Green Gigs: January 2009

Designers: Enter the Green Patriot Poster Contest

This one is for you my creative friends: The Canary Project is sponsoring a Green Patriot Poster Contest to "inspire the resolve, solidarity, and action" required to combat global warming. The contest is based on the WWII call to action campaign (Rosie the Riveter style) and hopes to inspire us all to mobilize to offset climate change before it is too late. Anyone can enter, whether you are a professional designer, student, or creative individual. There is no monetary compensation, however, the best designs will be distributed through various media channels as a call for climate change action. If you're not interested in entering your own design, you can still participate by voting for your favorite creation. There are already some excellent posters up, so take a look! You can read more about the contest at WorldChanging and Earthfirst and enter your design or vote for your favorite poster here.

Gig List - Jan. 29, 2009

Today's green employment opportunities offer a nice selection for social media experts, writers, and science geeks. If you want to be among the first to get the latest green online job listings, be sure to subscribe to Green Gigs by feed or email. Thanks for stopping by and have fun...

Expired gigs. But we have new green job listings...

Environmental Reporters - Enter for SEJ Awards

Listen up Green Gigs readers, if you are a journalist who has written an environmental piece within the last year or so, be it online, in print, for television, or radio, you may be eligible to enter The Society of Environmental Journalists Awards for Reporting on the Environment. There are ten award categories ranging from the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award, to Outstanding Beat Reporting, to Outstanding Online Reporting, to Outstanding Student Reporting. There are $1,000 prizes for reporting categories, a $10,000 book prize, and a cash and travel allowance for best student reporting. Entry fees do apply, but if you have produced an environmental piece this year that you are particularly proud of, read the SEJ's Awards FAQs and consider entering. A little fame, glory, and money, is always good! The deadline for entries is April 1, 2009 and full rules are available here. Best of luck!

Related Article:

Green Works Green Heroes Grant Program

Green Bid Madness - Jan. 28, 2009

Welcome to this edition of green bid madness - a summary of the environmental projects up for bid around the Web. Things have picked up a bit this week and there is a nice selection of green projects for writers, researchers, techies, and designers. Also, I am on Twitter now, so please feel free to follow Green Gigs there. I try my best to remember to tweet job listings once I post them here. Happy bidding and I hope of these projects leads to your dream green job!

These listings were filled...months ago!!! Visit Green Gigs for new listings!

Gig List - Jan. 26, 2009

Before getting to today's eco-friendly job listings, I would like to congratulate "Mom Tips", the winner of our Good Skin, Good Health, Good for you Girls Giveaway. Also, be sure to check out my list of 10 Must Read Articles for Green Job Hunters before you send out your resume. There are a few leads here that are location specific, so please read the full-ads carefully before applying. Thanks for stopping by and do me a favor - tell 'em Green Gigs sent you!

Bye-bye expired job listings - hello new ones!

10 Must Read Articles for Green Job Hunters

Let's face it, the internet is teeming with information about green jobs, no jobs, economic gloom and doom, and the "booming" green collar job industry - frankly there is too much information. To help you along in your job search, I have compiled a list of ten articles from around the Web, that any green job hunter would benefit from reading before sending out the next resume. The articles range from political, to economic, to optimistic, to not-so-optimistic. Think of this list as a primer before embarking upon your job hunt, they are in no particular order of importance, but each is worth a look. Happy reading.

1) Get a Job: Top 10 Guides to Finding the Perfect Eco Career - TakePart: Where better to start then a list of must read environmental career guides?

2) Great Green Careers - CNNMoney Fortune: Learn how people are making green livings with this article that profiles five professionals and their chosen green career paths.

3) Ten Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade - Fast Company: Okay, you know you want a green career, but which to choose? Take a gander at this list of the ten hottest green jobs. Farming anyone?

4) Switching To Green-Collar Jobs -BusinessWeek: Just because you're not a trained "green" professional, doesn't mean you can't forge a green career using your own expertise.

5) Opportunities For Green Growth: Myths and Realities About Green Jobs - Center for American Progress Action Fund: Go straight to the source - read Van Jones' testimony before Congress regarding the realities of creating green jobs.

6) Where are the New Jobs for Women? - The New York Times: Uh-oh, all was going well until it was pointed out that most green jobs are dominated by males.

7) The 'Green Jobs' Myth - The Wall Street Journal: Hmmm...see what those in the EU have to say about U.S. "green jobs".

8) Hot 'Green' Jobs Keep Evolving - U.S. News & World Report - Just what is a "green job"?

9) Why Obama's green jobs plan may work - Los Angeles Times: It's not all gloom and doom, maybe there is hope for a green economy.

