Green Gigs

Where to Go from Here

2009-09-18T14:57:00.004-04:00

Green Gigs is no longer an active blog. Although the content is no longer updated, we have accumulated quite the achieve of articles for those seeking environmentally-focused jobs from home. Feel free to peruse Green Gigs and the list below, hopefully something here will help you out in your search. Thanks for stopping by.

38 Useful Articles for the Green Job Hunter - An assortment of links to articles that include application advice from hiring managers, job search tips, and resources for green job hunters.

Eco-Friendly Career Guide - Interviews with and advice from professionals in an assortment of green industries.

5 Tools to Simplify and Customize Your Job Search - Searching for a job is time consuming. Here are a few tools that will help you locate online job listings relevant to your search more quickly.

Focusing Your Green Job Search - Don't waste your time searching every job board out there, many are redundant. Tips on how to choose the boards best suited for your job search.

Where to Search for Freelance and Telecommuting Green Jobs - Done reading Green Gigs? Read this final article to find links to employment sites that tend to offer green telecommuting job listings, at least from time to time!

Green Jobs from Home – The Final List

2009-09-16T12:18:00.013-04:00

This is the final list of job leads here on Green Gigs. It is with very mixed feelings that I have decided to retire Green Gigs. I have gone back and forth with this decision, but at this point in my life, my time needs to be spent elsewhere (not the least of which is pursuing freelance gigs for myself!).

I hope Green Gigs has been helpful to you and I wish you luck in your own search for the perfect green job from home. I truly have appreciated every visitor, tweet, link, and comment! A big thank you to my contributing writer, turned friend, Morgan O'Donnell for all her help and support - you're the best Morgan!

I have tried to leave you with all the tools, tips, and links you will need to find eco-home-based job leads quickly on your own. There will be one more short article here later in the week as a resource for those who stumble across Green Gigs in the future. With that, it's time to move on and I'll see you around the blogosphere!

Today brings a nice variety of freelance and telecommuting green jobs. Best of luck and may one of following be meant for you! Rock on green friends. : )

Sorry, these job listings have expired. Thanks for stopping by!

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Where to Search for Freelance and Telecommuting Green Jobs

Where to Search for Freelance and Telecommuting Green Jobs

2009-09-13T18:24:00.002-04:00

Narrowing down where you search for a job can save time, frustration, and job seeker angst. But looking for an eco-friendly job that is home-based can be even more difficult. Listed below are my favorite, free sites that regularly list jobs that are both green and home-based. Of course there are endless other job listings sites, but these are the ones I have had the most consistent success with when looking for jobs to list on Green Gigs. If you are looking for jobs boards that specialize solely in green jobs, I recommend visiting the Green Jobs Network to get started. Happy eco-job hunting!

Craigslist (read here for search tips)
Treehugger
Grist
Sustainable Business
GreenBiz
Simply Hired
Indeed
Online Writing Jobs
ProBlogger
Freelance Writing Jobs
Freelance Job Openings
Mediabistro
JournalismJobs
USAJOBS
Smashing Jobs
SustainLane
Twitter

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Big Job Boards Going Green

Green Gigs Job Listings - Sept. 12, 2009

2009-09-12T07:53:00.003-04:00

Sorry, these jobs have expired.

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Green Job Leads for Homebodies – Sept. 9, 2009
A Trio of Green Writing Jobs for the Long Weekend...
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Posts You May Have Missed While on Summer Vacation

2009-09-10T11:05:00.002-04:00

Markets for Green Writers - Paying markets for green writers was updated this summer and now includes 40 publications looking for environmentally-focused articles. Why not send some queries while waiting for your next perfect green writing gig?

5 Tools to Simplify and Customize Your Job Search - Searching for a job is time consuming. Here are some tools that can help expedite your search - after all, time is money!

Focusing Your Green Job Search - Sticking with the theme of the previous article, how do you focus your job search so you don't waste time? Here are some suggestions for narrowing down your search for your perfect green gig.

Big Job Boards Going Green - Did you know CareerBuilder launched its own green job board over the summer? If not, here is some information about that site and some of the other major job boards that have gone "green".

Elance for Greenlancers - If you're a freelancer it may be time to give bidding sites a second look. Get some tips of the trade from an experienced bid board user, it may just be worth your while.

5 Lessons in 18 Months - A successful sustainable job search story! Finding the right job situation takes time, perseverance, and a little bit of luck - find some inspiration here!

