By Dan Smolen, on December 16th, 2011
 It's time to plan for career success in 2012 by preparing and following your own check list. Season’s greetings! We hope you are enjoying the run up to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever it is that you celebrate.
And we keep good thoughts that 2012 will bring lots of career success to us all.
But our great good fortune will not come as a result of good luck, alone. Instead, the success we enjoy in work and career will result from forethought and scrupulous planning.
For those who seek success as The Green Suit, we offer these important process points:
- Establish a value proposition. What is it that makes you…you? Or more important, what is it that makes you successful on the job? Develop a buttoned-up one or two sentence description of you–the successful careerist.
- Acquire education and training. Your bachelor’s or master’s degree was only the beginning; to achieve success as The Green Suit you must commit yourself to continual education and training. Whether that means certification by way of a professional sustainability program or an advanced degree in environmental science, your future success will be tied to the recency and frequency of your education and training in sustainability, social responsibility, and related fields.
- Build a professional network. Who you know matters. Who you know who can help you succeed as The Green Suit MATTERS MOST. Carefully cultivate connections–on LinkedIn and face-to-face at business events–to empower your career and help you achieve success in the New Green Economy.
- Rework and revise the résumé (CV). Make sure you stand out by posting a compelling value proposition, key accomplishments, and truly great metrics. A distracted hiring manager may take only fifteen seconds to read your résumé, so make sure that it communicates your considerable value (or else, it will go unnoticed).
- Turn your current job green. Obvious green jobs don’t get offered to executives who lack requisite knowledge, training, or experience in sustainability. That is why we counsel executives eager to pivot into the New Green Economy to turn their current jobs green. Create a business plan for your boss or senior management which identifies areas where your company or organization could achieve greater efficiency through sustainability improvements directed by you. And, in very short order, you could become your company’s official sustainability manager or green officer–ready to entertain sustainability executive roles at other companies and organizations!
- And, think positive. We’ve all been held back by stagnation in the economy. But a great attitude is truly infectious. Through all of your daily interactions, enthusiastically show people the benefits of embracing triple bottom-line thinking: improved profitability, empowered people, and a well cared-for planet.
As I’ve said to audiences of eager soon-to-be college graduates I’ll say to you: our best days lie ahead. Together, let’s build a strong and reliable New Green Economy and ensure that we all become successful green business careerists–The Green Suits.
 Need a last-minute gift or stocking-stuffer for a bright green careerist? Order or download Tailoring the Green Suit: Empowering Yourself for an Executive Career in the New Green Economy from Amazon.com, HERE!
Happy Holidays!
By Dan Smolen, on December 5th, 2011
 Our thanks to Richard Halpern of EcoApprentice.com for the terrific interview experience. Here’s a snippet:
“For most sustainability-minded executives—who have been rendered risk-averse by the current job climate—the idea of creating shift in their current companies truly resonates. I am counseling them to turn their current jobs and companies green before they venture out to apply for and land an obviously green position in another company (such as Director of Sustainability). I think it is easier to turn one’s current job green, because the executive already knows the business culture and is likely aware of what it will take to create positive and lasting change in the company.
Check out EcoApprentice.com and the full interview, HERE.
By Dan Smolen, on December 1st, 2011
 PM Network is the official magazine of the Project Management Institute. Matt Alderton's article, "Green Growth," discusses green job-making opportunities for project professionals. Logo h/t PMI. Well, at least my mother will be very proud of me for this.
PM Network is the official magazine of the Project Management Institute, the world’s largest association for project management professionals. PM Network is read by over a half million PMI members, worldwide.
The December 2011 issue features an article by writer Matt Alderton entitled Green Growth: Organizations worldwide need help managing and measuring their environmental impact–and project professionals are the first in line to benefit. And I am quoted in that article:
“Usually, people who don’t have green experience become sustainability experts by proxy and by practice, Mr. Smolen says. “It may start with recognizing that your company isn’t addressing its carbon footprint or that it’s very resource-heavy, then putting together a brief business plan to tackle the problem by coming up with solutions the company can act on. All of a sudden, you’ve got sustainability-related project management experience. It’s fabulous. And with a year or two, that could easily become a recognized green job.”
Read the entire story, HERE.
By Dan Smolen, on November 28th, 2011
 Well, today starts of well with a nice post by Greenbiz.com contributor and WSMN’s Nature of Business radio host Chrissy Coughlin.
Chrissy summarizes last week’s radio interview, HERE.
Check it out!
By Dan Smolen, on November 27th, 2011
 Today's Wall Street Journal editorial borrowed "non-green jobs" talking points from The American Petroleum Institute verbatim. This morning, I was jolted awake, not by a strong cup of coffee, but by the arrival of an editorial in The Wall Street Journal’s weekend edition.