10) Green industries offer job growth opportunity - msnbc: Yes, I knew it!

Related Articles

How to Telecommute - 5 Tips for Success

Vitual Jobs for Green People - Guest Post on Green & Clean Mom

The Search for a Sustainable Occupation

Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers: SAIC

Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers: AASHE

Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers: Mazenti

Green Works Green Heroes Grant Program

I am definitely a champion of ecopreneurs who improve the environment through their original, innovative ideas. As a Green Gigs reader, you are an ecopreneur – not only are you working on behalf of the environment, you seek to do so in a way that impacts it in the least, by working from home. That’s why I am encouraging you to visit Green Works Green Heroes Grant Program.

The makers of Green Works cleaning products (Clorox) are looking to award five $10,000 grants to “Green Heroes” to use for their eco-friendly community projects. To enter, simply upload a photo of your project and submit a 200-word essay about your work. Entries will be judged based upon creativity, environmental benefit, impact to local community, effective use of budget, and timing feasibility. This is not a random winner sweepstakes, all entries will be reviewed by a panel of “eco-judges” and the ten best will be selected. The entries of the ten finalists will then be published online for public voting – the five receiving the greatest number of votes will earn the grants. Submissions are due by February 28, 2009 and official rules are available here.

I know I have innovative readers that are doing great things for the environment. So go ahead and share your eco-friendly project with Green Works – entering is easy and you may win a $10,000 grant. Let’s have a Green Gigs reader win one of these – I know you are out there! Best of luck.

Related Article:

Environmental Reporters - Enter for SEJ Awards

Gig List - Jan. 23, 2009

There is an interesting article over at Fast Company titled, "Ten Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade". Although the jobs weren't listed in any order, some of the careers were: Urban Planner, Sustainability Systems Developer, Recycler, Farmer, and well, I'll let you read the rest. Surprisingly, "Virtual Green Job Blogger" didn't make the list, so I'm seriously considering farming... I'll keep you posted. Here are some gigs to keep you busy with the resumes over the weekend - rock on.

Really, you thing applying to a job listed in Jan. '09 is a good idea? Why not visit Green Gigs and apply for a current gig instead?

Wendee Holtcamp Online Nature Writing Course

I recently stumbled by Wendee Holtcamp's website and was drawn in by her "Freelance Writer - Photographer - Bohemiam" tagline, so I had to read more. Wendee offers an online nature writing course for "green" writers that includes market analysis, developing queries, article writing, and Q&A interviews with magazine editors, among other topics. Wendee has a M.S. in Wildlife Ecology, M.A. in Evolutionary Biology, impressive resume, and most importantly, spirited attitude.

I contacted Wendee directly and she confirmed the next course is set to begin on February 21, 2009 with registration required by February 14. Also, the workshop runs several times over the course of the year and she offers an advanced writing workshop as well. The complete online course is $200 or you can purchase the materials only for $95. If you are interested in finding out more, visit Wendee Holtcamp or email her at bohemian(at)wendeeholtcamp(dot)com.

Greening a Lifestyle Leads to a Green Career

Guest Post by Lena - Over Coffee – The Green Edition

Hi Green Gigs readers! My name is Lena and I write a blog called Over Coffee – the green edition. I was so excited when I was asked to do a guest post here at Green Gigs. This blog is one of my favorite daily reads; it is so unique and filled with great information!

On my blog I post helpful information and suggestions for how everyone can live a greener more eco-friendly life. I focus on the little things that people can do that don’t take much effort but do take a commitment. At least I hope that is what I do.

When my husband and I made the conscious decision to “go green” we decided to do it gradually. For us these small steps were less overwhelming and easier to stick to. It has been almost a year since we made that decision and I can’t believe how much our lives have changed, for the better. I was so excited by these changes that I started sharing them with my family and friends. The more I learned the more I shared. The more I shared the more I realized how many people there are who want to live a healthier more eco-friendly life but just aren’t sure where to start. And so began my blog.

One of the amazing byproducts of my blog has been the opportunity to review eco-friendly companies and their products.

There are so many companies out there who have found ingenious ways to “go green” and who just need a little help getting the word out about their products. This has been a win-win relationship; I learn of great products that make my commitment to “going green” easier while helping green companies spread the word about themselves and their products.

Writing green products reviews has turned out to be one of my favorite writing gigs. When I find a company equally committed to the environment as they are to their products and customers, the words just seem to flow.

After you apply for the latest green gig, swing by Over Coffee – the green edition and say Hi.