Green Pedigree Does Not Equal Green Thumb - A farmer I am not. A slight diversion along the way.

38 Useful Articles for the Green Job Hunter - Thirty-eight more articles to help you find your dream green job!

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-09-09T10:15:00.004-04:00

My friend, Green Gigs writer, and all around talented and wonderful woman, Morgan O'Donnell of Red Raven Circling recently honored me by naming Green Gigs among the blogs she chose for the Kreativ Blogger Award. I flattered to be included on Morgan's list and to partake in this fun award and spread the blog love along.

Having received the award, here’s what I must do:
1. List 7 things that I love

2. Link back to the blog that awarded it to me

3. Choose 7 blogs to award as ‘Kreativ Bloggers’

4. Comment at each blog to let them know they’ve been chosen

So here it goes! My list of 7 likes:

1. Spending time with my hubby & children

2. Reading in the yard

3. LOST

4. Black Forest Cake

5. Sleep

6. Autumn

7. '80s music

The 7 blogs and bloggers I would like to pass along the Kreativ Blogger Award are (in no particular order!):

Citizen Green - I feel a kindred spirit with Citizen Green, a follow former science teacher and blogger dedicated to reducing single-use plastics. Her posts are unique, informative, and sometimes laugh-out loud funny (read "August's Stupid Plastic Crap").

Healing with (Raw) Juices - Michele Tune of Healing with (Raw) Juices is one of the most sincere, interesting, inspiring bloggers I have come across. Raw Juices inspires me to eat healthier and live better - thanks Michele!

Over Coffee: The Green Edition - Lena chronicles her family’s "eco-transition journey" on Over Coffee. She provides great green tips, reviews, giveaways and more. Over Coffee launched about the same time as Green Gigs and I feel our blogs have "grown-up" together!

The Homeschoolers Guide to the Galaxy - This is a great blog for any parent, even if you have no idea who Douglas Adams is and you don't homeschool. Alison Kerr provides insights and resources for homeschooling and shares what she finds out along the way. The answer may just be 42.

The EcoSpheric Blog - "Informing and inspiring those who want to live and laugh more sustainably", catchy isn't it? Freelance writer and greenie Beth writes for many sites, but she shares her eco thoughts on her personal blog. Always unique and interesting.

Coco-Zen - The Coco-Zen blog is part of the Coco-Zen chocolate site - fair-trade, sustainable, eco-oriented chocolate - what's not to like! Joyce's blog sums up what's best in green from around the web in her "Stuff We Found Today" posts. She does the legwork, you enjoy the read (and thanks for including Green Gigs Joyce!).

Mauka to Makai - "A science blog for the masses". Written by freelance marine biologists Kelsey Abbott and Peter McDougall, Mauka to Makai provides real science for real people. Interesting, informative, and catchy - check out "Saving the Screwed".

Green Job Leads for Homebodies – Sept. 9, 2009

2009-09-09T09:36:00.003-04:00

Today brings a few leads for eco-oriented writers, an analyst and a researcher. Thanks for stopping by and good luck!

Sorry, these jobs have expired.

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Telecommuting Environmental Jobs - Sept. 3, 2009
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A Trio of Green Writing Jobs for the Long Weekend...

2009-09-05T07:13:00.003-04:00

Here are a few leads for the eco-writers and editors out there. Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Sorry, these jobs have expired.

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Work from Home Green Jobs - 9/1/09
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Celebrating a First Birthday

2009-09-04T09:10:00.004-04:00

Green Gigs turned one year old recently. I launched this site based on the hope that there were people out there that believed working from home on behalf of the environment was beneficial for them and the Earth. I knew nothing about blogging and didn't think I would last more than a couple months, never mind a year!

Over the course of the year good things happened. Although this is a tight niche blog, you and my other reader came to visit ; ), subscribers subscribed, and Morgan came along to lend a helping hand and ear. The amazing thing was each time I began to consider hanging up my Green Gigs' hat, something encouraging happened. First the international news media organization GlobalPost selected Green Gigs for syndication on its Environment Beat. Then WE Magazine for Women honored me among their list of "101 Women Bloggers to Watch for 2009". My generous readers would mention me on their blogs, in comments, and elsewhere including a recent nice plug in Time Out New York. Who knows what will be next (I have a couple inklings, but will keep those to myself for now!)?

