Tip of the Week | Blog | Upcoming Events | What's New | About | Subscription

Online Version of this Issue                                         Green Career Tips Archive

I’m excited to say I will be a guest on “The View From the Bay” in the San Francisco Bay Area today at 3 pm Pacific Time. You can watch the show live or watch the archive when it is posted.

If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, please join us for our party! We’ll be celebrating the book launch and I’ll be signing books on Saturday, February 6th. Check out all the details!

We've just launched a video for my new book, Green Careers for Dummies. See the book section below for more information.

We have exciting news for our members, and two teleclasses coming up. Check out the Highlighted Events section for the details.

Cleantech affects all green jobs. Discover cleantech and how it relates to your dream green job... read this week's Tip of the Week.

Did you get a f.r.e.e month on the Green Career Central site this week? Scroll down to see if the beginning of your email is next to the treasure chest. We do this every week!

Connect with us on these social networking sites:

Linked-In       Facebook         Twitter            iTunes

Green Careers for Dummies

We’ve just launched our Green Careers For Dummies book video! Take a minute and enjoy!

Highlighted Events

This week we have two exciting announcements.

First, we are announcing our next Jump Start Your Green Career Action Group
February 25th – April 6th

Shorten Your Path to Your Green Career

Bring Your Green Niche into Focus and
Create a Personalized Action Plan to
Find Your Green Career

As a result of this workshop by phone, you will:

This 6-week action group, facilitated by Carol McClelland and her team of career coaches, helps you shorten your path to your green career. Through a collection of personal exercises, group activities, and personal coaching sessions, you gain a clear focus that guides your choices and actions regarding your green career search.

Early Bird Pricing until February 12th

Second, Effective Immediately! If you are Green Career Central member, your membership now includes free access to two members-only teleclass events per month. Each time you log in you'll be able to see the events that are coming up. Just take a moment to register for the events you want to attend. We look forward to having you on the calls.

Members Only Teleclass Events for February
(Log on to Green Career Central to Register)

Researching Your Target Green Industry
Wednesday, Feb 10, 5 pm
30 minute presentation with 30 minutes of answers to YOUR questions

Carol McClelland will start off this call with tips and strategies you can use to explore your target green industry. Then she'll open up the line to answer questions you've submitted about your green career research challenges.

Expand Your Green Network
Tuesday, Feb 23, 6 pm
An Interactive Networking Event

Building a strong, vibrant green network is one of the most important steps you can take to find your green career. Knowing a diverse group of people who are well connected, share your values, and are willing to help you is invaluable. On this Members Only call, you’ll have the opportunity to share who you are and connect with other Green Career Central Members.

Tip of the Week: Cleantech and Your Green Career: The Opportunities and Challenges

No matter what you call it, the cleantech (or clean tech) sector is going to have a huge impact on the world economy.

Let’s start with the basics.

What is cleantech?

Cleantech is an umbrella term, coined by investors, to refer to a multi-faceted sector of the economy that touches 14 different industry silos, from renewable energy to manufacturing, materials to water, and more. Although the industries vary considerably, the overall goals are to create technological solutions that use clean energy, to be cost effective, and to minimize the use of natural resources, carry through the entire cleantech sector.

(For a full description of cleantech, I recommend you visit the Cleantech Group’s definition of the sector.)

Why is cleantech going to be such an influence on the economy?

Opportunity

Although some players are in the cleantech space to have a positive impact on the planet, others are there for the profits.

Market Potential – By all accounts, the potential for cleantech industries is huge! Dallas Kachan, managing director of Cleantech Group has been quoted as saying, “We have the largest market opportunity in the history of the planet driven by global climate change, resource constraints, and energy dependence.”

Let’s consider a few forecasts:

In 2008 solar and wind energy amounted to $80 billion. According to Clean Edge, this market is expected to triple to $240 billion over the next ten years.

By 2030, the Smart Grid is expected to expand five times over from $20 Billion to $100 Billion.