Lena is a freelance writer and blogger. She is a contributing writer to the Healthy Bliss channel of the on-line magazine called Blissfully Domestic as well as to Green and Clean Mom. Visit Lena and read more at her blog, Over Coffee – The Green Edition.

How about you? Has "greening" your life led to a more eco-friendly career? Share your experiences in the comments! Thank you Lena sharing your story with Green Gigs!

Gig List - Jan. 21, 2009

I managed to dig up a few contract green writing gigs and one part-time assistant job today. Be Green. Stay Home!

Sorry, expired : ( but there are new listings on our "Home" page!

Green Bid Madness - Jan. 20, 2009

Right off the bat, a big Green Gigs thank you to WE Magazine for Women for including me among their list of "101 Women Bloggers to Watch for 2009". I'm honored to be included on such a list - take a gander at some of the other bloggers and their work after you bid on this week's jobs. Also, last call to enter for your chance to win something for nothing in our Good for you Girls Giveaway - great prize from a pair of greentrepreneurs working to make the world a better place. And finally, I know, it's not Wednesday, but can you believe it, life will be interfering with blogging tomorrow, so here is this week's edition of Green Bid Madness. Bid on.

Visit our home page for new listings!!!

Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers: SAIC

Kara Yarnot, Assistant Vice President/Director of Staffing, US Operations Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC)

This part of Green Gigs’ series, “Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers" features SAIC. SAIC is a FORTUNE 500 scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. The company's approximately 45,000 employees serve customers in the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. SAIC had annual revenues of $8.9 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2008.

Green Gigs: What makes an application stand out to you?
KY: The most impressive candidate resume focuses on the individual’s accomplishments in past and current roles as opposed to simply listing job duties. A job duty statement (e.g., “led proposal development efforts”) does not tell the recruiter about your success in a particular role. An example of an accomplishment statement would be, “as proposal development lead, achieved an 85% win rate.”

GG: How do you decide who gets an interview and whose application is delegated to the bottom of the resume pile?
KY: Candidates who clearly customize their resume to match the job requirements are most likely to receive an interview. If the job description states a requirement for five years of JAVA programming experience and you have the appropriate experience, clearly state it on your resume. Don’t make the recruiter dig to find your skills and experience that are relevant to the job. Most recruiters spend less than 30 seconds reviewing an individual resume. If they don’t find your relevant qualifications quickly, you could be passed over.

GG: Are there any absolute turn-offs that make an application end up in the trash bin?
KY: Many candidates spend extra time writing a cover letter they use for all of their applications. However, they often forget to change the name of the company in the body of the letter. Cover letters (or emails, for that matter) that reference a competitor instead of the intended company will typically end up in the trash. This oversight demonstrates a lack of attention to detail. Please take the time to review the cover letter before sending it.

Green Gigs: As a “green” employer, do you look for employees that are eco-conscious or just employees able to perform the job at hand?
KY: It is most important for a candidate to have the skills and abilities to be successful in the job. At SAIC, energy and the environment are two of our primary business areas. Candidates who have a passion for improving energy efficiency and creating a more sustainable environment are highly encouraged to submit their resumes.

Thirty seconds. That is how much time you have to sell yourself to a prospective employer. Even with a perfectly composed, grammatically-correct, typo-free cover letter and resume, your application may never get a second look if you do not clearly state your accomplishments specifically related to the job to which you are applying. Hiring managers are not mind readers; they will not infer your achievements, you must highlight them. The hiring process is not the time to be modest.

I challenge you, right now, before you apply for your next gig, to take a hard look at your resume and find at least one job description to improve upon. Rewrite that description so it conveys the accomplishments you achieved in that role, not just duties you performed. I know the one I am going to rewrite, how about you?

Thank you to Kara Yarnot for taking the time to share her advice. What to learn more about SAIC? Visit: www.saic.com

Related Articles
Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers: Mazenti
Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers: AASHE
How to Telecommute – 5 Tips for Success

Gig List - Jan. 19, 2009

This Gig List (weekend edition!) brings eco-job opportunities for techies, writers, a video reporter, marketer, and environmental scientists. Be sure to check in tomorrow for Part 3 of "Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers", where another hiring manager will offer up tips for landing your own green gig. Happy weekend!

Job listings have been removed because they were filled, months ago! But Green Gigs lists new gigs still!

Green Weekend Roundup - Jan. 17, 2009

This weekend I'm offering up my reading picks of the week from around the web. I choose a couple articles related to the economy and green job growth, a resource for fledgling writers, and an article to inspire you to get out there and enjoy the natural world you are working to preserve. As a reminder, if you haven't entered the Good for you Girls Giveaway, it's not too late to get something for nothing!