So thank you for reading and supporting Green Gigs. I was thinking I would list the total number of jobs posted to date, but given I purge the listings periodically and haven't kept track of them, that won't be possible! Instead, here is a list of Green Gigs' most popular articles magically determined by Google, along with a list of my personal favorite articles from the last year. Here's to what comes next!

Most Popular Articles
101 Best Twitter Feeds for Job Hunters
Markets for Green Writers
Eco-Friendly Career Guide
10 Quick Cover Letter Tips
Best Green Job Boards: Industry Specific
7 Green Careers from Home
10 Must Read Articles for Green Job Hunters

My Favorite Articles
Profiles in Green Careers: Environmental Scientist
The ABC’s of Eco-Acronyms Quiz
The Brown Side of Green
5 Lessons in 18 Months

Telecommuting Environmental Jobs - Sept. 3, 2009

2009-09-03T08:03:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the unofficial start of Labor Day weekend and the nonscientific end of summer. Today's green gigs bring opportunities for freelance writers, a program manager, administrative assistant, and eco-educators. May one of these jobs be meant for you and your long weekend be enjoyable!

Sorry, these jobs have expired.

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Telecommuting Green Jobs - August 28, 2009
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Work from Home Green Jobs - 9/1/09

2009-09-01T20:02:00.004-04:00

Nice list of eco-friendly jobs today - hope there's something here for you. If you missed yesterday's interview with Spike Wyatt of ScrawlBug, I hope you will take a minute to read it. Spike was kind enough to share his experience, tips, and thoughts about the world of bidding sites - something you may not want to rule out without taking a closer look! Best of luck and please let them know you found the listing here on Green Gigs!

Sorry, these jobs have expired.

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Elance for Greenlancers

2009-08-31T16:47:00.009-04:00

Stop. Before you turn away muttering something about those awful bidding sites that devalue freelancers, hear me out. What if I told you there was a site that consistently listed dozens of green themed gigs for writers, graphic designers, programmers, researchers and others? What if I told you access to those listings was free* (*okay, there are paid membership plans too, but the basic one is free)? What if I told you that landing one of these gigs could translate into a reoccurring client? Interested yet? Read on.

Back when Green Gigs launched, we posted a weekly feature summarizing the green projects up for grabs on the various bidding sites. Eventually the series was discontinued because the readership for those posts was low, but I consistently found that Elance listed a large variety of environmentally-focused projects. Don’t get me wrong, there were and are certainly projects posted there seeking people to work for pathetically poor pay, but there were and are projects seeking well-qualified freelancers and they’re willing to pay for quality work. Many freelancers are willing to wade their way through the low-paying jobs and scams posted on Craigslist to find the diamond in the rough, yet scoff at bidding sites and never take a serious look at what they have to offer.

Freelancer, blogger, and bidding site user Spike Wyatt of ScrawBug was kind enough to agree to share his knowledge of Elance and other bidding sites with Green Gigs:

Green Gigs: Is Elance the only bidding site you use or do you other sites as well? Why/why not?

Spike Wyatt: It is, indeed, becoming the main one I use. When I began freelancing, I took free membership on four big sites: Elance, Guru, oDesk and GetAFreelancer (GAF). Of those, I have used Elance the most, as it has more projects appropriate for my skills than the others and I find it easiest to use. If I were asked to rank them in order, I'd put Elance top, then GAF, then oDesk.

Summarising them is, of course, not very easy. Elance has a good spread of projects - large and small, well-paid and underpaid. GAF is generally lower-paid, but there are far more long-term employers using it and occasionally there's a really good, well-paid job up for grabs. oDesk seems to attract the dregs of the crop: I have no idea why, but that's the place I've seen the worst-paid, most unreliable work (in my opinion).

You'll notice that Guru is missing in the summary. That's because it's the site I find the hardest to use: the email option doesn't provide much project info (GAF has the best for that) and there's no RSS feed. This means that I would have to go to the site and trawl through hundreds of projects - very regularly - to find those of interest. I am assured by a very sensible blog visitor that it has great jobs and a nice system, so am still looking for a way to reconcile its unwieldiness (or rewire my brain!).

Read more about Bidding Sites on ScrawlBug: "Freelance Writing Jobs: Bidding Sites".

GG: Bidding sites tend to get a bad rap with the general impression that they only offer low paying gigs. Based on your experiences with Elance, what would you say to counter that argument?

