Want a job? Think Green!

Show me the money!
Roughly $60 billion has been allotted for the energy, infrastructure and environmental cleanup sector in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to create jobs and negate the soaring unemployment numbers, which received another bump with today?s announcement of unemployment levels not seen in decades.

I repeat, $60 billion.

Who
The Ivy Leagues, who have long pushed for environmental and sustainability learning (read Yale School of Forestry, Columbia?s Earth Institute), co-hosted an Environmental & Sustainable Development Career Fair at Columbia University today aimed at connecting students (undergrad and masters? candidates) with Energy and Environment employers and Vault was there to bring you up-to-date with the goings-on and the scoop on the attendees, the recruiters and the organizers.

The Experience
When I entered, the first image I got was a sea of people with ?Hello I am ?..? badges. As I navigated through the tables, bits and pieces of conversations caught my attention. One student was asking a private sector employer if the job had international scope, while another was handing her resume and asking if ?no experience? would work for the entry-level job on offer.

A completely different picture from last year
Clare Oh, the Assistant Director of Strategic Communications at the Office of Communications and Public Affairs with Columbia said the response this year had been overwhelming. ?Over 1,000 students pre-registered and 75 employers. Last year, it was a different picture,? she said. This year, graduating students are aware of the job market and know that traditional verticals might not hold strength for them anymore.

Employers speak
The employers represented the private sector as well as nonprofits and the government. While most were looking to fill specific job positions, the nonprofits were using the avenue to encourage the students to volunteer and work for the bigger good, the experience, and the chance to make our planet more environmentally-friendly.

What astonished most of the recruiters was the currency the students showed in terms of lingo and knowledge pertaining to this sector. HydroQual, a privately-owned environmental engineering and consulting firm, based out of Mahwah, N.J. had a corner table and three reps talking to students. Srinivasan Rangarajan, the Manager of Watershed Management Services spoke to Vault. ?I am impressed with how much these students know about sustainability issues and I have to commend the colleges to keeping them current with this sector,? he said. He was there today to seek candidates for three to four entry-level, fulltime positions. Experience: Bachelor?s in engineering or science.

A few tables down were reps from Roux Associates, an environmental consulting and management firm. Amanda Ludlow, a Principal Scientist expressed how important this sector is and will remain for jobseekers. She said they were here today to discuss current job openings as well as discuss internship opportunities.

Are you currently pursuing or recently graduated with an MBA? Go volunteer and get field experience. There might never be a better time to indulge your humanitarian side.
Rodrigo Soares from Citizens Development Corps spoke about how they placed MBAs around the world through their MBA Enterprise Corps division on voluntary assignments aimed at revitalizing, rebuilding and enhancing the private sector in countries that need it the most. ?So their MBA knowledge comes into play and gives them hands-on experience on strategies, planning and branding. When they return, they present great potential for employers,? he said.

You have five years from the date of graduation to sign up for an assignment, most of which last 15 months.

A useful fact: While they all said they?d prefer professionals with science or engineering degrees, if you have a liberal arts degree and want to enter the field, don?t assume the door is shut. As long as you have interest in environmental issues, you have a fair chance. And if you?re willing to go back to school to bolster this interest with qualifications? Then you?re golden.

If your eyes have been on the stimulus bill and its appropriations and you are worrying that you might not have too many options other than applying for a construction job to begin earning that paycheck again, think again. Green is knocking.

--Posted by Aman Singh Das, Vault Editor