The editorial, The Non-Green Jobs Boom: Forget ‘clean energy.’ Oil and gas are boosting U.S. employment. started this way:
“So President Obama was right all along. Domestic energy production really is a path to prosperity and new job creation. His mistake was predicting that those new jobs would be “green,” when the real employment boom is taking place in oil and gas.
And here I thought this beautiful weekend day was going to be easy and breezy…
We counsel The Green Suits to “be above politics,” to expertly frame their value propositions in a way which appeals to people who are not natural constituents to The Triple Bottom Line–to benefit people and planet…and maximize profits.
When their framing is right, The Green Suits land jobs and quickly establish their value as successful, positive metric-minded executives. And within months of arriving on the job, they prove to management that resource sustainability, renewable energy, green/clean tech, and corporate social responsibility are indeed good for (their) business.
But today’s editorial may make The Green Suits–striving to start and establish successful green business executive careers–feel personally attacked, their credibility and integrity questioned.
Read the editorial, and one can definitely understand why that may happen.
The editorial–which restates American Petroleum Institute talking-points verbatim–espouses the “non-green job boom” happening in places like the Marcellus Shale, the vast deposit of natural gas that lies beneath much of Central Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York State. The WSJ and the API believe great fortunes will be made–and thousands of jobs created–fracking for gas in this vast deposit.
If it were only that simple…
Thousands of landowners, who have never enjoyed wealth, are excited about the prospects of getting rich from the gas fields beneath them. While thousands of other landowners–many with property lines abutting their pro-fracking neighbors–fear that the air, soil, and well water on their property will be permanently tainted by the fracking process, which uses water, sand, benzene and other poisonous chemicals forced under high pressure to literally fracture the shale layer miles below, to release the gas.
Who is right? And would you drink from that well?
So, do The Wall Street Journal and the American Petroleum Institute “have it in” for The Green Suits? It does seem like The Green Suits, the ambitious business executives in or entering the renewable energy and sustainability sectors–who seek to turn conventional companies and market verticals green…and are hell-bent on changing the world–are suddenly in the crosshairs of some very powerful and well-funded old economy interests. And some might feel as if they may be left to justify their personal and professional missions.
Are The Green Suits going to sit back and take it? No.
Are The Green Suits going to get mad and toss verbal grenades? No. (I hope not.)
Instead, what The Green Suits must do is remain calm, poised, and very well-informed about the green jobs versus non-green jobs debate. Sure, there are Wall Street Journal editorial page reading constituents–hiring managers for sure–who have made up their minds that green jobs are folly.
I believe that they are in the minority of public opinion.
Instead, most hiring managers remain open-minded, and it is with reasonable, open-minded people who The Green Suits can ably support a solid case for green business.
Truth be told, the future belongs to The New Green Economy. And the 90-million strong Millennial Generation–our nation’s largest demographic cohort–want green jobs.
That is why here in the U.S., we must and will continue developing our own renewable energy and green/clean technologies. We must regain our global leadership in them all, or China will, as New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has written, “clean our clock.”
The jobs–the green jobs–created by our renewable energy and green/clean tech “eco-entrepreneurs” will be in the millions, but they will take time to create (that we know). We must commit our time, energy, and talents NOW to rapidly building the New Green Economy.
Keep your chin up. Don’t let anyone steal your thunder. The future is the New Green Economy. The future will be led by you, The Green Suits.
By Dan Smolen, on November 23rd, 2011
 Wow…that was fun!
This morning, I was Chrissy Coughlin’s guest on her radio show, Nature of Business. Chrissy broadcasts weekly from WSMN Radio in Nashua, New Hampshire; her show is also podcast on GreenBiz.com.
Chrissy is a great host and well-informed green business expert. In the interview, we covered a lot of interesting topics related to green executive employment. In case you weren’t able to listen live, then please check out the podcast, available 24/7: HERE.
By Dan Smolen, on November 22nd, 2011
 Save room for Thanksgiving dessert! (This looks yummy!) Photo h/t 2008 awhiskandaspoon I suppose for some–out of work many months–Thanksgiving is a cruel holiday.
Seated around a large dining room table, surrounded by family and friends, the down-and-out will dread providing those gathered a credible answer to the question: ”for what, am I thankful?”
Here in the U.S., one’s happiness is often causally related to one’s work and profession. (Thank you, very much.)
But, one’s skills and many years of professional experience may not indicate future, ongoing career success. And we, The Green Suits, know that in order to succeed in this flat-lined economy we must be willing to adapt and to learn new professional skills, gain new experiences, and remain very well-informed and educated.
Certainly, we must be willing to reinvent our professional selves to adapt to change. If we haven’t already, Thanksgiving is a great time to start.
For those still struggling to connect up with a new career assignment or achieve traction in the job market, I say do everything you can now–while you continue to look for work–to advantage yourself. You may seize opportunities which leverage your professional talents in a “skill-based volunteer” setting. For instance, finance and accounting professionals may use their skill and knowledge to help the less fortunate develop financial literacy (so that they are able to keep a job and thrive).
