Green Businesses’ Dirty Little Secret: Implied Ethics

Penned by Nick

The question of ethics for environmental employers is a landmine issue that few people explore. In Wendy Jedlicka’s recent article, she suggests that getting a job at a firm with “eco-ethics” is both difficult and desirable. Though true, this misses the more pressing questions about how ethics apply to environmental organizations.

Finding employment with any employer right now — green or otherwise — is difficult. However, this insight doesn’t cut to the core of the question of ethics. Ethics aren’t constrained to “eco” companies alone. As business schools teach the world over, ethics are universal — both in business and in life.

What’s interesting in the domain of environmental companies is that these companies rely on their “ethical business models” to attract employees more than do traditional “brown” employers. The dirty little secret is that employers — from solar companies to sustainability consultancies and the like — rely on jobseekers’ assumption that they are ethical more than other firms because of their “eco” business models.

Having worked with employers worldwide to find and secure the top green talent, its become clear that not everyone embraces the same level of business ethics. Indeed, many businesses fail to highlight their ethics at all when we ask them what separates them from other employers.

Ethics in the environmental business are — at present — largely taken for granted. Yes, most employees at these firms believe they have a more ethical occupation, but the business practices themselves often don’t exude ethics. Quite to the contrary, many of these businesses fail to push their ethical practices as far as their products or services.

At a time when the very value of long-standing business models has been called into question (read: investment banking, insurance, etc), it strikes me that more employers should be focusing on their ethics.

More importantly, both employees and jobseekers of green companies should be challenging these firms to “walk the walk” and create a truly triple bottom line enterprise that embraces sound ethical practices, sound environmental practices and sound business practices.

Jedlicka’s article is right to raise the question about ethics, but readers should examine a company’s purpose/service to determine who’s ethical and who’s not.

Use the interview itself as a place to ask questions about how an employer’s environmental practices translate into more ethical business practices. Questions like these leave little room for maneuvering, but if a jobseeker’s goal is to find an ethical employer, those that are truly ethical will jump at the chance to respond to such a question. If they don’t, you may have found a case where an organization doesn’t truly “walk the walk.”

Continually pushing employers to keep ethics at the center of their businesses — green or otherwise — is the best way to ensure that your values align with your employers’.

[Originally published on GreenBiz.com]

Save the Bay: from former Bright Greenie Erica Gerard!

Though Erica’s moved on from Bright Green Talent, she’s still fighting the green fight — check out this great video from Save the Bay.

Nick’s interview with Doostang

From http://doostang.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/doostang-news-apr15-its-good-to-be-green/

Going Green with Nick Ellis, Bright Green Talent

How did you end up at Bright Green? How did this role fit into your broader career plans or interests?

I came to Bright Green Talent from an investment bank where I was doing public finance (a job I adored). A few years in, I realized that I wanted to take a shot a running my own business and combine my passion for social and environmental justice with best-of-breed business practices. At the time, I put three constraints on my next career: it had to be entrepreneurial, environmentally-focused, and be something I could take internationally. Ultimately, my goal’s to combine my environmental entrepreneur experience, labor market insights, and public finance background to make a bid for public office. There’s this beautiful confluence of business, environment, and policy that’s changing the way we work….I’d love to bring all three to bear as the SF City and Parks Commissioner to help implement a markets-based approach to public park management that redresses global warming.

What do you like and dislike about the recruitment industry?

There’s a series of problems with transparency, ethics, and accountability in the recruitment industry that lead to a lack of confidence and loyalty between candidates, recruiters, and employers. The business model itself distorts the incentives to collaborate and increase transparency because it focuses on the fees and process, not the goal of putting people in sustainable jobs. There’s a lot of “churn and burn” out there. For me, pushing the industry towards greater transparency, efficiency, and accountability is a killer challenge. Bright Green Talent provides me a platform from which I can make a positive impact and a handsome profit, and in the process, demonstrate that business is the most powerful engine for environmental preservation.

