding saving the use of energy that is coming from fossil fuels and relying on renewable resources like sunlight, wind, water, geothermal heat, and water or tide energy. No doubt, solar and wind energy is a huge plus for all industries including residential and you can get an advantage out of it. One can also work in the sales and marketing department of this sector where half of your job is already i.e. information to the public. All people are aware of the reduction of availability of fossil fuels that helps generate gas and oil. All you have to do is to educate people on how they can save money and rely on renewable resources and reduce their carbon footprint on the planet.
10. Job Security
Concerned with recession and major job losses during the COVID 19 Pandemic? It’s high time to add green skills to your resume and enjoy the long-term benefits. The giants are investing in this industry and serious efforts have been made by the government during this time. The shutdown of several industries was a major reason for such investments in green technology. As you are going to progress further in this industry, your job security will increase. Start today with your interested field.
5 Steps To Start Your Career In Green Technology
Today in the US, if you want to start your career in green technology, the Top 10 cities to look for opportunities include San Francisco Bay Area, Houston, New York, Washington D.C, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Denver and Dallas. While you are planning to work in this sector, make sure your resume, cover letter, and interview skills show your deep interest in the overall idea of sustainability.
1. Gauge your Skillset
Match your current skillset that you have already developed in your career or education and see which skills can be used for a sustainable industry. Experts in the industry comment that due to massive environmental challenges, the industry is in dire need of people with a variety of skillset. From Financial skills to policy-making, companies are looking for variety. Once you shortlist your skills, you will be able to find sustainable energy roles in several organizations.
2. Get trained for the industry
Today, many renowned universities have launched online training and courses post-pandemic. You avail this time by taking some courses. You can also Google Best Environmental Science Courses Online and you will probably land on websites like Udemy and Coursera. Apart from the online courses, many universities have started sustainable educational programs at associate, postgraduate, and doctorate levels to create professionals for the industry. You can look for options in your city or even apply for scholarships in association with funding parties. Can you imagine the possibilities that might be available for you if you start today? This article is a detailed guide to navigating your career path in green technology. As the industry itself is new, there are a variety of options that can be explored and additional point is that you do need to have a certain graduate degree to join the green technology. The industry is training and you can be one of their trained resources easily.
3. Start searching on green job boards
From entry-level jobs to experienced ones, there is a lot that you can find on green job boards. Search for jobs that match your current skill set or passion skills in which you want to grow. You can also gather information related to this field by interviewing people from the industry. At first, your focus should not be on getting a job but to gain solid information regarding different positions, skills required, necessary training or degree, or even subject base knowledge.
4. Rework Your Resume
The resume needs to mention some concrete skills and detailed knowledge regarding the subject. For example, a company would prefer to hire a person who is a marketing analyst who can work on different models but also has knowledge regarding the sustainable industry. You might have to tweak or revise your resume and base it on your skillset and experience relevant to sustainable energy. If you are a fresher, volunteer the service that can create an opportunity for you in the organization.
5. Write Your Cover Letter That Shows Your Interest In Green
If you are shifting your role then your story should be told in the cover letter to reason why you are switching to this side. A well-written cover letter will help the employers know your passion for the industry and understand the connection of your previous roles with the current role they are hiring for.
Top 5 Essential Skills For Green Career
From getting the technical knowledge of the field, the industry requires several soft skills that can be beneficial. As the industry is itself new and has a lot to progress in, 5 skills are essential for any role in a green industry.
Skill 1- Problem Solving
With the variety of crisis including social, health, and environmental that is actually caused by humans, problem-solving skills is the need. With researching of solutions and best practices to solve problems through alternative methods is the essence of problem-solving skills.
Skill 2- Communication
Like all other industries, this emerging industry also requires professionals to understand the information through listening and discussions. With great communication, there are high chances of learning together from each other and presenting their research or findings to management or policymakers. This skill is developed through group work and practice.
Skill 3- Interpersonal
With a variety of tasks given to individuals, the goals are common in group work. This leads to the development of interpersonal skills where professionals discuss their different points of view and resolve issues to achieve goals together. It also brings a chance for positive criticism for improvement. People skilled in this can be great project managers for sustainable projects worldwide.
Skill 4- Research
From creating proposals and policies, research skills are essential for the people in this field as they must always have accurate information regarding all matters. Researching can be done through the internet or through library books to understand the data and stats behind the climatic changes. All this data needs to be put into a formatted version to present forward. With researching comes critical thinking as a person evaluates the valid information to use it later.
Skill 5- Analytics
To collect information, the professionals collect and analyze the information they have gathered from different mediums. The data is put into a written format or put into graphs or charts for data visualization. In the training, statistical analysis is carried out to train the young professional to use different types of tools to interpret the information for efficient communication.
Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a green economy?
There is no proper definition of this term. In contextual meaning, it refers to a sustainable economy with economic natural capital and environmental service and how these can be protected.
2. With a shift towards a green economy, what will be the effects?
As per reports, the sustainable economy will bring more than 50 million jobs globally, increasing the employment gains by 2%. Job losses might occur but the transition will cater to them smoothly.
3. Are green jobs with less pay?
Not at all! With the required skillset, the jobs are accessible to everyone and are up to the mark as per laws.
4. What is the average salary for a green job holder in the USA?
On average, it’s between $48000 to $58000. It depends on the industry.
5. Which city in the USA has the greenest jobs to date?
Currently, California leads the chart while New York and Texas are number two. It has been estimated that by 2030, there will be more than 24 million jobs related to green technology. As the world is progressing towards sustainable resources, around 9 million jobs are opening this year.
Conclusion
Many of us think that we would be working with solar panels and windmills. Well, as the term suggests, this industry is all about sustainable technology. One can be an environmentalist or a technical person to run a windmill, the industry is based on a variety of knowledge and skills coming together for a sustainable lifestyle choice. The goal is common i.e. Decrease the carbon footprint of humans on the environment but solutions should be efficient. The environmental awareness throughout the globe and decreasing numbers of natural resources has opened the doors for green energy careers.
You can go green with your next career choice and keep an eye on opportunities available in the market today. There are several positions apart from planning and engineering that are available for this career choice. The world does need trained and enthusiastic people who can help build green earth and play their role in management, manufacturing, maintenance, and promotion. Developed countries like US and UK have already started investing in green technologies as they also believe in the power of greener Earth. With the green career and up-to-date training and education, don’t miss out on an opportunity of tomorrow where you won’t only enjoy financial stability but also help the environment. Isn’t that a win-win situation for everyone?