Or, you may volunteer to remove garbage from–or plant native trees near–a sensitive watershed. Your volunteerism is noble, but it is also metric. It demonstrates how you–The Green Suit–create measurable social responsibility and environmental sustainability gains (key elements of the Triple Bottom Line).
To the down and out seated at the Thanksgiving table, I say to each and every one of you: enjoy being surrounded by people who like and love you, who believe in you, and who will support your successful pivot into the New Green Economy.
We are The Green Suits. We will rise to the occasion. And, we will overcome the obstacles in our way.
Our best days lie ahead.
Enjoy Thanksgiving, everyone!
(And remember…save room for dessert!)
Peace.
By Dan Smolen, on November 19th, 2011
 Eco-Marketing, LLC provides top-notch marketing solutions to companies in the "clean" economy. Beth Zonis is Eco Marketing's founder and principal. Logo h/t Eco Marketing, LLC. One of the great joys of leading The Green Suits, LLC is that, every day, I get to meet many fascinating and successful eco-entrepreneurs.
One of my new friends is Boston’s Beth Zonis. Beth is founder and principal of Eco Marketing LLC, a company which provides top-notch marketing solutions to companies in the “clean” economy. From the company website:
“[We] can help tell your story. That includes researching and analyzing your market and your competition, articulating your strengths from your clients’ perspective, and communicating with your stakeholders. Our approach is to develop the strategy up front and then move quickly to action and results. For each client engagement, Eco Marketing assembles a customized team of experienced professionals with relevant business and technical expertise.
We can help you…
• Expand into new markets and grow within existing markets
• Get the word out about what you do
• Strengthen your partnerships and garner community support
• Shorten your sales cycle and increase your win rate
The importance of the marketing strategies provided by Eco Marketing LLC cannot be overstated; when executed, they help companies in the clean tech space scale up and become very successful.
For more information, check out Eco Marketing LLC’s website, HERE.
By Dan Smolen, on November 11th, 2011
Greetings on 11.11.11–Veteran’s Day in the U.S.
 The U.S. armed forces recognize that "green" saves lives. Will U.S. businesses recognize their own "green" frame? We hope so. On this day, we honor those who served our country as members of the armed forces.
Public schools are closed. So too are banks and state and federal government offices. Today, wreaths were laid at Arlington National Cemetery and other places to fully recognize the sacrifice so many men and women have given to country.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been very deadly affairs for U.S. troops; in Iraq alone, over 3,000 service men and women running supply convoys to our forward bases have lost their lives to roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
And as a result, the military recognizes that converting these bases to renewable energy (solar, wind, etc.) as quickly as possible will save lives. That’s the U.S. military’s ‘green’ frame.
This is an amazing transformation for an institution that only a few years ago framed greenness as the mindless drivel of so many hedonistic hippies. And yet, now–on 11.11.11–the U.S. Department of Defense demands increased resource sustainability and renewable energy, because they help defend our national security and save lives.
Will American business follow the military in establishing a useful green frame? Many Fortune 500 companies have active and growing sustainability practices, and yet most companies in the U.S.–small enterprises of 50 or few employees–have yet to follow suit. The ones that recognize that “green is good for business” will succeed, whereas, the ones don’t will be left in the dust.
Today, please take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices made by our military. Then, let us encourage our friends in business to recognize that green supports our national defense…and is good for business.
By Dan Smolen, on November 7th, 2011
 Ithaca College is gaining a national reputation for leadership in sustainability and social responsibility. And the students I met were bright, funny, and totally upbeat. Not a single cynic among them. Photo h/t Ithaca College. I just returned from a terrific trip to my alma mater, Ithaca College, where I presented Tailoring the Green Suit: Establishing a Bright Green Career in a Dull Gray Economy–ten strategies designed to help future Green Suits start and build successful careers in sustainability, corporate responsibility, and other “green” fields of work.
Ithaca College is gaining a national reputation for leadership in sustainability and social responsibility.
The students I met at the strategy presentation and in classroom settings were bright, funny, and totally upbeat. Not a single cynic among them. And I felt that our world–turned over to them–would be in very good hands, indeed.
Thirty years ago, that same campus reeked of cynicism. Many of us were hyper-competitive and often distrustful of our peers–fearful that we might tip-off others to job opportunities we wanted for ourselves.
Thankfully, today’s students are collaborating, sharing ideas, offering encouragement and good cheer to each other. They are well aware of sustainability and social responsibility, and they are eager to pursue job opportunities after graduation which embrace their practice.
And the Ithaca College campus, the institution, and the student body are all better for it.
Check out Ithaca College’s leadership in sustainability and social responsibility story, here.
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