What do you want to be when you grow up — during the Obama administration? If you’re looking for one of those green jobs our president often talks about, a new guide — The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Careers — could help you explore your possibilities.
Written by Barbara Parks and Jodi Helmer, Green Careers basically goes through all sorts of green jobs out there — from those in farming to renewable energy to green building — detailing the basic duties, pros and cons, requirements, and salaries of each position. Don’t know whether you want to be a Bioenergy Process Engineer or a Biofuel Research Scientist because you can’t tell what the difference is? The former requires a PhD while the latter may accept just a master’s — and the difference between the median annual salaries is only $400.
Green Careers could be especially useful for those seeking — whether by desire or economic necessity — lateral career moves. An arborist, for example, makes just $9.50 an hour, on average. If said arborist simply just loves working with plants, she could get her bachelors degree and become a horticulturist, bringing her salary up to $52,052 a year.
If you need help narrowing your job search, reading the career descriptions will help. Think you want to be a farmers’ market manager because you love yummy local, organic fruit and want to organize local events? Then ask yourself if you love fresh cherries and chili cookoffs enough to work weekend evenings and most weekends — for $29,120 a year. Manage a landfill and recycling center instead and you can earn $51,402 — but then you’d see more cherry pits than cherries.
Of course, those with absolutely no idea how to pick from the wealth of career choices out there may have an anxiety attack after reading all the options in this book. If you have this tendency, try to figure out what you enjoy first — because really, anything can be a green job. Event planner, investment broker, and travel agent are all occupations listed in the book, as all of them can be eco-fied (zero-waste meetings! green investments! eco-vacations!).
That means if you already have a job you’re fairly happy with, Green Careers could give you some ideas for greening it. Not all the news may be things you want to hear, however. Under “Writer” (“Blogger” was not listed), Green Careers notes that “long and erratic work hours might cause stress, fatigue, or burnout for writers. Using computers for extended periods can also cause health problems such as back pain and eyestrain.”
Good to know! I’ll take a break from writing after this post. For L.A.-area job seekers: Solar Living Institute’s put together an L.A. Green Career Conference, happening Sun., June 7, from 8 am – 6 pm at UCLA. Events and perks include a free resume review, panels, keynotes, and networking opportunities. Registration fees range from $75 for students to $175 at the door.
Green Careers costs $10.17 on Amazon. Good luck with your green career!
Image via Penguin.com
Thanks for the review! My dad is a science professor at a state college (in Florida) and he regularly has undergraduates approaching him asking him about green careers in science. Because he’s an astronomy/physical science professor he never quite knows what to say and doesn’t know the education requirements for most jobs. This book sounds like a great resource!
Comment by claude r — September 25, 2009 @ 8:31 am
Kudos for highlights the topic of “writer” in this. Few people even expect it to be part of any green guide. Like you, I found the author’s description of it strange. Wouldn’t a writer who covers oil and gas companies run the risk of overextending as much as a green writer would? Sound more like the writer of the guide you reviewed was unaccustomed to pulling late hours writing. I also agree with your point that “blogger” ought to be a sub-category of writer. If, for no other reason, than to emphasize just how unlikely it is that blogging about sustainability trends –ie labor of love– would lead to full time financial stability for anyone pursuing it. I’d also be curious to know more about how writers who cover sustainability trends can actually go to find full time work with health insurance, 401k and such.
Comment by Susanna Speier — September 25, 2009 @ 10:19 am
Sounds like a useful resource. Maybe it could help me find my niche.
Comment by JuanRCM — September 25, 2009 @ 10:40 am
Sounds like this would be a great fit for my kids. I work as a Career Counselor at Bresee, and am trying to help kids realize their power to make positive change for their environment and their health. What better way that to prepare for Green jobs!
Comment by Michelle Wong — September 25, 2009 @ 11:32 am
I am a second year college student and I have yet to decide what is it that I will major in, let alone what my career will be! One thing I do know for sure is that I would love for it to be a green career or as green as it can be!
Comment by Mayra — September 27, 2009 @ 6:39 pm
Susanna — I would imagine there must be writers covering environmental issues that have those things — i.e. some environmental journalists, etc. — but good health insurance and a 401k are certainly tough things for most freelance writers to come by :P
Comment by Siel — October 19, 2009 @ 6:36 pm