Prepare for Your New Green Career

The possibilities offered by the emerging "Green" career field continue to grow alongside the nation's effort to go green. A lot of these positions are not necessarily new, but rather existing careers which are being comprised of more ecologically friendly tasks and responsibilities, or maybe even new procedures to carrying out an old job. Much of this work is hands-on and can be physically challenging, but is very rewarding to those who have a deeply-rooted interest in taking care of the ecosystem. Have a look at the growth of green jobs at the Bureau of Labor Statistics green jobs website. While some positions will require parts of the day to be spent in a lab, the main attraction for many to this field is the chance to spend so much time in nature.

Agriculture & Conservation

This field is made up of individuals who work directly with the plants and animals we are capable of manufacturing. Dealing with the earth's physical components, these people ensure that what we're raising and farming is done so according to green standards. Many of these positions can be found in testing for harmful materials, such as contaminants or pollution and waste minimization. Some of the top growing careers in this field are Landscape Architecture, Hydrology, Geosciences, Zoology & Wildlife Biology, Forest & Conservation Technology and becoming a Fish & Game Warden.

Transportation & Fuel Cleanliness

Over the last decade or so, the transportation industry has been under heavy scrutiny for its role in the ecological struggles many places have suffered through. This being the case, it's not coincidence to see so many new green positions emerging in this field. Environmentally friendly machines, including automobiles, are a main focus for not only the American people, but now even the federal government. Some of the quickest growing careers in the field are Rail-Track Laying & Maintenance, thanks to President Obama's planned light-rail system, Locomotive Engineering, Industrial Machinery, Railroad Conduction and Mechanical Engineering.

Building Greener

In the business world, many companies are beginning to update their facilities, both office and production locales, to help meet green standards. This particular show of faith has been spanning across just about all of the nation's major industries. Most new buildings being constructed today are designed to adhere to green standards, but many existing edifices are undergoing appropriate renovations to meet these expectations, leading to an increase in jobs in fields like Civil Engineering, Carpentry, Construction Labor, Construction & Building Inspection, Insulation Work, Electricity, Structural Iron & Steel Work, Maintenance & Repair and Sheet Metal Work.

Environmental Maintenance & Pollution Prevention

The area of pollution prevention, also called cleaner production, is dedicated to stopping certain events with negative environmental results from ever occurring. The ultimate goal is to reduce new pollution and waste from entering the environment. Some of the growing job fields in this industry are Environmental Engineering, Engineering Technology, Environmental Sciences, Refuse & Recyclables Collection and Hazardous Materials Removal.

Energy Efficiency

Many new positions are being created in the area of developing renewable energy resources and helping to create new, more efficient ways of using the energy we already have. These positions deal with designing equipment and technology geared towards energy efficiency and taking advantage of fuel sources that may be able to be reused. The areas fastest growing fields are Computer Software Engineering, Nuclear Power Reactor Operations, Wind Energy Engineering, Solar Energy Systems Engineering, Geothermal Technology and Nuclear Engineering.

New Direction

President Obama's interest in the green sector has been well-documented. The large amounts of investment that the President has been delivering to this industry has also been in the news quite a bit, as he vows to continue funding innovation-oriented and developmental programs to help ensure that the US will become one of the world's leaders in the production of renewable energy. Of course, many local policymakers are beginning to follow suit with regards to their own constituents, helping to bring tax-funded positions in areas like Public Relations Specialty, Training & Development Specialty, Natural Sciences Management, Industrial Engineering, Marketing Management, Occupational Health & Safety Specialty and Urban & Regional Planning.

Funding

Because of the nature of these investments that so many companies are making towards going green, they are actually taking a hit to their bottom line. The endeavors, while good for the environment and public image, are simply not profitable - even with the assistance that policymakers are able to afford the industry. Despite the damage, companies are still choosing to work together to make these changes for the greater good, leading to a rise in jobs on the financial side of the business. The positions experiencing the highest rates of growth are in Personal Finance, Financial Analysis, Wholsale & Manufacturing, Sales and Technical & Scientific Production.