In 2015, just the communications infrastructure required by the Smart Grid is expected to grow to a $20 billion market according to Cisco, a player in this arena.

These statistics and quote are from the following articles on SiliconValley.com –

Silicon Valley makes big push into solar and smart-grid technologies, by Dana Hull,

Cleantech: Silicon Valley’s next great wave of innovation, by Scott Duke Harris,

Silicon Valley faces fierce global competition in cleantech, by Jon Boudreau.

Huge Investments – With all this opportunity in the air, it’s no wonder venture capitalist are investing in record amounts. When cleantech investments first started in 2000, the investments were in the range of millions of dollars. Fast forward to the present, and you’ll find investments of billions of dollars funding hundreds of deals. For the details of this trend, see Cleantech: Silicon Valley’s next great wave of innovation, by Scott Duke Harris.

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the government has also invested more than $70 billion to the cleantech sector in the form of loan guarantees, grants, tax credits, and contracts.

Currently Unforeseen Opportunities – Given that we are in the early stages of this new low-carbon, clean tech economy, it is entirely likely that the industries taking form now will stimulate other related industries we can’t forecast or predict at this point.

The Smart Grid, for instance, is a potential breeding ground for unforeseen industries. As more and more real time data is collected and as more smart features are built into the grid, who knows what applications, appliances, and user interfaces will be created. Time will tell how this new industry will impact our lives, our economy, and our careers.

Challenge

As much as there are huge opportunities within the cleantech sector, there are also huge challenges. To prepare yourself to work in this sector you must have an understanding of the issues facing cleantech companies and industries moving forward.

Existing industries – Although there are a number of forces pushing cleantech forward, there are also existing industries lobbying for the status quo, or for solutions that allow them to continue to be profitable. Oil companies, coal companies, and others have a tremendously powerful lobby that is extremely well funded. These forces present a challenge to start up companies and industries that are trying to break through with new technologies.

Global Competition – Historically speaking, the United States has been at the forefront of technological advances. Even now it’s easy to slip into celebrating cleantech advancements in the United States without realizing the advances other countries are making in renewable energy and other cleantech endeavors. Although no one country has taken the lead across all cleantech industries, a number of countries are making strides that take them ahead of us in solar production, wind energy, and more. To maintain, re-establish, and retain a role as a cleantech innovator, the United States must move forward more quickly.

Policy, Regulations, Taxes, and Standards – Cleantech experts and CEOs are calling for more support from the government to kick start cleantech industries through stronger policies, more favorable regulations, and tax laws that encourage investments and start up activities. A cohesive system is needed to stimulate the sector in the United States so that it can compete in the global marketplace.

Timing – In any start up environment there’s a timing game. Can the industry or company that has the technology, get the money it needs to ramp up to attract enough contracts? Will the company then have all they need to fulfill the contracts and build momentum? The people leading and working within these companies must thrive in an environment of constant change, uncertainty, and risk.

In the early stages of an industry there are always a lot of start ups scrambling to survive. Over time some companies will fold, others will be bought out by larger players, while others will be made obsolete by newer technology. We’ve seen this frenzy before during different phases of the technology revolutions over the last few decades and we can expect to see it again within the cleantech sector. If you work in this environment you must be alert and aware of changes in your industry, market, and region. The inherent risk can pay off big… or not!

How will cleantech change the green career options in your area?

One of the benefits of the new low-carbon economy is that this shift in our economy creates a new source of jobs. These jobs will be in industries we see growing already (i.e. solar, wind, building supplies) and in industries we can’t begin to imagine at this moment.

So when and where can you take advantage of those new jobs? That depends…

On the timing of the industry.

In the early stages of clean tech, most of the jobs are going to be in geographic hubs known for innovation, risk taking, and investment. Silicon Valley, for example, is already demonstrating that it is a hub for cleantech start ups.

Later, as technologies are proven and established, companies will expand and take their technology to the geographic areas where they have the resources they need to thrive.

