(Engineering graduates) Get a Green Job after getting a Green Degree

March 7th, 2010 admin Posted in careers |

By greenjobsready.com

Getting a job when the economy is still groaning under the pressures of recession can be quite tough. You might have to sacrifice a lot in terms of income or accept a lowly position until the winds of recession pass. Instead of compromising your finances or ethics, why not go with green employment and get a green job after getting a green degree?

With growing pressure by environmentalists including Greenpeace to shift towards greener alternatives of generating power, governments have begun to look at various sources such as the sun and wind to help generate additional power. There is also a sinking feeling amongst experts that fossil fuels could run out within the next 40 to 50 years. With growing energy needs, solar and wind generation offers not only a clean and green source of energy but also offers a wide range of job opportunities for competent people that are also passionate about preserving the environment.

You will need to upgrade your existing skills in some areas if you want to go in for a green job. For example, solar power generation requires people that have skills in installation and mounting of solar panels, wiring, plumbing, servicing, and repairing. If you already are an electrician or a plumber then you will simply need to fine-tune your skills to match up with the related requirements. Similarly wind power generation too requires installers, electricians and service/repair technicians. There are also general jobs that the solar and wind generation industry requires such as those in marketing, delivery, accounting, inventory, etc. However, each job needs to understand the requirements of the solar or wind farm industry so as to adapt to those requirements.

You can get a green degree and easily get a green job since this rising industry has a higher demand as compared to supply. A green degree or certification program along with adequate on-the-job training or apprentice program will help you to get familiar with the workings of the solar or wind power generation industry. You will first need to choose the field that you wish to work in. Next you will need to seek out training and certification programs that are on offer for your particular field of work. You can search on the Internet or even get useful information from the US Department of Energy if you are located in that country.

Various schools and colleges have started offering solar and wind certification courses to their students. You can opt for a green degree that stretches on for more than a year, or go in for a 6 month certificate course or even attend a short online course to get your certificate. It all depends on the type of job that you desire and the qualifications required for that job. In simple terms, the higher level of green degree that you achieve, the higher will be your post in your green job and consequently, the higher your pay. Since the solar and wind power generation industry is growing at a very fast pace, the chances of getting absorbed and moving up the job ladder are quite bright.

With environmental protagonists raising the battle cry against polluting methods of generating power, people and governments too have become environmentally sensitive towards generating power from green and renewable sources. With subsidies luring many manufacturers towards the solar and wind power industry, you can now piggyback your way to success with green employment by getting a green job after getting a green degree.

For additional information on

green jobs visit the online portal to Environmental jobs, internships, education, courses, and articles.

How to Become a Residential Solar Energy Expert

By greenjobsready.com

Our of all the green energy jobs that are available in the solar industry, the one that needs more people is the residential solar energy expert. This may not be the exact job title that some companies use, but it is an important position. It requires a solid solar education, which takes time to get, but you will be glad you took the time to get it when you are being paid well.

While you may be wondering how you can jump into being an expert, you need to work up to it. If you focus you may be able to make it very quickly compared to some people, but it isn’t something you can do overnight. One of the very first things you need to do is to find where you are going to get your solar education.

If you are already working for a company in an entry-level green job, they may be able to point you toward a specific school where you can learn the curriculum that they prefer. If not, you can just look up the schools in the area that offer classes on solar energy.

This works the other way as well. If you are in school to get a degree or certificate in solar, you may be able to get an apprenticeship with a company. This way you will be getting hands-on solar power installation training while having a job. Some of the time you spend working will also be able to be transferred into credits.

So this is definitely a good start. As you continue working for a company, if you are furthering your education you should be able to report this to your company. This will put you in a good position to move up to being a residential solar energy expert.

Going to homes and seeing what it will take to convert them to solar is likely going to be something you do once you are an expert. You will have the required knowledge to do this effectively. There is a delicate balance here between keeping your bid low enough to keep the customers interested and making sure your company is making money at the same time. Having a good solar education and solar power installation training will make bidding on green energy jobs much easier for you to do.

During all this schooling and becoming an expert, you also need to make sure that you work on your customer service skills. Being able to make people comfortable and talk to them about their homes means you will have an upper hand compared to other residential solar energy workers who don’t know how to talk to people. People are more likely to choose a bid from someone who they felt really cared about their wants and needs.

There are many things you need to think about when trying to become an expert in the solar field, and it all starts with getting a solar education. As time goes on and you move past solar panel installation training, you will begin to see what your next steps should be to get the green energy jobs you really want. Once you have that green job, you will be glad you took the time and effort to get there.

For additional information on

green jobs visit the online portal to Environmental jobs, internships, education, courses, and articles.

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