kaybug’s Recent Comments

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  That whole Martyr thing

  It used to be that being an environmentalist meant giving up all your earthly possessions, living on nothing but vegan gruel and "cleansing" herbal teas, and wearing nothing but sackcloths and ashes, with Birkenstocks in the wintertime.  

  As the cruise ship that is American public perception turns slowly towards understanding sustainability and its implications, it is to be hoped that all of our long words, committee and task force meetings, and laws and policies and plans, become no more than paper band-aids over the hole in the national viewpoint.  Once that fabric is mended, or at least several large stitches are in place, we will be able to properly combat global climate crises and other concerns that will affect literally every living being (and a lot of non-living ones as well).

  And by "we," I mean the global "we."  It's not a matter of us vs. them any more.  

  "We have met the enemy, and he is us." - Pogo, Walt Kelly, Earth Day 1970.

  Kay in Centreville, VA

  On How far has the movement come in the last 20 years? posted 2 years, 8 months ago 7 Responses

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  College vs. Real World

  An additional thought: There is definitely a disconnect between higher education and the working world in terms of what's provided educationally and what's needed to be employed.  As the daughter of a professor, I can tell you that my entire working life has been based on finding that out!

  The two systems are set up to reward completely different sets of things.  Professors must acquire grants, do research, be published, gain tenure and foster the same idealism and braininess in their students.  Businesses and non-profits must make money and fulfill their missions. (Businesses make profits; non-profits break even and the extra goes into endowments.)  Feds must... well, let's say show efficiency.  The skills that professors reward are often not the ones the job market rewards, and vice versa.

  The good news is, though, that if you are resourceful, you can more than make up for a lack of practical experience by showing practicality, initiative and hard work in volunteering, temping, contracting and other non-full-time positions until you get the one you really want.

  I urge all current college students, and those early in their careers, to volunteer, try to expand or deepen their job duties and otherwise find creative ways to do the things you love.  Then, talk about those on a resume, and as your experience in those areas build, the education will appear lower and lower (literally and figuratively) on the document, while your actual skills will take the spotlight.

  I've seen it work time and again - liberal arts majors making it big in technology project management, former airline pilots doing well in sales and marketing.  

  Go forth and conquer!

  Kay in Centreville, VA

  On I thought the green job market was hot! posted 2 years, 9 months ago 31 Responses

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  Special tips for environmental jobs

  Besides the information on how you write your resume and cover letter, what to wear to the interview and what questions to ask, I like to tell people some specific things about environmental jobs.

   - Know the organization.  I have heard so many job applicants get the name of our organization wrong, or what it is we do - read the website thoroughly before you go and read "between the lines" if you can.  Are they US or international? Regional/local/state serving? Who were they founded by and when?  What's their mission?  Poke around their annual report if it's online.  How do they get their funding? etc.

   - Have some passion.  One of the things that stands out for me with prospective candidates is having some personality.  The last position I was hiring for needed a take-charge person and so many mumblers, yes-no-ers, and nodders didn't make the cut.  Most environmental jobs will require you to have insight, initiative and problem-solving of your own.  Show it!

   - Don't let your major stop you. I'm an Ag major, and believe me, I'm not doing what I went to school for.  Apply for something that you had one class in that you really loved.  I happened to love ag policy - it was my only A - and got an internship, the rest is history.

   - What functions do you perform well?  Are you great with technology?  Were you the first in your family to run mailing labels for your holiday cards? Do you host great parties/run great meetings? Do you love to write? Do you love to work with crowds of people?  Do you love history/the law/making movies/etc.? Find opportunities to do that, either for pay or for free, and make the most of them. Put them up top on your resume and cite any recognition you got for them in BOLD.

  Best of luck and as the famed comedian Will Rogers once said: "It ain't braggin' if you done it."  Promote yourself!

  Kay in Centreville, VA

  On I thought the green job market was hot! posted 2 years, 9 months ago 31 Responses