From a recruiter’s standpoint, how can candidates differentiate themselves more effectively in this market (at any step in the application process)? What common mistakes are you seeing among job seekers? Where do you advise them to invest their time?

The biggest mistake we see is that folks think that their passion alone will get them the job. Passion’s important, but practical experience and a proven track record are more important. The other big mistake is that folks invest their time in too many job boards, mechanically sending out resumes. Get personal and approach contacts at firms you’d like to work with–it’s still how 80%+ of the population find a job. In the absence of your own personal connections, choose one recruiter who knows your industry and work with them to get introduced to a company. Word of advice: working with more than one recruiter puts everyone involved at risk, so stay (professionally) monogamous.

Green businesses are pushing the boundaries of traditional models. When you’re interviewing with a company, consider how you’ve pushed the boundaries in your previous lines of work. For example, if you were an IT Manager at Netflix, did you broach the conversation about sustainable sourcing practices for the firm’s hardware that took into account lifetime energy use and end-of-life disposal options? If so, you’ve shown that you’re a “cradle to cradle” thinker, and likely ready to help these businesses break new ground. If not, consider going back to school or volunteering as two paths towards getting up to speed on what it means to be green nowadays.

Within the green recruiting market, what types of skills/candidates are most marketable right now? What types of companies are hiring? If not now, in the future once the economy has improved?

Right now green businesses are in a “build it and they will come” phase. Biodiesel refineries, utility-scale solar firms, and electric car production lines are a few examples. As a consequence, mechanical and electrical engineers who embrace a systemic approach to design are in high demand. We’re also preparing for a groundswell of demand for contractors to help put the stimulus money to work in both the public and private sector. If you’re unemployed and looking for short-term gigs to get some exposure, drop us a line–we’d love to help you get your feet wet.

What types of green opportunities are best suited to people who share your background in finance/business?

I’d break it down into three channels:
1) Venture work sourcing and evaluating green investments. Finance teaches you to dig into the details, challenge assumptions, and separate the wheat from the chaff on an objective (read: economic) basis–these skills remain in high demand as more businesses seek funding for their green ideas.

2) Carbon project finance draws heavily on the project finance skills I learned in public finance. Firms like EcoSecurities and MMA Renewable Ventures are always looking for project finance bankers who understand the emerging regulatory environment supporting cleantech projects. If you’ve done due diligence on tax-equity or tax-credit investments for large-scale utility projects, you can likely shift into carbon project finance quickly.

3) Carbon trading remains small scale in the US (see RGGI for more info), but it’s going to grow in the coming years. Whether it’s cap-and-trade or a straight carbon tax, the field itself is poised to see harmonization and integration into global trading treaties, meaning the market will get big quickly. Investment banking exposed me to how markets set fair prices and value securities–both skills that carbon trading will need in the years ahead as it attempts to establish legitimacy.

What are the most valuable skills gained in a green job in your opinion?

Exposure to triple-bottom line business practices that re-imagine established industry practices and prove that there’s a way for profit, planet, and people to work together to create a virtuous cycle. Ecopreneurship is one of the only spaces where the moral imperative aligns so beautifully with market opportunity. I’m convinced there are trillion dollar markets within this sector, and that in twenty years’ time, there will be more social and environmental entrepreneurs than classic business entrepreneurs. To get at these markets, though, you’ll need a fair amount of focus, vision, and a strong team–no one gets anywhere without the help of others.

View Nick’s Profile. Learn more about Bright Green Talent. Then, tell us about what careers interest you. We’re listening!

Are Green Planning Jobs Receiving Federal Funding?

Penned by Nick

This afternoon I received the following question from a reader: “I am an urban and regional planner with over 30 years public and private experience in the industry. I have had my own consulting company since 1986. Many sources are saying this is one job that will flourish in the new green economy. I am seeing a lot of civil and other construction projects receiving stimulus funding but not many so called “front-end” planning type projects. Am I missing something?”

Full disclaimer: I am not a public policy expert. Exactly where federal funding will go is still to be determined. That said, it appears that right now cities are leading the way in pushing green planning projects.