SW: I agree and disagree with the statement. It is entirely true - and patently obvious - that bidding sites attract some appallingly low wages (for writers in the US and Western Europe). Some are so low that they should classify as slave labour.

However, there are also some very good jobs with good pay available. No, you won't find $100-per-article gigs being advertised regularly, but there's plenty of work at $10-$20 per article or $5-$10 per blog entry. The thing to remember is that the bidding sites are often the hunting ground for employers looking for long-term writers. They don't ask for half a dozen references or published clips, so the pay often starts lower.

From personal experience, I've seen both types of job. I've been employed at $2 and at $30 per blog entry. The misconception that there's only low-paid work is because you have to trawl the list, rather than being pointed to a specific job. At GreenGigs, for example, any job mentioned will be well-paid: all the digging through hundreds of opportunities has been done for you and the golden employer has already been found. On a bidding site, you do the digging yourself. Bring a shovel.

Wondering how bad the pay can really be? Read "Worst-Paid Jobs Ever?" at ScrawlBug.

GG: Have you had any success turning an Elance client into a regular client after the completion of the initial project?

SW: Absolutely. My first job (blogging) was renewed for six months. My second (again blogging) was with an employer who has come back for two more sets of entries on different blog sites. I've recently had a client for whom I did an enormous editing job come back and ask me to write for them - and also, potentially, become their staff "journalist" in the UK.

Repeat work - assuming you do a good job, of course - is always a possibility. It goes further than that, though: doing good work builds reputation. Bidding sites have an enormous advantage over one-off ads from bigger (admittedly usually better-paying) sites: visible feedback. Since finishing my first few jobs and getting excellent reports, I've had people hunt me down and ask me if I'm interested in their projects.

Surprisingly, this even extends beyond Elance: just recently I had someone contact me (through my blog) who had seen me on Elance and tracked me down to ask me to work for them. That's the third time it's happened!

GG: What tips would you offer to someone interested in getting started with Elance, but unfamiliar with bidding sites?

SW: That's a tough one. I tend to follow my instinct with sites and just be myself (now there's a scary thought!), but some things are essential. In the case of Elance, a portfolio is vital, especially at the start. Fill in your whole profile: that's what the employers look at. Don't fall for the marketing nonsense from people trying to sell you "bid templates that work" - I've been both an employee and an employer on bidding sites and copy/pasted templates get you removed from the list of bidders immediately, so take the time to write something a little more job-specific.

Elance (as well as Guru and oDesk) also has some free tests you can take to give your skills a rating. They're worth doing, as employers check them and sometimes even include them as prerequisites for acceptance.

Most of all, it's important to show that you're interested, enthusiastic, professional and flexible.

Read "10 Tips for Elance Success" at ScrawlBug or "How To Start Using Elance To Find Freelance Business" on Freelance for Money to help get you started.

Sold yet? Realistically, bidding sites aren’t for everyone, but don’t discount them if you have never really looked into them. (Even with Elance’s recent security issues, Spike still stands by the site.) They may be just the avenue you need to build your roster of repeat clients and grow your freelance business.

Thank you Spike for sharing your expertise and insights into the world of bidding sites! To learn more about Spike Wyatt, his freelance services, and read more advice for the “fledgeling freelancer”, visit ScrawBug. To learn more about Elance, take their tour and see how it works. And, as always, feel free to share your point of view in the comments!

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Telecommuting Green Jobs - August 28, 2009

2009-08-28T08:32:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Friday folks - the last one in August! Where did the summer go? I hope you took a minute to read Morgan's article "5 Lessons in 18 Months" and will consider sharing some of your lessons learned along the way through your own search for a sustainable occupation. Also, on a completely different note, I have added the retweet button here on Green Gigs - if you tweet and like something you read here, I certainly appreciate each and every retweet!

These job listings have expired.

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5 Lessons in 18 Months

2009-08-26T20:27:00.003-04:00

By Morgan O'Donnell - Red Raven Circling

For over a year I have been searching for a “sustainable” job. I have applied for full-time and part-time jobs. I’ve investigated freelance possibilities and contractor positions. I have crafted hundreds of cover letters, revamped my resume numerous times, and networked both online and in person. I’ve talked with friends, family, mentors, and even worked with a career coach. I have interviewed, been led astray, and even turned down some offers. I’ve gotten so sick of reading job ads that I started crafting my own. But that’s all over now! I have finally found—what I hope/believe is—a sustainable job situation.