By now you know I am a fan of Green for All, the organization dedicated to stimulating the economy and lifting people out of poverty by training green collar workers and promoting green job creation. Their article summarizing the American Solar Energy Society's Green Collar Jobs report provides an optimistic outlook for green workers during these bleak economic times and identifies green "hot job" industries.

David Anderson, over at The Green Jobs Report, provides a break-down of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill highlighting the parts of the stimulus package related to green job creation. Links are provided for readers interested in contacting their state senators and representatives concerning the bill.

For my green readers looking to break into environmental writing, I recommend reading Deb Ng's "17 Places That Hire New Writers". Although these are not "green" gigs per say, this is a nice resource for novice writers looking for paying gigs to help build their portfolios.

And just for the fun of it, the folks over at Ecollo share some ideas about enjoying this beautiful winter weather in "Get out and play like a kid again". With all this talk about living and working green, you might as well get out there and enjoy nature this weekend (although personally I am going to wait until it gets a little warmer than the current -11 degrees!).

Happy reading and enjoy your weekend!

Gig List - Jan. 15, 2009

Good evening green job hunters! This Gig List offers a nice variety of virtual jobs including several opportunities for green writers/grant writers, GIS folks, a broadcaster, business oriented gurus, and someone capable of creating architectural drawings. Double-check your cover letters for typos and please, as always, tell 'em Green Gigs sent you!

Oh, that was a good list of green jobs, too bad they were listed in Jan. '09! But we have new listings...

Green Bid Madness - Jan. 14, 2009

Good afternoon green friends. Here are this week's green jobs up for auction on the various bidding boards. Things have been a little slow for green jobs on the bidding front the last couple of weeks, I image just the economy trickling down. There are several gigs for green writers as well as a couple gigs each for techies, marketers, and creative types listed here. I hope one of them is meant for you!

These jobs are gone, gone, gone...but there are new ones at "HOME"!

Gig List - Jan. 12, 2009

There is an interesting selection of green gigs up for grab today - ranging from green writing, to photography, to techie stuff, to sales, and an actual paid internship (although minimal!). Best of luck and be sure to drop me a line if you land one of these gigs!

Trutst me, you didn't want to apply to these jobs, they're long gone! Visit "HOME" for gigs still accepting applications!!!

Green Gigs on GlobalPost

I am excited to announce that Green Gigs is one of 350 blogs from around the world, featured on GlobalPost. If you missed the hubbub leading up to the launch of GlobalPost, it is a new international news organization with approximately 65 foreign correspondents in 46 countries. In a twist to the traditional news media model, GlobalPost is syndicating the feeds of select blogs from around the globe in the hopes of bringing “local” coverage on a host of topics. I am honored to announce that Green Gigs is among the blogs included in GlobalPost’s Environment page.

When I was approached by GlobalPost, about granting my permission which would allow Green Gigs’ feed to run on their site, I gave it serious consideration. There were those ringing the warning bells that bloggers would be taken advantage of and are giving away their content for free to GlobalPost and in return, the news organizations to which GlobalPost will be supplying content. Then there are those that questioned the credibility of bloggers and whether they belong among the ranks of seasoned foreign correspondents.

Ultimately, I accepted the offer and I am excited and intrigued by this collaboration. Green Gigs supplies a free service for its readers, a centralized resource for green job hunters looking to work from home. I created Green Gigs because nothing like it existed for those, like me, interested in working on behalf of the environment while impacting it as little as possible – namely, by not commuting to work. If GlobalPost sends some new readers my way, that is fantastic. If more people actually land green jobs working from home because they saw the listings here, perfect. I win, you win, and the whole point of Green Gigs, the environment wins.

I throw this back to you – What you do think of GlobalPost? Does it live up to the hype? What are your thoughts about bloggers allowing their feeds to run on GlobalPost without monetary competition? Should bloggers be included as part of an international news organization? I invite you to express your opinion in the comments.

So, I welcome my new readers from GlobalPost and I hope you will stay and see what Green Gigs is all about. As a quick guide, Green Gigs features:

· Gig Lists – Green, home-based job listings posted several times each week.
· Green Bid Madness – A weekly summary of green projects up for auction on the various job bidding sites.
· Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers – A multi-part series featuring guidance from employers whose gigs have been listed on Green Gigs (Part 4 – coming soon!).
· Reviews, contests, career development opportunities, and more!

And, finally, for my loyal readers as well as my new visitors, here is the most recent Gig List , with new jobs to follow tomorrow. Happy green job hunting!