It Starts with Policy

Like most business endeavors, the economics determine the viability of these projects. Green building projects are typically highly dependent on local/federal incentives. Building a green skyscraper? You may be able to receive tax breaks for using local builders/suppliers. Looking to preserve open space in your area–there may be local easements of incentives that make the plan viable.

Indeed, in Los Angeles, a recent push to green all government buildings erected before 1978 is poised to create huge green job growth (http://greenbiz.com/news/2009/04/09/la-building-retrofit-boost-green-jobs).

From Talk to Action

We place a lot of people in jobs. To date, we’ve only helped a couple urban and regional planners into jobs. The reality of the situation is that there are few jobs far between right now for these roles. Despite the focus on sustainable systems design, urban planners are all to rarely consulted on for large-scale developments. The few firms that are bringing them on staff typically do so on a consulting/contract basis at first.

Thoughts on Next Steps

Regional planning projects typically involve local authorities. If you haven’t already sat down with your local representative, schedule a meeting and ask them what’s coming down the pipeline in terms of large-scale development. You might specifically want to ask about new industrial zones that are being created to support emerging green businesses, such as cleantech practices. Water issues are also pressing in the western US–ask about water shed restoration projects, and how those might affect long-term development.

Routine, Structure and Staying Positive: The Job Seeker’s Trifecta

Penned by Christina

Stick to your routine. Do you usually work-out in the mornings or wear a suit to work?! If so, keep doing it! The NYT agrees with this one.

Set-up an ASG* (Accountability Support Group.) If you have friends or acquaintances also looking for a job, set up a “check-in group” to bring structure and accountability into the process. You’d be surprised how motivating it is to have a friend ask you, “So did you call those 3 people you said you would?”

Stay positive. I know you have heard this about 1000 times but for the 1001st time, I’d like to add that you should find something that is uplifting that you can come back to as needed. That could mean joining a soccer league that gets you out running around on grass and really feeling the “team spirit” again. But it can be even simpler that that… My own personal choice for a 5 minute pick-me-up is listening to a story or two from This I Believe on NPR.  Hearing others share stories of dealing with obstacles much more harrowing than your own can put your own situation in perspective, help you feel grateful for all that you DO have and restore your energy to keep on keepin’ on!  Try a few and see how you feel!  (Send me your favorites!)

* Don’t worry, this is a made-up acronym…you aren’t behind on some fancy new lingo or anything.

My LinkedIn Manifesto for Successful Jobseeking

Penned by Carolyn

Okay, you’re more or less set up on LinkedIn? Good.

Before diving into specifically how to use LinkedIn (next week and beyond), I want you to step back and think about your frame of mind as you use it.

Following Michael Pollan’s advice on what to eat (“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”), I put forth my own LinkedIn manifesto: Be open, not too open, and choose quality over quantity.

And putting a few disclaimers first:
- Some people disagree with me on the quality over quantity point. I’m going on what I’ve personally seen be effective in my almost-year at BGT.
- Everyone uses LinkedIn for the own purposes (business partnerships, advertising, jobseeking, etc), and will have different takes on what’s useful for those aims. I’m focusing on jobseeking.

Be open:
Yes, make sure you’re marked as “Interested in Career Opportunities,” have a public profile, a photo, a completed profile, etc. (See LinkedIn’s own tips on jobsearching through the site).

Not too open:
Know someone whose LinkedIn name looks like this? “Bob Smith BOB.SMITH@GMAIL.COM OPEN TO ALL CONNECTIONS”

These people make me shudder for a couple reasons: they look desperate, and they look like they don’t have a clear idea of what they’re looking for. If you want to connect with people you don’t know, they have to see the value in connecting with you. The age-old dating rule applies: while you need to be open and accessible, do play a little bit hard to get.

Drop the CAPS lock, the exclamation points. asterisks, etc. Your resume and experience should be able to market you. If they don’t, spend your time getting some experience instead of adding Wingdings to your profile.