Before we start popping champagne corks and pouring the bubbly, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my job search and what I’ve gained besides a job. At first glance, it may seem like I lost eighteen months of my life. It’s true there were times I became discouraged and thought about giving up. After all, I had a decent job with benefits, a roof over my head, food on the table and money to work on some smaller green projects as well as buy a few of life’s little luxuries. In reality, this job search has given me a variety of learning experiences. Here are five of the lessons I learned:

1. Know Yourself
For me, it started in January 2008. I had just had one of “those” birthdays. You know the ones, where you step back and reevaluate your life? I also had just started a graduate class called the Politics of Writing with an inspiring instructor and a great group of writers. It was during this class that my ideas started to crystallize and I knew I had to give writing an honest try. However, being a financial worrywart, I knew that I still needed the security of a job. The compromise I came up with was to look for a part-time job. This solution would give me the financial security I needed along with time and energy to pursue my writing projects. However, this was a lesson that I had to keep relearning and re-evaluating, especially as I watched the economy tank.

2. Ignore the Negative
While I was searching for a job, I networked and let a variety of people know that I was looking for a job and what kind of job I was interested in. After awhile I learned that some people were not always so supportive or helpful. For example, I had one friend who routinely sent me job ads for positions that were high-powered, high stress, full-time jobs even though I had repeatedly told her that I was looking for part-time work, preferably something that didn’t consume all my creative energy. I got the feeling that she thought I was silly, irresponsible, or that I shouldn’t waste my time pursuing writing. Maybe she was jealous that I was taking action towards my goals and hopes. In any event, I had to quit discussing the job search with her (as much as possible) and simply ignore her comments.

3. Sidestep the Sweet Talk
Although the friend above sent me full-time job ads, it always “felt” negative and therefore was easier to ignore. It was much harder for me to ignore full-time job leads or offers when they came from people I admired and respected, especially when the offers came with a nice salary and title. I won’t say I wasn’t tempted because I was. Still, I was slowly learning to trust myself. For one such job lead it came down to the cover letter. I got stuck and couldn’t go anywhere with it. After wrestling with it for several days and making no progress, I learned that the position had been closed. Instead of feeling disappointed, I felt relieved and I realized that the problem with the cover letter had been a sign from myself that I didn’t really want that job.

4. Help Others
In a job search it is easy to get overly focused on yourself. After all, you are constantly writing cover letters discussing your skills and achievements. I was no exception. It became a relief for me to be able to take the focus off myself by helping others. I decided to focus on my roles in Toastmasters as a mentor and a club officer. Helping my fellow Toastmasters reach their goals energized and motivated me to continue pursuing my goals.

5. Focus on Success
One thing that helped sustain me during my job search was focusing on the successes I had in other areas, even if they were small successes. I submitted and had two poems accepted for an anthology. Although one poem was later cut due to space, the editor’s encouragement to submit it elsewhere buoyed my spirits and the success in that area helped sustain my job search. Also, during this year and a half of searching, I fell into a side avenue of writing – coaching writers. Working with these writers and helping them focus on their goals was rewarding, especially when one writer completed the first draft of her novel.

You may now uncork the champagne!
Need some more ideas or inspiration? Try Zen Habits!

Editor's Note: Congratulations Morgan - I love success stories! To read more about Morgan's sustainable job search success read her post, "Mornings". Even better, if you are looking for a top-notch freelance writer with a green passion, visit Morgan O'Donnell at Red Raven Circling to learn more.

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Virtual Green Jobs - August 25, 2009

2009-08-25T19:51:00.004-04:00

Ever wonder what your environmental footprint is while you're searching online for the perfect green job? Scott James wrote an interesting article, "Does Blogging Cause Global Warming?" over at Green Living Ideas. Definitely worth the read. In keeping with his article, I'll keep this short! Best of luck and please let them know you found the listing here on Green Gigs!

These job listings have expired.

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Home-Based Green Job Listings - Aug. 24, 2009

2009-08-24T07:13:00.003-04:00

There is a nice list and variety of green gigs available today - hopefully one of them is meant for you! Also, to help you along in you green dream job search I put together some suggestions on how to focus your job hunt and minimize the time you spend searching job listings. Last but by no means least, Green Gigs' contributing writer Morgan O'Donnell, has some exciting news to share about her search for a sustainable job, check back mid-week and read her success story!

