Green Careers: How to Choose One in this Economy

If you are exploring green careers and care about the environment, try following the tips in our newly updated web article, "Green Economy: Match Your Personality to Green Jobs". In addition to showing you how the green economy impacts you, the article gives you 4 steps to follow in your career decision-making.

It shows nearly two hundred Green Jobs by Holland personality type and recommends you look at other career options that make "green" contributions, like teachers and clergy.

Don't limit yourself to thinking that a "Green Job" only means occupations like "wind turbine technician" and "solar panel installer." If your strongest personality types are Artistic or Social, there are plenty of green contributions you can make.

First, match your interests to occupations, then brainstorm ways your green values can fit in.  What can you do with a nursing degree that might be "green"? What about focusing on public health or occupational health?  For more ideas on how to learn about your career options, visit our Green Jobs article.

Even though the Green Economy has gotten a fair amount of negative press recently, with the solar panel manufacturer Solyndra's bankruptcy and the use of Federal green job training dollars topping the news, I don't think it means green jobs are not promising. Here's one NYT commentator who thinks solar power is more than a "hippie fantasy." The current job market and economy is challenging for just about any industry other than software and Internet commerce.

Regardless of one's politics, global warming and impacts on humans of environment factors are not going away. And I wouldn't wait for a clear job outlook prediction in this politically charged and slow economy.  Besides, you may be living in a nursing home by the time the boxing match between China and the U.S. solar power industries is decided.

Don't wait for others to give you a green light.

My favorite green economy and green career information links:
Government
Occupational Outlook Handbook Green Careers
O*NET Green Economy
CareerOneStop's "Find Education and Training"
Industry (I'll be updating this shortly - but until then, check the industry associations for careers you're interested in, like alternative energy, environmental health, etc.)

See also our PRWeb Press release on Green Jobs.

U.S. Job Satisfaction at Lowest Level since 1987: Our 8 Recommendations for Maximizing Your Job Satisfaction

According to a Conference Board survey released today, job satisfaction in America is at its lowest level since 1987 when the survey was first done.  Satisfaction has dropped to 45% from 61.1% of 5,000 households surveyed. The least satisfied age group is under 25; 35.7% of them say they are satisfied with their jobs.

If you feel dissatisfied in your job and need help figuring out what's wrong and how to fix it, read our helpful website article "Job Satisfaction." We offer 8 recommendations and activities for maximizing your job satisfaction.

My personal belief is that changes in our economy lowering job security and widening the income gap between people must have something to do with this trend.  I'm obviously not suggesting that we look to more European-style socialistic employment policies, but I think too much insecurity and a feeling that the system doesn't reward hard work breeds dissatisfaction. What do you think?

Let's get to (satisfying) work!

Democrats and Republicans working together - let's hope the future holds progress in growing good jobs and career options for America.

Career development professionals have a few lessons to offer our government leaders and the American people about success. As Oprah would say, "this is what I know for sure”:

• Self-confidence (self-efficacy, visualization, whatever you want to call it) increases our chances of success. It’s not naivete, it’s called goal-setting.
• Stretch yourselves to reach higher, realistic goals. Low expectations result in low achievement.
• Economic growth is the engine for better career opportunities. Whatever path you choose to encourage economic growth – know when to regulate and when to leave business alone. And please, grow more jobs outside the service sector. And while you're at it, improve access to training/education for people who want it.
  
• We are all responsible for our own destiny. In the end, whether someone chooses to graduate high school, learn new skills, or put up with an unsatisfying job, the individual is the one to live with his or her choices.
  

With all the challenges ahead, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to (satisfying) work.

Supporting the Celebration of 100 years of Career Guidance

To end this week's focus on "big picture" political issues affecting our nation's career choices, I'd like to publicize www.celebratecareers.com, celebrating 100 years of career guidance and education. This consortium of organizations, including the National Career Development Association, recently issued a "Statement of Beliefs" listing important goals in the business of helping people choosing careers. I quote two beliefs that we support with the resources at Career Key's public service websites:

"1. Every student and adult shall have access to useful information and effective guidance in setting personal and career goals that align with their unique interests, talents, strengths, aspirations, and values.
2. Every student graduates high school with lifelong career decision making and management skills that are necessary to succeed in postsecondary education, training, and the workplace."