Choose quality over quantity:
To me, flags are raised when people have 3000 connections. Or when they have 5. Find a sweet spot between those numbers, comprised of solid connections with people you’ve met or worked with. The point of LinkedIn is you can access all their second and third degree connections, so you don’t need to link to every person you ever come across. If you want to expand your networks quickly, join a bunch of groups that you’re interested in (like BGT’s — in order to be able to vouch for everyone in our personal networks, we link to our community through our group rather than through those 3000 connections with people we’ve never met).

Oh, and file this under Carolyn’s Serious Pet Peeves: If you are going to request to link to someone you don’t know, PLEASE add an introduction or reason you want to connect — it drives me nuts when people I don’t know at all request to link to me without any explanation — or, worse, they just mark that I’m a “friend.” If you take a minute and think about what you and that person share, they’re more likely to check out your information, link, and remember your name. Make people want to help you.

A Bright Green Refresher: Categorized Advice for Green Jobseekers

Since February, we’ve been putting out daily advice for green jobseekers. If you’re new to our blog or want to poke around in a specific topic, here’s a nearly-complete list of our advice posts. Have a look around!

General:
Bright Green Talent’s 5 Ways to Ramp up your Job Search
Getting Oriented to Go Green
Getting Radically Tempered: Creating Change from the Inside
Paying it Forward
To School or Not to School?
Job Search Tip: Quality over Quantity to Keep Your Sanity
Linking People and Planet: Our Partnership with Solar Richmond
“Oh no, please don’t make me NETWORK!”

Sustainability Consulting:
Sustainability Consulting: What is it, and am I qualified? Part I
Sustainability Consulting: What is it, and am I qualified? Part II

Career Transitioning:
Perspectives from a Green Career Transition-er
To School or Not to School?
Getting Oriented to Go Green
Getting Radically Tempered: Creating Change from the Inside

Engineering:
Renewable Energy Inroads
Solar Opportunities to Match your Skill Set
Solar Classes and Certifications

Students and Recent Grads:
The Real Deal on Green Jobs for Students and Recent Grads
Get Skills; Get Savvy Part I
Get Connected (Networking 101)
How Not to Be a Jobseeker Horror Story
Resume Boot Camp I
Resume Boot Camp II
Resume Boot Camp III
Get Linked(In)

Networking:
“Oh no, please don’t make me NETWORK!”
Get Connected (Networking 101)
Get Linked(In)

Career Coaching:
Here to Help: BGT Launches Career Coaching
Career Coaching: Launch is a Success!
Kudos to Christina: Career Coaching Feedback

Tom’s (Rules of) Thumb
Green Jobs: The Definitive Article
Top Skills for Getting a Green Job
What’s the Best Way to Find a Green Job?
Twit Your Way to a Green Job
On Eco-preneurship

“Extra! Extra! It’s Not All Bad News!”

Penned by Nick

So I admit it, I’m a news junkie. My fiance is quietly considering putting me into therapy for information addiction disorder. Its got me by the brain, (quickly deteriorating) eyes, and mouse-clicking finger all at once. Worse yet, I don’t want to kick the habit. I crave information and news 24/7.

Just as everyone’s nearing total burnout on the never-ending news stream of bad news, I’m finally feeling in control. It’s weird, but the more I consider it, the more it makes sense. The world’s changing fast right now — particularly for job seekers. Entire industries are rising and falling by the week, and with them, the fortunes of millions of people. The bad news is already a known quantity–it’s the good news that keeps me reading and positive.

At a time when the only certainty is change, I’ve come to enjoy the little news stories that feature people doing positive things with unfortunate events. Consider the new crop of DJ’s popping up in local clubs, or the unemployed who are discovering their thespian talents.

Another small factoid: I consider myself a pessmistic planner with an optimistic outlook. Yes, times are tough, but I’m convinced that from all the penny-penching and thumb-twiddling will come something greater: a cultural renaissance. That the arts are enjoying a newfound constituency in the unemployed is, I believe, a newsworthy story. Out of misfortune and hard times tradtionally come great ideas and a newfound inspiratoin. It’s a story as old as time, but easy to forget. For those who have, join me, and “read all about it“.