These job listings have expired.

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Green Pedigree Does Not Equal Green Thumb
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Green Pedigree Does Not Equal Green Thumb

2009-08-22T16:15:00.008-04:00

Arguably there is no greener career than farming. Thankfully, no one depends on me to supply them with homegrown fruits and vegetables. Despite a degree in geology, a conscious effort to lead a greener lifestyle, and a true love of eating home-produced food, a farmer I am not. Perhaps this is due to my non-interference view of life that leads me to abstain from using any kind of fertilizer, or lack of time to commit to weeding, or Mother Nature’s refusal to cooperate this season, or that guy in town driving around in the H(CO)2, however I believe I simply did not inherit the green thumb gene.

As I began harvesting my garden today, I took a quick survey of my cultivation efforts to provide my family with that essential ingredient to life: healthy food. Here is a sampling of what I saw:

Pear Trees: Ideally I would have an orchard of fruit trees. In reality I have four very small pear trees. Three of these died last winter (two of them by natural causes and one by a power truck driving over it while reattaching our lines after the ice storm). Fortunately we (my husband) were able to cut them back allowing for several new sprouts to climb out of the ground. To date: zero pears.

Strawberries: Our newly planted strawberry patch did produce a few delicious strawberries that despite netting were largely enjoyed by rodents. However, I do hold out hope for next year’s crop and in the meantime my children by far enjoy the dwarf wild strawberries that grow naturally in the yard.

Carrots: I have had moderate success with carrots over the years and this year is no exception. That is if you include harvesting carrots the size of the miniature ones available in the store as successful. Note to self: follow seed directions and thin carrots next year.

Potatoes: This was my first year with the spuds and I was able to harvest quite a crop of diminutive potatoes. Score one for, well, my kids who actually planted the bag of organic potatoes they found in the refrigerator in our garden. Taste: yet to be determined.

Scallions: Historically I have had been a very accomplished scallion grower. This year my gold star crop was spoiled when the love of my life decided he was in need of some soil for something or other and chose to dig it from the same place I had recently planted the scallion seeds. I have been looking around the yard to see if any popped up someplace unusual, but so far no sign of my loyal veggie companions.

Watermelon: I know I planted a package of seeds. That is the last I saw of the watermelons.

Lettuce: What are those things growing from the top of the lettuce and what do I do with them? Cut them? Harvest the lettuce sooner? I really should look into that before next year. Taste: straight to the compost.

Pumpkins: Pumpkins have always been my crowning achievement when it comes to domestic cultivation. Largely this is because around each Thanksgiving I toss the rotting pumpkins on the front step into the “auxiliary” vegetable garden, allowing them to reseed themselves in the spring. Voila, pumpkins!

Although this year’s garden once again lacks critical success, I will still enjoy every bite that did grow (as will the Japanese beetles, ants, bees, potato bugs, bunnies, and those frightening large tomatoes caterpillar creatures). Next year I will try once again. Already plans are in place to actually move the compost from the pile next to the garden and till it into the soil, a vow made to at least try to weed, and a half-hearted oath made to dig that vegetable gardening book out of the depths of the basement and read it. Farming is in my blood, I just know it – here’s to next year!

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Focusing Your Green Job Search

2009-08-21T09:10:00.005-04:00

Recently GreenBiz.com posted an article, “6 Ways to Beat the Green Job Board Paradox and Stop Wasting Time”. Although I agree with many of of the job search tips suggested in the article, particularly not to spend hours searching every day and to get in front of people (remember real life?), I do contend with the “bigger is better” mentality that is pervasive among society and the article's recommendation to use the Alexa toolbar to help narrow your search to the large job boards. In fact, it’s not just my obvious bias for niche job boards, apparently job seekers agree with me. A survey of 1,500 people by WEDDLE’s Research found that niche job boards narrowly beat out general purpose job boards for the number one spot when it comes to the type of job boards people find most helpful.

So should you only visit the job boards that get the most visitors? No (as a Green Gigs reader I’m guessing you don’t anyhow)! Don’t bother adding a toolbar to rank websites, rather visit the sites and boards that are BEST suited to your job search.

Here are a few recommendations on how to maximize the odds of finding your perfect green job while minimizing the time required to find it:

1. Most of the large green job boards have the same listings because employers post their job ads on multiple sites. Pick your favorite and go with it – don’t waste time checking them all.

