Are you looking for an employer that will not only allow you to use your education and skills, but will also share your enthusiasm for environmental issues? Good for you - your values will provide you with a filter to help you narrow your job search. Here are five strategies that you may find useful:

1) Formulate your vision. What kind of job are you looking for? What kind of job are you trained for? Are you seeking employment in an industry that is not normally considered green, but hoping to find work with an eco-conscious company? Spending just a few minutes asking yourself questions, and thinking hard about what it is you really want from your job, will save you many hours of wasted time sitting in the office of interviewers who may want to hire you for jobs that don't even interest you.

2) Activate your personal network. Who knows you better than anyone else? The people in your personal network - even the people you've never worked with, like your daughter's soccer coach and the members of your book club. You never know who may have heard about a job opening that has not been advertised publicly. It always surprises me how many people tell me that they found their jobs because they knew someone who knew someone. Your network may prove to be especially helpful when you want to know whether a particular employer is really as green as they claim to be. Your network contacts may have personal experience, or know someone who has personal experience, with a company where you are considering applying. Your contacts may know if an employer actually "walks the walk" or just "talks the talk" - meaning they may know if the company sincerely works at implementing green policies and practices, or if the company's green policies are just a marketing ploy.

3) Brand yourself green. Show potential employers your commitment to the environment, remembering that actions speak louder than words. Try starting an environmental program at the company where you currently work, or volunteering with a local conservation organization. You could even start your own blog on environmental issues. If you don't like to write, and if you are relatively extroverted, you could do a video blog or a regular audio podcast instead - or even start a weekly show on Blog Talk Radio. A good video blog or audio podcast can create a following of fans who look forward to your broadcasts (and this will look very good to a potential employer).

4) Try green networking. Connect with one of the organizations nationwide, or in your community, that focus on green issues. Here are a few possibilities to get you started:
 

• Clean Economy Network
   
• Green Business Networking
   
• Idealist.org
   
• Sustainable Business.com. Sustainable Business also covers news stories related to green businesses.
   
• You may also want to try your local Chamber of Commerce or other local business groups.
   
• Sometimes you can also find local news about green events or local green through social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also use accounts at these sites to occasionally broadcast your own interest in ecologically-friendly employment.

5) Don't limit yourself to applying only at employers that are officially "green." Some companies have green policies because they want to be able to market themselves as green. In that case, they tend to make a big deal about their ecofriendliness. But other employers make an effort to reduce their carbon footprints and engage in sustainable business practices because they believe it is the right thing to do - and these employers may not make such a big deal about it. In fact, they may not even mention it to you, the job applicant, unless you ask. So, go ahead and apply for positions that interest you and ask questions about green policies. It's wise to plan on asking questions in an interview in any case - and this will give you something to focus on besides salary and benefits.

It can be hard to find any job in today's business climate, much less a green job. Keep your chin up and don't let the recession get you down. If you find a part-time green job, you may want to take it even if you are ultimately looking for full-time employment. It's better (assuming you can make ends meet) to have a job that matches your ideals, interests, and goals.

This post was written by Brendan Cruickshank (Vice President of Client Services), a guest contributor. Brendan is a veteran of the online job search and recruiting industry, having spent the past 8 years in senior client services roles with major sites like Juju.com and JobsInTheMoney.com. He is quoted regularly as an expert in employment and jobs trends in major media outlets like the Washington Post, US News & World Report, and Forbes and has spoken at recruiting industry events such as Onrec and Kennedy Information’s Corporate Recruiting Conference.

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