2009 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference

For those of you working in the green jobs industry or looking to enter a green field, the 2009 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference will be taking place February 4-6 in Washington, D.C. The conference will feature numerous workshops and featured speakers, including Van Jones, founder of Green For All - someone I would personally enjoy hearing speak. A Green Jobs Expo will also take place during the conference on Thursday, February 5th and is free to the general public (bonus if you are in the D.C. area that day!). For those interested in attending the conference itself, the cost is $125 and you may register here.

Gig List - Jan. 9, 2008

Kicking things off this happy Friday morning is a big thank you to On the Wings of Words for selecting the green blog I nominated as part of the 52 Week Challenge AND for the kind words about Green Gigs. Curious which blog I nominated? Click here and read for yourself! Anyhow, now it is time to dust off the resume, write a kickin' cover letter, and land a gig!

Wow, these gigs were OLD! But, we have new gigs, check out our home page!

Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers: AASHE

Julian Dautremont-Smith -Associate Director -Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

This edition of “Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers” features Julian Dautremont-Smith, Associate Director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). AASHE is a membership association of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable future. It was founded in 2006 with a mission to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education - from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach - through education, communication, research and professional development.

Green Gigs: What makes an application stand out to you?
Julian Dautremont-Smith: Relevant work experience is probably the most important thing in getting our attention. Another thing that makes applications stand out for us is professional presentation. Our employees interact with members and other external audiences on a regular basis, so we're looking for people who exhibit professionalism in all of their work.

GG: How do you decide who gets an interview and whose application is delegated to the bottom of the resume pile?
JDS: Interview decisions are based on a variety of factors, but it comes down to our overall assessment of a candidate's fit for the position. We focus on work experience, academic background, and, for most positions, the quality of a candidate's writing, as evidenced in the cover letter and writing sample. Also, we're a fairly collaborative and egalitarian organization, so we are looking for people who will thrive in that kind of environment.

GG: Are there any absolute turn-offs that make an application end up in the trash bin?
JDS: Poor or incoherent writing in the cover letter and writing sample is a big red flag for us. If someone doesn't write well when they are applying for a job, how can we expect them to write well once they have the job?

GG: As a "green" employer, do you look for employees that are eco-conscious or just employees able to perform the job at hand?
JDS: Most of our positions require some background in sustainability or related fields - which tends to be associated with more environmentally conscious behavior - but we don't really focus on our applicants' personal choices. That said, we are looking for someone who will be able to forge good relationships with our members and other staff. In this context, disdain for environmental behavior or a prior history of working against environmental causes isn't going to be helpful.

Writing, writing, writing! Take your time to prepare a well-written cover letter and writing sample, if required, before hitting the send button. Quickly throwing your application together can result in typos and ultimately an unprofessional presentation. Also, as green as you may be, prior work experience matters. Just because you find a green gig you would love, chances are your hybrid car and organic vegetable garden alone won’t get your application to the top of the pile. Rather, search for green jobs related to your educational background and/or prior work experience. If you really want to make a career shift, take some courses in your field of interest or get your feet wet going after some smaller gigs before shooting for the big leagues.

Thank you to Julian Dautremont-Smith for taking the time to share your advice with us. What to learn more about AASHE? Visit: http://www.aashe.org/

Related Articles
Job Application Advice from Top Green Employers: Mazenti
How to Telecommute – 5 Tips for Success

Not-So-Green Confessions

You're here, so you are some shade of green - but how green are you? I'm sharing some of my green shortcomings over at Eco-Office Gals in my guest post, "Not-So-Green Confessions" - join me, and relinquish some of your guilt too!

Green Bid Madness - Jan. 7, 2009

Here are a few green writing, multimedia, and techie projects up for bid. As always, if you land a project/job you found on Green Gigs, let me know! Best of luck and happy bidding.

These jobs are long gone! See our home page for new gigs!

Gig List - Jan. 6, 2009

Nice selection of gigs today for writers, geeks, and techies - I hope one of them becomes yours! Please tell them Green Gigs sent you!

Listings have expired. See our home page for new ones!

Gig List - Jan. 5, 2009

I hope you enjoyed the party, but now it is time to get back to work - unless of course you are currently at work and procrastinating by surfing for a green gig.

Listings expired. Visit our home page for new listings!

Mediabistro Offering Online Environmental Writing Course

For those of you interested in breaking into the field of environmental writing or furthering your environmental writing skills, Mediabistro is offering a four week online course, "Environmental Writing and Reporting" starting on January 14th. Some of the course topics covered will include: finding stories and sources, talking with scientists (this is a skill in itself!), dealing with science contradictions, multimedia reporting, identifying a market, fact-checking, trends and story context, and selling your story. The course costs $350 ($325 for AvantGuild members).

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