On the regional realities of your area. Companies are likely to expand in areas that match their needs for the following resources.

Natural resources – Some companies depend on natural resources such as water, sunlight, wind, geothermal activity, or timber to thrive. If you understand the natural resources in your area, you’ll have a sense of which industries may come to your area.

By product of man-made processes – Other companies depend on a particular by product as an input into their manufacturing process. These companies will search for geographic areas that produce this by product in large amounts.

Existing infrastructure – Companies also look at their infrastructure needs as they determine where to expand. Think manufacturing plants, transportation options, and energy infrastructure to evaluate the kinds of companies that may head to your area.

Human resources – Another resource companies are looking for are the talents, skills, and knowledge of the workforce. In this way, the historical industries of your region are likely to influence the kinds of cleantech companies that settle in your area.

Although you may not be able to make immediate conclusions about how cleantech will change your local job market, being aware of these issues will help you spot and understand news about businesses moving into your region.

Copyright © 2010 Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc.

Green Career Central Blog:

Follow the Green Money: The electric car industry had some financial wins this week as did a companies in solar and fuel cells. Check out the details.

Green Career Trends: Understanding industry trends can point you toward possible green careers. Ever thought of who is supplying parts to electric car companies? And how about expanding your green building horizons to include stadiums?

The discussion forum topic, audios, ebook, and articles listed below are available to members of GreenCareerCentral.com as a part of their membership.  If you're not a member and would like to have immediate access, we'd love to have you join us now!

Green Career Central is a membership site with a comprehensive set of easy-to-use programs, resources, and events to help people achieve their green career dreams whether they want to find a green job, start a green business, or get a green education.

"It's a hard to find an investment these days that pays for itself many times over but the annual fee for joining Green Career Central is certainly worth every penny. The process laid out is structured and easy to follow. It takes you through the steps to get a truer understanding what your interests and skills are and makes you excited about researching your career options, while giving you a sense of progress and accomplishment. The weekly tips and "how to" resources on the website are time saving and are in of themselves an invaluable resource. Thanks Carol."

~WG Becoming an Energy Systems Consultant

Read what other members are saying about Green Career Central here....

What's New at GreenCareerCentral.com

Members Only Teleclass Events

Each time you log on, check out the upcoming Members Only teleclass events. As a Green Career Central member, you receive free access to these two calls each month. Just take a moment to register on the Members' home page and you’ll be all set. If you can’t attend, no worries, we’ll be posting the audios of these events.

Green Career Central Site Orientation

We’ve enhanced the articles in Step 1 under the Welcome link. If you are new to the site or want to refresh your understanding of the site, take a look at the articles inside the “Start with These Articles” box.

If you’ve identified your green niche, then your next step is to investigate your target industry. At this link you’ll find time effective ways to investigate your green niche.

Did You Know...

...if you missed a Tip of the Week, you can read the archived publications?

Green Career Tips Archive

About Us

Copyright (c) 2007-2010. Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Green Career Central^TM is a trademark of Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc

PO Box 354, Menlo Park, CA 94026
650 322 8661 | Contact

Subscriber Information

We distribute two editions of our newsletter. One for green career seekers and one for career counselors and coaches. To determine which edition you are receiving, click on the link below to change subscriber options.

Green Career Seekers – receive the “greencareer” edition

Career Counselors and Coaches – receive the “careercounselor” edition

If you are receiving two newsletters, click on the link below to change subscriber options and select the edition you want to read.

If you aren't receiving the edition you want to read, go to our home page to subscribe to the proper edition. You'll then need to remove yourself from the other edition using the instructions above.

Green Career Central respects your privacy and does not give out or sell subscriber names and/or e-mail addresses.

You are welcome to pass this newsletter to your friends and colleagues as long as the entire newsletter is kept intact.

If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you are welcome to sign up to receive your own copy.

If you wish to be taken off this list simply scroll to the end of this newsletter for your subscription update options.

Read the online version of the newsletter.