Career Flux - Careers

How to Develop a Career in the Green Industry

The green industry is a great one to get into for graduates. It’s a growth area and likely to have significant public and private funding over the years as more aligned industries emerge and define their businesses. The sector is broad and offers an exciting range of opportunities for graduates seeking intellectually stimulating, rewarding and often challenging roles with great career prospects. The green sector is also incredibly broad, encompassing areas such as Eco-friendly construction industries, bio-chemicals, alternative energies, conservation and ecology, sustainability and education.

How Do I Secure a Job in the Green Industry?

As the world begins to take climate change and global warming seriously, more and more attention is turning towards sustainability in our businesses and private lives. This covers everything from recycling through to low-impact farming methods. So the scope for employment is huge.

The industry is particularly concerned with social and ecological issues and this will suit Generation Y recent graduates, who grew up with fundamentally different values to their reward-seeking Gen X predecessors. Generation Y graduates seek meaning as much as compensation, although many of the careers in this green industry can be lucrative and well paid, particularly in the specialist science and consultancy fields. There are also plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to make their own mark.

Qualifications and Experience

Choosing a degree which is aligned to the green sector is ideal. This might be environmental studies or geography, conservation, sustainability, third-sector studies and volunteering, community support or alternative energies. Alternatively, choose a good traditional degree such as engineering or architecture but focus your studies strongly on the ‘green’ elements and modules.

Look for work experience as well. Some roles, such as BREEAM jobs or carbon-efficiency consultants may find that more specialist and vocational training is involved on the job, or they can qualify through working their way up the ranks after initial work experience. Don’t be too proud to accept unpaid or voluntary work to manoeuvre yourself into a rewarding position.

Think Broadly

Remember too that there are more ways to get the job you want than simply applying for a vacancy. Use social media to engage with your future employer and demonstrate your knowledge by blogging and becoming active on the networking scene. Meet the right people, talk about your ambitions and demonstrate your knowledge, passion and commitment. Ask your university about getting involved with research projects in the field or even working to commission one. Research can be a great way to get your name heard, particularly in published papers.

Take Action

Sign up to job alerts and look for volunteering opportunities abroad if you really want to expand your horizons. Consider taking an alternative route to the job you really want, by finding another way into your chosen company. Green businesses still need traditional support roles and functions to operate and once you’re in, it may be easier to retrain with the company’s support as you move across teams towards your chosen role. Career planning definitely benefits from the strategic approach. And remember, if all else fails, you can start small and do it yourself with your own business. There are plenty of start-up options and emerging franchises in the green sector, many of them in the consumer market, which is another good area to research and consider.

Francesca is a UK-based freelance writer with a passion for travel. She enjoys writing about everything, from careers and business, to travel and food. She currently writes on behalf of En Spiral.

Filed Under: Career Planning, College Graduates And Interns, Featured, Guest Experts Tagged With: career advice, Careers, Jobs

6 Jobs for People Who Love Kids

By E Nanny 2 Comments

Working with kids can be extremely rewarding, but it requires a lot of energy and devotion. Adults working with kids often need to be creative, silly, compassionate, and patient. If you have all of these qualities, along with a love for kids, you might thrive at any number of child-related jobs.

Teacher

Many people who love children choose a career in the field of education. Teachers can specialize in many different areas and age groups. In order to become a teacher, you must receive a bachelor’s degree and a state teaching license. Degree requirements are different, based on whether you choose elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education. Teachers’ salaries are often tied to their level of education and teaching experience, so many teachers continue to pursue masters’ degrees.

Coach

Perhaps you have a love for sports in addition to adoring kids. Acting as a coach can be a fulfilling way to work with kids while teaching them the fundamentals of the sport, the value of teamwork, and the rewards of working hard. Coaches may or may not be required to have a college degree. In many cases, teachers double as coaches, earning a little extra money in addition to a teaching salary. Sometimes schools and after-school programs hire experts in the specific sport, whether they have a degree or not.

Pediatrician

Children’s doctors can also choose from any number of specialized medical fields or age groups to work with. A general practice pediatrician will see children of all ages. Pediatricians make sure that children are on track developmentally and physically, and ensure they are up-to-date on immunizations. Becoming a pediatrician requires four years of medical school and three years in a residency program.

Camp Director

Managing a youth camp is typically a seasonal job. Duties include planning youth activities, communicating with parents, and supervising the camp staff. Camp directors should be full of energy and ideas for kid-friendly activities, games, and enrichment activities. Any administrative-level jobs in the recreation industry will require a bachelor’s degree. However, many seasonal camp director positions do not require a college degree.

