This article is written and owned by Carol McClelland
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “It’s all in who you know.”
How are you doing building a green network in your area?
Are you struggling to find a way to tap into the green movement in your area? Are you afraid one doesn’t exist—that you are all alone in your green values and goals?
Although it’s true that it’s easier to connect with green causes in certain areas of the country, don’t make the assumption that it’s impossible to connect with others interested in global warming issues.
In this article, you’ll find four ways to tap into the green movement in your region.
Local Community Opportunities
One of the most effective ways to enhance your visibility in your community is to get involved. Use these sites to find ways to plug into your local community.
The benefits will be many—you’ll build your green network, you’ll gain valuable skills, and you’ll collect experiences and projects to add to your resume.
Volunteering even a few hours a month will pay off if you find volunteer opportunities that match your target green niche.
- Cool Cities ‘Sponsored by the Sierra Club, Cool Cities
(http://www.coolcities.us/) is working with communities all over the United States to help them take action to solve global warming. Check out the Cool Cities map
(http://www.coolcities.us/) to find a group near you! If you don’t see a group in your town, take the initiative to start a group in your region. The Cool Cities organization will provide training and support you in building a team.
- Focus the Nation – Each year Focus the Nation organizes a nationwide event. They describe their current efforts in this way:
“Town-hall meetings across the country exploring local, regional and national solutions to the climate-energy challenge. These meetings will facilitate communication with elected officials and address the opportunities of the new energy economy.”
They are looking for volunteers in every district
(http://www.focusthenation.org/nation) in the US and Canadian Provinces. Check it out!
If you are a student, your school may already have an active Focus the Nation group on campus. If you aren’t a student, look for community groups that are organizing a district meeting.
- Idealist – Use the volunteer area
(http://www.idealist.org/if/as/vol) of the Idealist site to browse over 9500 opportunities listed on the site this week. You can narrow your search by a number of factors:
keywords, area of focus, country, state/province, city/town, postal code, language, skills needed by organization, language needed by organization, and when will you be able to volunteer.
- Volunteer Match – Use your favorite green key words (green, recycling, environmental, energy efficiency, etc) and your location to search for relevant volunteer opportunities (http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/),
non-profit organizations
(http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/orgs.jsp), and disaster relief opportunities (http://www.volunteermatch.org/opportunities/disaster_relief
.jsp). You can also mark the Search for Virtual Opportunities checkbox to find projects you can work on via computer. A great option if you have a tight schedule.
As you begin your volunteer activities, be sure to be mindful about your behavior “on-the-job.” If you want to leverage your connections to discover green job openings, you want to make sure those you volunteer with see you as dependable, reliable, and responsible.
You’ll also want to network actively with other volunteers.
Collecting business cards is only the first step. After you have contact information, reach out to set up a time to talk, by phone or in person. When you have the opportunity to meet with a new contact, be sure to do as much listening as you do talking. Listen to their story, their passion, and their work. By learning a larger picture of who they are, you’ll be able to connect them with resources that will help them meet their goals. They in turn will think of you when resources cross their path.
To make the most of your networking, be sure you have a clear, concise way to describe your target green niche. If you aren’t completely clear about your target green niche, describe what you do know about your interests. Prepare a few questions you want to ask your new contact. Beware…if you can answer a question with a quick Google search, you probably aren’t served by asking that question of your new contact. Instead, do your own web research and then ask your contact’s perspective of what you’ve discovered.
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Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of the forthcoming book Green Careers For Dummies and founder of Green Career Central, a membership website with useful programs, 400+ pages of effective, targeted information to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a business or further your education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report – “Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career”
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