Kudos to Christina: Career Coaching Feedback

Penned by Carolyn

We’d ask Christina to share this feedback on the first few weeks of career coaching, but, well, it might make her blush.

Here are the great things folks are saying about her career coaching sessions:

• “The feedback on my resume was tremendously helpful. I also enjoyed getting a chance to hear another professional’s view of how to best position myself in the current market, and how others are effectively finding positions.” - Kristie

• “It was super helpful to be able to throw my ideas around with someone who knows what I’m talking about (to the extent that I do myself), understands the vernacular, has an idea where it’s all going, etc.” - Anonymous

• “Christina really was able to understand my “unique” position and give me concrete steps and advice towards my objectives. I felt she had a clear sense of who I was and gave me a lot of tips and encouragement.” - Jeremy

• “…Christina gave me concrete direction on how to conduct my search – volunteer or intern for my specific area of interest, network online and face to face and join some associations, where green professionals meet up.  When I left, I felt like I had a definite game plan.  Before I was lost in a new industry, and floating around on LinkedIn.  I had no idea that green companies were being fairly stringent on who they were hiring. I think she was fantastic… In fact I am coming back for another session.” - Julie

• “Christina did a really good job of laying out a plan of action for my job search.   I am very plan-oriented and have felt a bit lost in my job-search because I’ve been overwhelmed with the uncertainty of what to do next. But with Christina’s help I feel like I finally got some structure to my search. In general I appreciated and enjoyed her candid take on the difficulty of the current market.  I felt like she knew what she was talking about and had solid analysis of what was going on and how to best approach the my job search. My biggest concern with “career counseling” and other areas where you pay for advice is that they’ll tell you stuff you already know, and therefore it will be a big waste of money.  With Christina I felt like I got my money’s worth.  I would definitely do it again.”  -Katie

If you’re interested in signing up, or giving a career coaching session as a gift, visit www.brightgreentalent.com/career-coaching.

Bright Green Talent’s 5 Ways to Ramp Up Your Job Search

Penned by Tom

At Bright Green Talent, we’re always concocting new ways to help out our community. We’re not your typical recruiting company — we want to build lasting relationships with both clients and candidates and help you in the years to come as you settle into your green career.

Here are some ways you can engage with us today and tomorrow:

1. If you haven’t yet, register your resume:

• You’ll be the first to know as new opportunities arise that are relevant to your skill set.
• You’ll receive our monthly newsletter, with advice, information on green career events we’re hosting and/or attending, and up-to-date information on the green job market.
• Sometimes we work on positions that we don’t post on our site – you’ll be eligible for consideration in those special cases.
• As you apply for jobs, we will be your advocate. If you’re qualified for a position, we work hard to get you an interview and negotiate for the best possible compensation package

2. Sign up for career coaching.

• If you’re new to the green space, you might be disoriented by all the resources, job boards, and advice swirling around out there. Spend some time with Christina, our Career Coach Extraordinaire, to gain our unique perspective on who’s hiring right now, and create a smart strategy for finding your ideal green job.
• Check out the amazing feedback Christina’s gotten on her coaching so far.

3. Follow our blog and twitter!

• We offer daily tips, insight and advice from our unique perspective. Find resources for transitioning into a new space, hear what clients are thinking, learn how not to be a jobseeker horror story, and more.

4. Sign up for our new weekly tips, and register to enter the Greenhouse, our jobseeker resource center.

• You spend enough time job-seeking. Why not let the advice come to you once a week?

5. Refer a friend or fellow jobseeker to Bright Green Talent!

• We believe in “paying it forward” — no one gets a job all by themselves. Help out a friend and the good deed will come back around when you’re in need in the future.
• Give the gift of guidance! You can now opt to gift a career coaching session to someone who needs a nudge in the right direction.
• And to speed up those karmic returns on helping a friend find a job, we offer a $750 referral reward if we place someone you recommend for a position.