Nanny

Many people who love children are drawn to being a caregiver or nanny. Nannies often become like family members when employed full time by one family. Duties can vary drastically, depending on the needs and lifestyle of the family. Usually, the most important thing is the well-being of the children. Parents want to hire someone that will put their children above all else, so they can have the peace of mind that they are safe and cared for. Nanny jobs do not normally require a college degree, but some parents are looking for someone with knowledge of child development. Before you can get the job, most families will require a nanny background check.

Speech Language Pathologist

Speech pathologists are primarily employed by schools or hospitals. They provide kids of all ages with services related to speech and communication development. Speech pathologists often see one child at a time over a designated period. Speech pathologists must hold a master’s degree, pass a national test, and put in 300 hours of supervised work.

If you’ve decided you want work as a nanny, check out eNannySource.com to find families in need of your services.

Filed Under: Career Planning, Featured, Guest Experts, Job Search Tagged With: Careers, education, Jobs

Theater Careers: Behind The Curtain

By Annie Rose Favreau Leave a Comment

Annie Favreau writes and works for Inside Jobs, a career exploration site “where people can explore what opportunities exist and learn what paths can take them there.”

When you hear “careers in theater,” acting is probably the job that comes to mind first. As the most visible participants in a theatrical production, thespians can really hog the professional limelight. But treading the boards is a notoriously tricky career, filled with long hours, low wages, and studio apartments. So what are some of the other— less visible, but also less insecure (read: more pay)—professions that make the magic happen on stage? Here are five to consider:

Annie Rose Favreau (the author) plays Tilly, the triste protagonist in Sarah Ruhl's musically inclined "Melancholy Play." Photo courtesy: Garrett Mukai - The Spectator

1) Stage Managers are the air traffic controllers of a play. During rehearsals, they work with the director and designers, recording the lighting, sound, and actor cues. When the curtain goes up, they call the cues from the light booth, coordinating with the backstage assistant stage manager to make sure the production runs smoothly. Since most professional directors do not see a show after it opens, it’s the stage manager’s task to ensure that the director’s original artistic vision is reproduced night after night.

Must have: Patience, authority, and organizational skills.

Most have: A BA, usually in stage management, theater, or theater design.

Show me the money: Stage managers work on a project basis, but the salary can be high for a theater job, clocking in between $42,890–$111,250.

2) If you’re a more technically minded person, a career in lighting design could be a good match. Lighting Designers plan out the placement, movement, and timing of each light on a theater’s grid. Working alongside the director and other designers, their goal is to create a cohesive aesthetic for a production.

Must have: Creative vision, electrical skills, and an eye for detail.

Most have: Experience in the field (a BA in theater or lighting design won’t hurt, but it’s not necessary if you’ve got the professional chops).

Show me the money: On average, lighting designers bring home between $49,338–$82,054.

3) Sound Designers create the audio experience of a show. Depending on the requirements of a production, they might spend time mixing music, recording or finding sound effects, or working with the director to explore how the sound elements help heighten the audience’s experience. Alternatively, some sound designers focus on the technical side of things, placing microphones, balancing volume, or equalizing the bass and treble.

Must have: Keen hearing, creativity, and in-depth knowledge of sound equipment.

Most have: Experience in the field (like lighting designers, sound designers often have a BA, but a degree is not required).

Show me the money: If a sound designer’s working on Broadway, the benefits can be high, but most make between $32,450–$67,010.

4) Costume Designers are a crucial part of the production team: costumes are the fastest way to give visual information, like the economic status of a character or the time period, to the audience. Whether re-purposing clothing from past performance or creating new outfits from scratch, costume designers are in charge of all the worn pieces and props.

Must have: Style, historical knowledge of clothing design, sewing and garment construction skills.

Most have: At least a 2-year degree in fashion or costume design.

Show me the money: Costume designers’ annual salary generally hits between $44,110–$90,020.

5) Director positions come in two major areas: Directors of specific plays, and Artistic Directors who oversee the entire season of a theater. Both positions are highly collaborative: Directors work closely with actors and designers to bring their vision of the production to life. Artistic directors are the strategic thinkers responsible for developing and executing the mission and vision of a theater company. They guide the selection of plays, the development of budgets, and the overall brand of the organization.

Must have: Vision, organizational skills, and people skills.

Most have: At minimum a BA in theater or arts administration.

Show me the money: With yearly wages between $42,890–$111,250, directing roles are often the highest paid positions in a theater company.

Want to find out more about careers in theater? Go here.

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Filed Under: Career and Job Research Tools, Guest Experts Tagged With: Career, career exploration, Careers

Good Wines And Great Careers

By Mona Samar Leave a Comment

Any mention of good wine is usually associated with a celebration or ceremony. From State dinners to corporate conferences and from Wedding toasts to an office Christmas party, wine lends a certain elegance and warmth to the occasion. It has been so for hundreds of years and no wonder that good wines are carefully fermented and aged.

