Kevin Doyle’s Posts

• Remake your living

  Tips for landing a green job 0

  Posted 9 months ago

  You can remake your living and land a green job -- all in one fell swoop. Here are some career-planning basics to get you started.

• Poll: Green jobs

  What green careers do you want to learn more about? 12

  Posted 1 year, 3 months ago

  Last week, I answered a reader question about wind power jobs. I'm interested to know what other careers you'd like me to investigate. Take this handy poll (below the fold) to help pick my future column topics!

• The jobs, my friend, are blowin' in the wind

  Wind power industry hiring in huge numbers 8

  Posted 1 year, 3 months ago

  Dear Kevin,

  I've heard lots of hype about wind power jobs, but I don't know what kind of jobs we're talking about. Can you describe a few? Thanks for your help. (I love Grist.)

  Amy K.
  St. Louis

  Dear Amy,

  Grist loves you back. Your letter goes straight to the top.

  The hype is very real. Reliable correspondents from the American Wind Energy Association's massive June conference in Texas report that everyone was talking about a shortage of trained and experienced people. I believe that "we need people yesterday" was the exact phrase.… Read More

• Stocking the green entrepreneur's toolbox

  Two resources to get you started 1

  Posted 1 year, 5 months ago

  Hello, future green enterprise owners. Following my column on being a green entrepreneur, some of you have emailed me for more advice on getting a green biz going. There are so many great websites with resources. Here are a couple you might want to check out:

  I like Green VC quite a bit. It's updated all the time and generally has helpful content. Spend some time there over a few days and you'll feel like part of the community.

  Over at Bootstrapper, there's a list of 100 green entrepreneur resources.

  As always, I'd love to hear your… Read More

• Green-collar jobs are here on earth

  Listen to NPR today for a conversation about green-collar jobs 0

  Posted 1 year, 5 months ago

  The drumbeat of interest in "green-collar jobs" just gets louder. Today at 4 p.m. EDT, I'll be on Wisconsin Public Radio's "Here on Earth" call-in show, along with Keith Schneider from the Apollo Alliance. The show is an hour long, and you can listen live or later here.

All Posts

Kevin Doyle’s Recent Comments

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Keep those votes and comments coming!

  Hello, eco-job seekers!

  Thanks for the immediate response to the poll, and to the requests for additional job titles and sectors.  It's all good, and we're already gabbing about how best to respond.

  Re: energy efficiency careers, please forgive me.  Can't believe that one got left out.  In my world, it's pretty much at the top of the list.  My bad.

  Re: the other sector and job title suggestions.  Very good ideas.  I'm adding them to the list.

  Re:  more general advice for career changers.  You are not alone.  I get this request a lot.  Perhaps another poll for non-sector career and job search questions is in order.

  Thanks again and keep voting.

  Kevin

  Kevin Doyle kevinldoyle@gmail.com

  On What green careers do you want to learn more about? posted 1 year, 3 months ago 12 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Wind technician community college links

  Got a message from an Oregonian who wanted to know why I included a link to an Iowa wind technician program, but left out links to others I mentioned.  

  Well, because I grew up in Iowa, of course, and it's God's country, from Fairfield to Pella; from Glenwood and North Liberty.  Go, Hawkeyes.

  Guess that's not a good enough reason though.

  Here are the links to the other great programs.

  Laramie County Community College in Wyoming
  http://www.lcc.wy.edu/Index.aspx?page=1092

  Highland Community College in Illinois
  http://www.highland.edu/academics/new%20academic%20progra ...

  Mesalands Community College in New Mexico
  http://www.mesalands.edu/Plansofstudy/AAS%20Degrees/WindE ...

  Columbia Gorge Community College in Oregon
  http://www.cgcc.cc.or.us/Academics/WindTechnologyPage.cfm ...

  If students, teachers, alumni or employers from any of these programs are out there reading, drop us a line and share your experience.  Are jobs as hot as they seem to be?

  Kevin

   

  Kevin Doyle kevinldoyle@gmail.com

  On Wind power industry hiring in huge numbers posted 1 year, 3 months ago 8 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  U.S. passes Germany in wind power

  Hello, all...

  Can you stand any more evidence that the hype about wind isn't just a lot of hot air?

  Check out this article and see for yourself.  

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/30/windpow ...

  Cheers,

  Kevin

  Kevin Doyle kevinldoyle@gmail.com

  On Wind power industry hiring in huge numbers posted 1 year, 3 months ago 8 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Wind careers for the non-technical?

  Hello Gristies!

  I've received two emails in response to this posting taking me to task for an over emphasis on technical positions, what with all of my talk about technicians, engineers and such.

  Two comments.  One, this is a technical industry we're talking about.  After all, these are people who generate electricity using advanced technology, and then find ways to link that generation to the transmission grid so that it flows right down to your light switch.  Face it, that's science, technology and engineering at work, and that's where at lot of the shortage is.

  However!  Like all companies, wind energy firms in manufacturing, construction, and management need lots of other people as well.

  Here are just a few additional job titles.

  Rate analysts
  Corporate Social Responsibility Officers
  Sustainability Coordinators
  Social marketing (and other marketing) specialists
  Governmental affairs officers
  Training managers (and trainers)
  Website designers and coordinators
  Public education coordinators
  Recruiters

  So, join the wind world.  Although it's true that technical positions are the ones most mentioned when I ask industry types about the people they can't find enough of, that doesn't mean there is not a place for others as well.

  Hope you're all having a good day.

  Kevin
  

  Kevin Doyle kevinldoyle@gmail.com

  On Wind power industry hiring in huge numbers posted 1 year, 3 months ago 8 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Winning the values argument is key

  Thanks to Van Jones for his thoughtful comments about "winning the values argument".  He's right on. If "lifting all people" and "ending eco-apartheid" can become core values of our climate debate, then the Green for All coalition will have won a major victory even if we don't get everything we want when the details of a cap-and-trade (or some other) system are finally agreed upon.

  If the values Jones talks about are considered fringe or a sideshow from the "real" issues, we run the risk of winning some nice battles (e.g. funds for much needed training programs) but losing the larger struggle for a truly progressive "green economy".  

  Perhaps there's a place for Jones in an Obama administration?    

  Kevin Doyle kevinldoyle@gmail.com

  On Q&A with Van Jones about the Climate Security Act and green jobs posted 1 year, 5 months ago 2 Responses