Job hunt got you down? Can't wait for the government to create that green job for you? Then go ahead, create your own green job! If that sounds more like your style, then GoodWork Canada has got a solution for you – a step-by-step guide to creating your own green job.
The guide lays out these six steps, which are explained in more detail here.
- Brainstorm ideas about what you'd like to do
- Set goals, be clear about where you want to have impact
- Don't reinvent the wheel, seek out people already working in the area you want to work
- Get advice
- Don't procrastinate
Then it lays out your options by sector with resources to check per sector:
- Nonprofit
- Self-employment
- Sustainable food, gardening & farming
- Education
- Government (focused on Canada)
I would add the following tips, which I think are the most important:
- Make your job creation project shareable. Form a small posse of fellow job creators with the express purpose of helping each other succeed. See our story on the shareable job search for inspiration.
- Find committed mentors for your group. Accelerate your progress with help from those who've been there before.
- Put your quest out there. Journal your progress, share your lessons learned, offer services, and ask for help on a group blog. This will help you learn about your field, find contacts, and establish thought leadership. A group of green MBAs did just this at The IdeaHive.
Why are these the most important tips? Because the purpose-driven peer and mentor relationships you form while creating your own job will give you lifelong benefits in career support and friendship. They'll be the goose that will lay golden eggs for you in good years and bad.
Thumbnail pic courtesy of greenforall.org on Flickr. The picture is of a group of teens in West Oakland who've created a stylish new urban ride, the scraper bike, and new business opportunities along with it.
