Greening up a new job

Green is “in” and so are green collar jobs. The push to migrate our bad habits to better, more energy-efficient, green habits requires manpower and this translates to jobs. Think you need more education or training to get in the green game? Maybe not, often it just takes a little ingenuity and determination to create your own green job.

But what is a green job? It’s quite simple: anything that promotes and pushes your community, your country to a cleaner and more energy efficient future. These jobs come in all shapes and sizes and don’t require relocation to a new city or even a move to a new cubicle.

For the entrepreneurial types consider these:

Bike repair – Bikes just aren’t for kids anymore, and adults are using them as alternate forms of transportation. If you have a flare for tinkering with the kids’ bicycles consider offering your services. Imagine all the customers you’d have before the annual “Ride Your Bike to Work Day.”

Consignment Seller – People are looking to spend less money on the luxuries they enjoy, but want to save the environment too. In turn, many are looking at consignment stores for clothes and house wares. Turn your weekly Saturday yard sale hobby into an online E-bay business that promotes reuse and recycle. The old adage: “One person’s trash is another’s treasure,” rings true here.

Non-Toxic Home/Office Cleaner – Today’s consumers are much more educated on the harmful effects of toxins in today’s household chemicals and look to green alternatives to protect their families. Consider offering cleaning services to local businesses and residents using only non-toxic materials. This will distinguish you in the market place and promote you as a green employer.

Landscaping– You have a green thumb and always hated being cooped up in an office all day. Try your hand at landscaping, and like home/office cleaning, you can distinguish yourself by using only non-toxic chemicals.

Designer - For the creative-types out there, consider taking old materials and making something new from it and selling it at your local flea market. The cigar-purse, the license-plate purse and papier-mâché vases and bowls are all examples. Find a way to make something of all those old Christmas and birthday cards and I’m sure you’ll be on your way to a designer lifestyle, while also saving the planet.

If you’re not the entrepreneurial type, the following sites provide more information on the types of green jobs available and the training required to go green.

Green Job Search- a search engine focused on green jobs in California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois.


Green Collar Blog – provides a “Green Job a Day” along with news and resources on green jobs in the US


Green Collar Job Board – a site focused on green jobs and companies with a mission to work toward a greener planet.