The next step is to give people the practical, affordable, and science-based tools to make these happen, which is part of Career Key's mission. We're proud to be a part of this effort to enrich people's working lives.

Thinking about debt and your career choices

In doing some "light" reading this summer, I read Generation Debt: Why Now is a Terrible Time to Be Young, by Anya Kamenetz. I think her book, Yahoo! Finance column, and blog are of ongoing relevance to all people choosing or changing a career, regardless of age. Whether or not you agree with her, it stimulates debate and thought about your financial decisions as they relate to your work. You can learn more about the book at the author's blog The Narrow Bridge, which is on our blog roll.

The 2006 book is a call to action to improve financial conditions for young people and I found her advice on point - particularly the concerns about reduced student financial aid, credit card marketing to the young, and the suggestions about personal responsibility. In this Free Agent Worker environment full of debt traps, getting ahead takes a lot of individual initiative and watchfulness.

Her solutions sometimes rely more on government funding than I'd personally like - I'd like to see more public/private/NGO partnerships to address some of these issues. But there is no doubt she is correct that increasing affordable access to education should be a national priority of the federal government - and that political action by all of us is necessary to make it so. There are many other interesting, timely topics covered in her book, which I highly recommend and that I will blog about in the future as they relate to career choice.

As part of your career decision, you will consider your expectations and desires for your future salary and working conditions, as well as the costs of your training and education. Will it be financially worth it? Have you thought of other alternatives that do not require lengthy, expensive schooling? Have you talked with people who did what you're planning to do, and have the desired financial payoffs come true?

No one, I think, would discourage people from taking on certain types of education/training debt to support a career objective - as long as you have thought all your options through and done your research and homework before signing a student loan agreement.

Talk about our country's "Skills Gap" with your friends

You've seen me fired up before in this career blog about the lack of useful attention U.S. politicians (and yes, the rest of us American taxpayers) pay to career education, workforce development, and education in general. Columnist David Brooks of the New York Times hits the nail on the head with his column yesterday about the "Skills Gap." The header sums it up: "A Lack of Educational Progress Threatens Economic and Sociologic Prospects." By the way, this is not new news - Microsoft has been working for years to address this issue. See this article here.

I think it's up to the rest of us to support local career education initiatives, related NGOs, and lobby local politicians to include reversing the growing skills gap in our country's top political priorities; how else are you going to get enough taxes to foot the future Social Security bill? Creation of more low wage service jobs like those at fast food restaurants is just not going to cut it - no offense to MickeyDs. Those jobs do not mean "economic prosperity" for anyone. The more money people make, the more taxes they pay. Seems like a simple incentive for politicians to me.

Even if we don't agree with one another about the causes of this "skills slowdown" as Mr. Brooks refers to it, it nevertheless should be in the public debate. It's only when people start talking about an issue that politicians pay attention to it.

I doubt many people reading this blog are in the growing low-skilled category of workers. There may be a few people online googling "career blogs" who know how to navigate social networking sites but lack the writing and digital literacy skills to file a Home Depot application online. But I doubt there are many. So I feel like I'm preaching to the choir - am I? Do you agree these issues are this important?

Stop watching the news

Whether you are choosing a career, making a career change, or deciding whether to start your own business, this is admittedly an unsettled and uncertain economic time. We have Presidential elections coming up with two candidates with completely different ways of dealing with the recession. Little economic news seems good. And grocery shopping makes me personally depressed - apple prices have risen to $2.39/lb from $1.99/lb 6 months ago, here in Washington state no less. But don't let the uncertain economy derail your decision-making process.

Time to stop watching the news. Stop thinking "macro" - the big picture and start thinking "micro" - what is the status of my current situation, my industry or industry of interest, and my region? How people and careers are doing varies widely based on these factors. If the "big picture" news is causing you to hesitate or be extra nervous about making a big career or business start-up decision, turn it off and focus on your local situation.