2. Add to your favorite large green job board one aggregator like Monster, Indeed, or SimplyHired, but once again, chose only your personal favorite best suited to your job search and bypass the rest, they’re redundant. Check out: "Big Green Job Boards Going Green".

3. Find 2-3 boards specific to your niche and follow them. For example, just as Green Gigs specializes in home-based green jobs, there are boards that specialize in just solar jobs, or just green building jobs, or just cleantech jobs, or just graphic design jobs. Here are some of my personal favorite niche boards: "Best Green Job Boards - Industry Specific".

4. Don’t overlook your local newspaper (be it in virtual or paper form) – it most likely still offers one of the best selections of region-specific employment opportunities.

5. Network in person! Life doesn’t occur in front of a computer screen and neither should your entire job search. If you are looking for a job, let people know that you are. Of course there are sticky areas, for example, if you are looking to leave your current employer and don’t want them to know, but let family, friends, and people you trust know you are looking for a new gig. You never know who knows who and what will come of a simple conversation.

Finally, there are ways to simplify and expedite your job search like using an RSS reader and setting up automatic keyword searches. Check out, “5 Tools to Simplify and Customize Your Job Search” – there are some good tips there worth trying.

Happy green job hunting and may it be a short and successful search!

Telecommuting Green Job Listings - 8/20/09

2009-08-20T19:12:00.003-04:00

It's slow out there, but then again, it is the end of August. May I suggest you check out our green writer's market listings, refine your green job search techniques, take a moment to answer the poll in the right sidebar, or turn off the computer and read a book? Just some ideas, good luck!

Sorry, these listings have expired.

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Freelance Green Jobs - August 19, 2009

2009-08-19T07:49:00.004-04:00

Here are a few environmentally-friendly job leads for you this morning. Also, I would appreciate it if you would take a moment to take our poll located in the right sidebar. As always, the focus of Green Gigs is providing home-based, green job listings, but I am interested in learning more about other types of articles you would like to read here. It only takes a click to answer (or a few words if you choose "other"!) and it will certainly help me develop content as we move into the fall (already?!?!?). Thank you and rock on green friends.

Sorry, these listings have expired.

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Home-based Green Job Leads - August 18, 2009

2009-08-18T06:32:00.005-04:00

I am sad this morning. This has nothing to do with job seeking, but I have been following a blog for a couple months about a baby boy born with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). As my regular readers know, my son was also born with the same birth defect and although I do not personally know this family, I feel connected to them by the power of the Internet, CDH, and geography. This morning I awoke to read that their beautiful son earned his wings last night after an amazing fight against a devastating birth defect. Wishing him love and his parents strength.

Sorry, these listings have expired.

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Green Jobs at Home - August 14, 2009

2009-08-14T08:39:00.005-04:00

Being the doldrums of August, job listings are a little slow today. To supplement today's green gigs I am also including some green competitions listed after the jobs. These require some work on your part, but offer cash prizes. Have a great weekend and rock on green friends!

Sorry, these listings have expired.

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Big Job Boards Going Green

2009-08-13T13:34:00.003-04:00

With the push for green job creation, comes the inevitable launch of countless green job boards. Not all job boards are created equal, but certainly dominating the scene are the major job board aggregators. Although the big job listing services are not green specific, many of them are jumping on the eco bandwagon and launching their own green boards.

So what do the big job boards have to offer that the niche green employment boards don’t? Does bigger equal better? Green Gigs took a spin though the green branches of three major job boards: CareerBuilder, Yahoo!, and Simply Hired, and summarizes the pros and cons of each below.

CareerBuilder: GoingGreenJobs
CareerBuilder officially launched is green job board, GoingGreenJobs, this week. GoingGreenJobs offers what many smaller green jobs boards can’t – the sheer number of jobs listed through the power of CareerBuilder. The board allows job seekers to search its massive database by clicking on popular searches like “carbon capture”, “environmental jobs”, and “earth jobs”, as well as offers several green job resource articles including a list of "25 Jobs That Let You Go Green". In addition, readers have access to CareerBuilder’s green salary calculator, a handy tool, and a helpful list of “popular green companies” that have jobs featured on the site. On the downside, the new site has yet to build an inventory of truly helpful green job hunting articles and lacks a keyword search feature, a must-have for those of us looking for telecommuting work. That being said, it is only their first week; let’s give them a little more time!