The process of wine aging:

Most wine lovers know how the process of aging wine works, especially red wine, as soon as grapes are picked and crushed. They are then usually put into barrels made of oak and sugar and acids among other things are added. Placed in a dark area in cool temperatures, these barrels help the process of aging. Finally, after a period of, say, a couple of years or more, the red wine gets a full flavored bold taste.

So what’s red wine got to do with a good career?

The simple answer is the aging process and patience of wine maker that has always struck me as being very similar to what we need for a career to flourish.

All great careers are made with patience (lots of it):

Making a great career is a perpetual exercise where you consistently update yourself with the latest in your chosen career path. Just like wine aging, if you give your career proper conditions, a bold flavor is added to your career that the world calls a success story. We can add good education, training and commitment to career goals that become ingredients like sugar, tannin and acids for wine. The oak barrel for career making is a productive and progressive environment where one can periodically make a reality check and add on to one’s laurels if any. Add to it patience and time and you are always ready for a celebration- with a glass of red wine of your choice of course.

I have observed three kinds of scenarios where a person makes his career choices.

When pro active parents take a lot upon themselves to decide what their children would do for a living when they grow up. This decision almost entirely is governed by the mental make up of the parents and their world experience. Many a children have settled successfully in such cases but I still think that it takes away from the children a potential choice of their own that they could have made after greater individual exposure.
Another set of pro active parents encourages children to find an area of interest where they will feel comfortable and fulfilled if they go that way career wise. Such young people are exposed to various choices out there and are able to pick out a suitable career. The only thing parents stand on firm are that these youngsters must decide on something after careful considerations. This makes for an informed decision and I very much like this approach.
Every one is not so lucky to have doting elders so some of us have to make our own decisions. It is here that choices and consequences of those choices become critical. Faced with it, some just let destiny play a part and wait for anything to fall into their lap believing they would make something out of something. This can prove to be a losing proposition in the long run as we can never turn back time to change wrong decisions. Yet with good environmental influence like school, teachers and peers, one may realize the importance of choosing a career niche and then make a success out of it.

Whichever of the above course has brought you to your present career choice, one thing is certain. Slowly adding to and enhancing a singular career choice makes for a satisfying and paying working life. Even if you have to make a career change in life – not uncommon – the same principles apply all over for the new one. Plus you can avoid any mistakes you made the first time around.

CHEERS!!!

Filed Under: Career Planning Tagged With: Career, Careers

Three Key Differences Between Jobs & Careers

By Mona Samar 4 Comments

I have often come across people mentioning jobs and careers in the same breath implying both to be the same thing. Comparatively more mature (in age) people realize this important difference through their years of experience whereas many others do not differentiate between a job and a career consciously. In reality, it is such an important concept that should be ingrained into a person’s mind from a young age.

To understand them better, let’s find out some basic differences:

1. Definition:

Any job comprises a certain amount of work as part of one’s occupation at the time in return for an agreed remuneration. It can be full time or part-time. For commercial purposes, this employment creates profits for the employer and the worker gets his earnings in return. For example, working at a fast food cash counter is a normal job.

Career can be defined as a whole occupation or profession, requires a certain level of education and training usually followed over a working lifetime. Following the course of time, any career goes through a progression involving ups and sometimes downs. Sometimes we like to say that one’s career is in a flux at that point of time. For example, getting qualified and working as a nurse is called making a career in the health care industry.

2. Time Span:

A job is an arrangement between a person and employment at any given time in a working person’s life whereby the person earns remuneration in exchange for work provided. A particular job can last as little as a few weeks or months to a few years.

A career, on the other hand, is an employment of a person over most of that person’s working life. It encompasses all the jobs worked for by one aggregating into a profession by which the career is identified. A well identified career may last over almost all of his working life.

3. Qualification:

One might or might not have to hold a certain qualification for a job. For example, a short term job or a temporary one can be done without getting a specialized training. Taking the fast food counter job, a person can ably perform it with basic customer service knowledge.

For a certain career though, you need to be qualified and progressively so in order to make it a lasting profession. In order to make a career in media, one might have to complete a degree or diploma in Journalism, gain experience in related jobs and progressively attain a stable position.

To make a meaningful career, good planning, informed decisions and well meaning guidance from sources like parents and teachers is imperative. Life being the way it is, sometimes people have to jump in jobs unrelated to their career or in an area that they won’t be following for the rest of their lives, in order to survive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it as long you don’t lose sight of your original career goals and strive to come back on track to achieve it.