For example, for most people here in the Pacific Northwest, unless you are starting a spa (discretionary services people usually cut back on during tighter times) or looking for a job in real estate, big career and self-employment decisions are largely unaffected by the economic downturn. Personal cash flow is tighter because of higher prices, but if you're trying to decide which Investigative occupation appeals most to you, say a nurse or a doctor, your decision is basically unaffected by current conditions. The need for doctors or nurses is not going to change much soon. However, for someone considering a farming career in the midwest, the overall economy may impact your decision - depending on what crops are grown locally (wheat, soy, or corn) and future fuel and food prices.

Your most accurate sources of information to help you make your decision don't come from the news media, they come from talking with people actually working in the jobs that interest you. Information interviewing, networking, and reading blogs written by working people will give you practical information you can use. Realistic perspective about the economy, unlike the "sky is falling" news spin from major media, comes from the people who actually live in it.

Proposed Increase in Federal Funding for School Counselors

According to the American Counseling Association, the Senate Appropriations committee has preliminarily approved an increase in federal funding for school counselors; a $3.4 million increase from the previous year to a total of $52 million.

Congress will likely delay final action on any appropriations bill until after the election because of President Bush's veto threat. The ACA also reported:

We are very pleased that the full Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations subcommittee chose to reject, for the eighth year in a row, President Bush's request to eliminate all funding for the school counseling program.

Hard to understand why school counseling is such a consistent budget target given its importance to the success of our young people. Once again, we can count on the hard work of both the American Counseling Association and the American School Counselor Association (among others) to promote support for elementary and secondary school counselors.

Health Insurance and Career Choice

A major factor in making many career decisions is health care, such as obtaining or keeping health insurance. It plays out in many ways. Like me, you have probably heard comments like these:

“I would really like to start my own business, but I can’t afford to lose the health insurance I now get through my employer. Buying it on my own is just too expensive.”

“I made a mistake going into accounting, but I’m afraid to go back to school to become a counselor because my wife can’t get health insurance where she works.”

“I know I need to get this hernia repaired, but we have no health insurance. We can hardly afford the operation. And what will happen if I stop working as a carpenter, while this is going on?”

Is affordable universal health care coverage possible in the U.S.?

A report this week on National Public Radio gives me hope. “Most Patients Happy with German Health Care” describes one of the world’s best health care systems. And it does not fit the negative stereotypes often associated with systems like this -- high taxes, socialized medicine, rationed care, etc.

Yes, we can have universal health care. We don’t have to sacrifice job satisfaction and success -- our dreams -- out of fear . . . . Let’s work hard to ensure that this November we elect people that will make this possible!

4 Career Freedoms to Celebrate as an American

#1: Freedom to choose any career. Some choices are easier than others, some require hefty student loans or years to fulfill, but they are choices.
#2: Freedom to open up your own business: no bribes, long waits, or excessive paperwork required. And no, a 5 page master business license does not count as "excessive." Talk to Europeans about what "excessive" means.
#3: Free public education. It may not be perfect, and depending on where you live, it may not be great, but everyone can go to secondary school and graduate.
#4: Freedom to choose types of training, colleges, and college majors, without a single uber-test determining your lifetime eligibility for a career. SAT and GRE don't count. Many countries have strict entrance requirements with one time exams, when you are 16 or 17 years old, determining your working future - no "do overs."

So celebrate choosing a career in America. We may not always be happy with the financial or time requirements of our career choices and are sometimes overwhelmed by the number of them, but at least we have them.

Telling the Truth about Careers of the Future

When will our leaders, Republican and Democrat, focus on solving our economic problems here at home with greater emphasis on career and technical education and workforce development? Reading this week's New York Times column by Thomas Friedman, "[w]ho will tell the people?" got me fired up again on this issue. Who is going to tell the truth about America's diminishing economic power due to increasingly subpar workforce development, and fix it?

