If you’re like almost half of America, you’re not satisfied in your current job and you’d like to make a career change that gives you more satisfaction at work. Even if you’re only curious about other careers that give more back to the environment than they take from it, you’ll be interested to learn that a recent study shows that environmentally-conscious jobs are on the rise for 2013 and long into the future! And even better news, these jobs are ideal for mature professionals who combine years of traditional work experience with a new outlook on their careers and what’s possible in a new and environmentally friendly job.
Take a look at this inspiring example reported by More magazine; Becky Lessard, 53, had worked only in finance at Fox River Mills, an Iowa sock maker, until 2006, when she designed a new job and took on the additional role of Chief Environmental Officer. She had already proven to her bosses that smart environmental policies (recycling materials, painting walls lighter colors to save on electricity) could cut costs. She’d also worked in her community with Wes Birdsall, a nationally known green activist, to get a feel for local green politics.
Chief Green Officer – the Job Title of the Future
Chief Green Officer, otherwise known as Chief Environmental Officer, has a job description that includes finding the funds and the appropriate technology to rework a company and its products and services into a more eco-friendly footprint.
Even if you work (or have your eye on working for) a smaller company that doesn’t offer this type of position right now, you may be able to create an environmental leadership job by volunteering to take on green improvements at work or even represent your company with government organizations that look for organizations that are actively making changes to reduce their carbon footprint and make strides toward becoming more environmentally friendly.
Now’s the Time for Change!
Ever since former-President Bush signed the Green Jobs Act in 2007, authorizing $125 million for green-job training programs, going green has been a mandatory direction for savvy organizations. The new Green Jobs study from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), says the outlook for green jobs is extremely positive, and on track to provide a helpful boost to our growing economy.
Colleges and professional associations are working to add programs that train professionals to take on a new green career.
Where are the Jobs?
Green jobs growth is great news for those who are unemployed or struggling to find a job that delivers big on both satisfaction and salary.
New York came in 2nd in the country with 248,500 green jobs, preceded only by California at 338,400 green jobs. Texas (229,700), Pennsylvania (182,000), Illinois (139,800) and Ohio (126,900) fill out the remainder of the list of states offering green jobs.
Most of those jobs are in the manufacturing and oil and gas industries. Manufacturing alone accounts for nearly 500,000 jobs across the US; “the most among any private sector industry” according to BLS.
Going Green is Worth a Lot of Green
Although you may have to volunteer for additional green responsibility at first if you’re trying to carve out a new environmental position for yourself at your current company, compensation for green jobs varies; at large organizations a chief environmental officer will often report directly to a CEO and earn six-figure salaries. Add that to the satisfaction you’ll feel doing good for the environment in your professional life as well as personally, and you’ll have scored a new career to love. And wouldn’t that be nice!
Are you doing anything in your job to make your organization more environmentally friendly? Would you ever consider switching jobs to take on a green career path? Let us know what you’re doing professionally to give back to the earth and the environment on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.