Finances Archives

Take Action to Create Green Career Opportunities

Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 2:34 AM

Since 2007 the green/clean/sustainable economy now has more form, though the policy cornerstones are still being defined. Funding from the venture capital community and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is providing stimulus to a number of industries and research areas. We continue to discover additional industries stepping forward to take concerted efforts to make their business practices greener, cleaner, and more sustainable.

Although it’s tempting to think the momentum has created a mature green economy, it’s important to remember that we are in the midst of the earliest stages of the green economy. Any time a new era begins opportunities abound if you are creative, determined, and flexible. Right now green efforts are sprouting in start ups, large companies, governmental agencies, non profits, non governmental agencies, academic institutions, and solo businesses.

The Actions You Take

To find these opportunities you must do your homework to connect with those opportunities. It’s not enough to just:

- Dream about having a green career. OR Think about your possibilities. OR Hope for green opportunities to come your way. OR Read about your target industries.

To be in the right place, at the right time, knowing the right people, you must take action!

- Talk to people in green jobs that match your interests to discover what they do. – Build your network of contacts who share your interests and values. – Take classes to learn as much as you can about general green/sustainable topics as well as specific skills you need within your profession. – Find opportunities to gain experience in the green arena by working on projects, interning, or volunteering.

The Timing

There’s no way to predict exactly how long it will take for you to find the position that fits your needs, interests, and experience. You can’t even forecast the exact path your journey will take. Be open to opportunities, connections, and experiences that take you closer to your goal of having a green career in a particular area of the economy.

Each experience you have will open doors, introduce you to people, and give you key experiences that begin to build. You may not see exactly how everything fits together until well into your green adventure. That’s okay. The key is to take the actions that continue to create opportunities for you.

Keep in mind that you don’t have any control over every aspect your timing. If your target industry or your target company isn’t developed enough to hire someone with your skills, you can’t force the matter. You must take strategic actions to build your portfolio of experience so you are the best candidate in the field when they are ready to hire.

Your Income

Within the green economy, you may find your income comes in a different form than you are accustomed to. Part-time positions, contracts, consulting, project work, and internships may be the best way to get your foot in the door.

While building your network, experience, and momentum, you may need to find income-generating work that leverages the skills you used in the traditional economy. Only you can determine the right balance for your activities. The mix will vary for each person and may even change as your life/work situation changes. The key is to continue to find ways to take action to create green opportunities for yourself and your future.

As you can tell, this isn’t an instantaneous solution if you are currently out of a job or if you need to shift to a new job in short order. Do what you need to do to have money coming in while you search for green opportunities that fit your current life circumstances.

Remember, the key to opening up green doors is getting out in the world, taking action, and choosing opportunities that move you closer to your green career goal.

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Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Green Careers For Dummies and founder and executive director of Green Career Central, a membership website with easy-to-use programs and effective targeted information to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a green business or get a green education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report – “Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career”

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The Importance of Financial Responsibility

Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 12:34 AM

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It is well known that when people fall into debt, lose their job, or experience financial difficulties for any reason, emotional trouble follows financial trouble with the same certainty sunset follows sunrise. Relationships are strained, bankruptcies are filed and dreams are dashed. For a period at least, the feeling of failure burns not only one’s credit, but one’s self-esteem – deeply.

Recovery is consequently something one must initiate as soon as possible, both financially and psychologically. Although it may take time and be painful, this process can also be an eye-opener, a hard lesson one can use to build a more solid and safe future based on financial responsibility.

Nothing long-lasting, in fact, is built on the spur of the moment, but it is the result of hard work, dedication, and resilience. The widespread belief that “having a lot of money” is what makes a person’s future safe does not, in fact, hold true in reality.

Big lottery winnings, for example, can be just as disastrous for a person as falling into debt. This is quite surprising to many, but lotteries’ sudden “millionaires” end up filing for bankruptcy and divorce, have their homes foreclosed and their dreams and families shattered with alarming frequency.

Reading some of these life stories, although saddening, can be indirectly soothing since it debunks the myth: “if only I had more money”.

What makes a person’s future safe is not the amount of money in itself, rather making the concept of financial responsibility an integral part of life: the skills, endurance, and willingness to manage one’s finances wisely.

Once that is accomplished, money becomes truly effective and so does borrowing. This is why banks and financial institutions rely on your credit rating: they use your credit score to determine if you have achieved a satisfactory level of financial responsibility. In the end, that is their true collateral.

But how can one get there after having experienced serious financial trouble? If your credit is not satisfactory, sometimes, this means that even if you have collateral you may be denied credit, or have to pay very high interests for it.

Fortunately, there are other options to get you back on the saddle when you’re ready to start your path to financial recovery. As soon as you have acquired an inner understanding of how finances should be run, one of these options is to rebuild your credit through a secured loan such as a car title loan. These loans are approved based on the value of your car are truck and can be obtained regardless of your credit rating. Reputable financial organizations that offer these services are ready to give you another chance at building a truly safe financial future.

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BHM Financial is one of the most trusted names in the car title loan industry. For more information about car title loans, please visit our websites http://www.bhmcash.com or http://www.bhmfinancial.com .

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