I just got back from an international counseling conference in Istanbul (post about this is coming) where I was reminded that other countries look to the U.S. as a role model for excellence in career guidance. Federally funded national treasures like the Occupational Outlook Handbook are looked upon by developing countries as the "gold standard." Not even the U.K. has an online equivalent. And yet, our government continues to cut the funding and support for our national systems for workforce development and occupation information. For example, America's Career Resource Network website reports:

"No funding has however been appropriated for sponsoring occupational and employment information related activities. This program [Perkins] had earlier provided funding to each state and territory to "support academic and career guidance."

I understand and agree with wise, efficient use of my tax dollars - big government is not necessarily smart government. But smart government means planning for the future, not exactly a priority in 1 year federal budget cycles. Apparently "Bridges to Nowhere" are more important than our future economic growth. So hopefully it will not be too late, before the U.S. has squandered its superiority in its innovative and productive workforce, for us to rebuild and keep our reputation for career guidance excellence. Some leadership in this direction would be helpful.

Age and Career Decisions: Are the Older, Wiser?

The influence of age on decision making is once again in the limelight. While monitoring the Democratic nomination bloodbath in Pennsylvania, I came across an interesting NYT article on age as a predictor in voting habits. The article basically says older people go for Hillary because they identify with her level of experience, the time in which she grew up (or became "socialized"), and according to one voter, "People who are more mature analyze things. They’re wiser." And vice versa with Barack Obama - he's young (46), offers more inspiration to younger people and has less baggage than Hillary because he has a shorter track record among other reasons. Generational politics appears to be more important in this election than the last.

How does age influence career decision-making? Is it true that older people, which I define as anyone making a career transition - whether they are 25 or 65, are "wiser" in career decisions than high-school or college students? According to a survey of studies on work and vocational psychology in the 2007 Annual Review of Psychology, they are.

I singled out a few interesting findings:

• Skills in making decisions increase with age.
• Making a decision is complex, and people who have difficulty making decisions often have other problems, usually related to anxiety.
• Career maturity helps increase confidence in one's ability to make a career decision.

This is good news for most of us. We need every advantage we can get to adapt to the current working world truths:

• Your work life will be a series of career transitions. It will not be predictable and the only constant will be change.
  
• Your work life will be interconnected your personal life. This doesn't mean your coworkers will necessarily be your personal friends, but how you feel about work and the demands it places on you will impact your personal life and relationships.
• Not everyone can choose to be an astronaut. As education costs spiral upward, the differentiation between social classes increases, and the digital divide expands, opportunities to advance into more educated jobs decrease. This is not a political statement; ask any workforce or unemployment counselor and this is their clients' reality.
  

Successful adaptation skills, whether you are just starting out or transitioning your career/job, are now critical to lifelong career success. And as I've gotten older, I have no choice but to learn how to adapt to life's positives and negatives - whether it is achievement, illness, losing family members, or having a baby. Practice makes perfect, right?

The Political Career Path

In trying to make up my own mind about who would make a better president, Clinton or Obama, I've been reading the news and visiting websites. (I can't bear to watch TV news except MacNeil/Lehrer, which "outs" me for the long-haired liberal I am) In the course of learning more about the personal lives and histories of the candidates, I reflected on their career choices based on my own experience working in a government political appointment. Knowing the art of compromise is an important aspect of the political career path.

Until you work in a political job, it is all theoretical about how you would handle tough choices. In order to get something accomplished, do you sometimes have to give up something or part of a principle important to you? It's easy to say, never, I'll never "sell out." But if you've had any political job, you know that "selling out" - i.e. giving up a principle you believe in, aka "compromise," can happen in many forms, and is not always a bad thing if you limit the damage to your beliefs and you accomplish something that's important to you. And you return to fight another day. Compromise ALWAYS happens in politics, which is one reason why we disdain it.

So in this Democratic war of idealism versus coolheaded (some say calculating) approach to handling some very tough future problems, I think the most realistic approach is to include both. We need hope, but also tempered by realism. It's an oxymoron, but there you go. That's what the political path is all about. If you're not prepared for moral ambiguity, don't go into politics.