Yahoo!: Yahoo! Hotjobs Green Jobs
Yahoo! Hotjobs Green Job board has been kicking around for a longer time and offers some of the features GoingGreenJobs doesn’t: namely a keyword search option. Yahoo! Hotjobs has over thirty green fields in which they list jobs, including “biologist”, “forest”, “wind power”, and “remanufacturing”. The board allows for searches by keywords, location, and job category and lists hundreds of jobs available under some of the major green career fields. In the minus column, once again there were only a couple of resource articles available for eco-job hunters (Check out: “It’s Lucrative Being Green: 5 Hot Green-Collar Job”) and a search for “telecommuting”, “telecommute”, “virtual”, “home-base”, and “remote”, turned up only one green job and the closing date on the job had passed. However, like CareerBuilder’s site, Yahoo! Hotjobs offers what many niche boards can’t: a large-quantity of on-site, green job listings.

Simply Hired: Search Eco-Friendly Jobs
SimplyHired offers a slightly different approach to the green job hunt through its special-searches eco-friendly jobs portal. Users can search job listings posted by only “eco-friendly companies” (powered by care2) by keyword and location. The simple interface is refreshing and a quick search of just “telecommute” and “telecommuting” yielded a good number of leads. However, although the hiring companies may themselves be “green”, they may not be specifically working on environmental issues. Refining the search to “green telecommuting”, “organic telecommuting” and “environmental telecommute” yielded no results. However, it is a nice feature to know that if a job does pop up with your set keywords, it will be with an environmentally responsible company.

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Virtual Green Job Listings - Aug. 12, 2009

2009-08-12T13:08:00.004-04:00

In yesterday's post I shared a reader's experience with Craigslist and promised a second tale from the listing board of all listing boards. Recently I applied for a legitimate sounding Craigslist job ad that seemed particularly well-suited for my background. After spending time carefully crafting my cover letter and sending it off along with my resume, I received this response:

We forgot to put instructions on how to apply for this job in the job posting.
Please apply for this job here: (removed)
Simply click on "click here to apply for this job" and follow the instructions

As annoying as this was as I had already spent time applying for the job, I clicked on the link only to find (drum roll please) a bidding site. Yes, they sent me to bid on the project. Don't get me wrong, I don't have many of the issues that others do with bidding sites, but if I wanted to bid on a project, I would go to a bidding site. Was this an underhanded way to drive traffic to a bidding site? Was this truly an "oversight"? Who knows, but add it to the list of Craigslist deceptions to watch out for.

On a different note: Blogger has not been friendly today and I have been having trouble accessing Green Gigs and some of my other favorite Blogger blogs - hopefully Google will deal with this issue quickly (hint, hint). With that, here are today's job listings (ironically, most of them are from Craigslist), may they be truly green and yours to have!

Sorry, these listings have expired.

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Green Jobs from Home - August 11, 2009

2009-08-11T07:50:00.004-04:00

As a lead-in to today's green job listings, I would like to share the first tale of two Craigslist ads. Overall, I find Craigslist to be a great resource when it comes to finding job listings - particularly home-based gigs - and there are certainly many legitimate jobs posted there. But, as we all know, there are plenty of people who take advantage of the listing board and its readers. This first tale comes from a Green Gigs reader and speaks to something I have always been curious about when I read these ads on Craigslist:

...about a month ago I posted my resume on Craigslist, without ANY personal contact info on it. I couldn’t believe the number of lowlife scam job offers I got through the anonymous email Craigslist provides. There are a lot of sharks out there waiting to feed on people who are not alert to this kind of deception. So, you can tell your readers that is definitely NOT the way to get a job...I think it would be helpful to know that posting a resume on Craigslist is an utter waste of time. I would have never guessed that I would have received so many bogus job offers, and it went on for weeks. I did not get even one legitimate reply. That was a surprise too, especially since I posted in 4-5 major cities that have a reputation for being “green”. I would have thought I would have gotten at least one real reply. Oh well. Well, maybe my experience will save others the same frustration.

I thank this reader for coming forward and sharing her story - I think it is an important one to read. I will share another cautionary Craigslist tale in the next job posting, but am interested in hearing yours. Please feel free to comment below about any shady Craigslist job listing scams you have encountered during your job hunt. With that, may the following be true green gigs and one of them meant for you!

Sorry, these listings have expired.

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