Justmeans's blogshttp://www.justmeans.com/editorials/responsiblecareers/10.htmlFri, 10 Feb 2012 01:20:40 GMThttp://www.justmeans.com en hourly 1http://www.justmeans.com/Barbara-Kirshner--Food-Consultant-Extraordinaire/46451.htmlSat, 05 Mar 2011 20:24:49 GMT It seems you've done pretty much everything within the food industry. Let's start with your part in the development of the Twix bar. What was this process like?As in the case of the Twix bar, the process was an exciting one. It started with a brainstorming session at M&M Mars between marketing and R cotton swabs for wiping up excess moisture; brushes for brushing off crumbs; oil sprayers for oil or water to keep things looking moist; a magnifying glass for seeing even the smallest black speck; e Read Full Article ]]> It seems you've done pretty much everything within the food industry. Let's start with your part in the development of the Twix bar. What was this process like?As in the case of the Twix bar, the process was an exciting one. It started with a brainstorming session at M&M Mars between marketing and R&D. They wanted to increase their exposure and move to other parts of stores, beyond the candy aisle. They also wanted to create a better-for-you indulgent snack. Since cookies were perceived as healthier than candy (having some redeeming nutritional value), the idea was born...marry cookies with candy. So off to the test kitchen where thousands of tests were done using various cookie formulations, different candy components and different configurations.The in house taste tested prototype winners were brought to consumer focus group testing with marketing concept/advertising boards to see if, in fact, this new product was a good idea. This process continued for a very long time until the prototype, name, and marketing message for the Twix Bar and the actual bar made in the kitchen was deemed a winner.Then the interface with manufacturing took place to reformulate for large scale production. The production bar was constantly being refined so it matched or was superior to the prototype model in taste, texture, and configuration.Next, the product went to some select test market cities for evaluation, sell through, and refinement of marketing strategy.I also had the opportunity to do the food styling for the bars.Getting just the right caramel pull at the right angle to communicate delicious and support trial was both challenging and a lot of fun.Your work with Black Ice Entertainment involved food photography. How do the skills or equipment needed for food photography differ from other types of photography?I have done quite a bit of food styling for photography. The equipment needed is a cross between personal care items, art tools, and food. I keep my food styling equipment in a tool box. The items include:tweezers for placing small items in place like crumbs or nuts; cotton swabs for wiping up excess moisture; brushes for brushing off crumbs; oil sprayers for oil or water to keep things looking moist; a magnifying glass for seeing even the smallest black speck; emery boards; eye droppers; and sometimes dry ice and gloves if you are working on frozen items. These are all items that are necessary for fixing up the fine details, but of course you'll need all the larger basics as well: a good set of knives, pots, pans, steamers, slow cookers and any and all other food preparation equipment needed for the items you're photographing. Food styling requires lots of patience and backups as food only looks great under the lights for a short period of time.Tell me about your culinary development role for Doggity's, the animated program on PBS Sprout. How did that come about? What's the television business like?I started working on Doggity's four years ago when I was introduced to John McCoy, who created the show with his then four year old son, Jack. Since the original premise was a cooking show for kids, John needed someone who was a food professional who shared his passion for making a difference in the lives of children and their families with respect to health and wellness. I signed up enthusiastically as soon as I met John, Doggity, and his canine friends.The issue of childhood obesity was beginning to emerge, so the timing was right to create a fun show about healthy eating.We became partners and began the journey. The universe definitely supported our vision as at every turn, whether it was at camp where I was a teacher for healthy cooking classes for kids,through friends and chance meetings where we were able to get top professionals like the people who created the Rugrats and the Simpsons to join forces with us and help us to polish our character concepts and show presentation scripts. My contribution has focused on the creation of creative food and recipe content for the show.You also teach pre-school... has working with kids helped shape some of the Doggity episodes?Absolutely! I have tested all of the recipes for Doggity' with my pre school chefs. Being a part of pre-schooler's daily lives, understanding their ways of thinking, experiences, skill sets, stresses about trying new things (including new foods) has helped me develop strategies and methods of encouraging healthy eatings habits. I have developed a magic with them through cooking and food. I pass along recipes and advice to parents through my blog, too.What's your typical day like?It starts at 5 a.m. with coffee and answering e mails and beginning blog drafts. When the sun rises each day evolves with new exciting projects, challenges and connections.There is no typical day.You've worked in so many areas within the food industry over the past few decades... have you noticed any major changes? And do you have any predictions with regards to where the industry is headed?The industry is definitely headed on a healthier path. The challenge as I see it is for consumers to be educated about food and to be willing to retrain their taste buds. It's essential for people to acknowledge that making healthy choicesis important really believing and experiencing how delicious, healthy foods can be comes with many great rewards.The challenge in this area is for healthy foods to become more affordable to the masses. The pricing of organic food has begun to come down, so we're off to a good start.Is a formal education in the food industry necessary? How should one go about getting started if they're interested in a career such as yours?One can get a BS degree in food marketing, food science or nutrition. One can also get a certificate in Culinary Arts.Easter is coming up... any favorite recipes you would like to share?Sure! I suggest my recipe for Grandparents' Grand Apple Pie the recipe and photos can be found on my blog.Photo Credit: Kevin Kirshner]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Gazelles-Are-Creating-Responsible-Jobs--Do-You-Know-Where-to-Find-Them/46295.htmlThu, 03 Mar 2011 13:50:20 GMTMrim Boutla Responsible careers that successfully blend financial return with social impact and environmental responsibility can be found across sectors. Whether you are interested in a career in corporate social responsibility, sustainability, social enterprises, nonprofits, or are driving change through social intrapreneurship, you have more opportunities to do well while doing good today than ever before!The question remains though, where are the jobs? In a previous post, I provided 15 responsible job bo Read Full Article ]]> Responsible careers that successfully blend financial return with social impact and environmental responsibility can be found across sectors. Whether you are interested in a career in corporate social responsibility, sustainability, social enterprises, nonprofits, or are driving change through social intrapreneurship, you have more opportunities to do well while doing good today than ever before!The question remains though, where are the jobs? In a previous post, I provided 15 responsible job boards you can select from to get started in this process. Today, let's focus on another important aspect of socio-eco innovation (or responsible) careers: What types of organizations offer jobs. As mentioned by Steve Case, CEO of Startup America, earlier this week at the DEMO Conference in Palm Springs,"With enterprises less than five years old responsible for creating all net jobs in America over the past 30 years, the importance of promoting innovation is more paramount than ever. High-growth startups are vital to the future economic growth of the country, and the Startup America Partnership will work with the private sector to ensure that startups have every best chance to succeed."To best understand what that means in terms of responsible jobs, let's use the bestiary developed by David Birch, a former MIT Professor turned business consultant who gathered and synthesized massive amounts of data related to business growth in the US. In his framework, you have really three types of organizations: The Elephants (large organizations, think Fortune 500 companies, Goodwill Industries, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, etc). These sizable organizations are highly visible and a job at these organizations comes with quite a bit of prestige (and a larger paycheck). At the other end of the spectrum are mice, which are typicallysmall startups and main street organizations). Note that over the past 30 years, mice have created about 66% of jobs in the US. Between the elephants and the mice, you will findthe gazelles. Gazelles are small companies (fewer than 50 people) who are enjoying a consistent high growth (typically 20% over 4 consecutive years from a base of $100,000 in revenue).Of course, we all know that the elephants have shed quite a few jobs between 2008 and 2010. Furthermore, and despite record profits posted in 2010, the elephants haven't hired much, contributing to the jobless recovery we are currently experiencing. In contrast, according to data from the Kaufmann Foundation, the mice (or startups that are 5 years and younger) have been responsible for most of the US job creation between 1977 and 2005. Some socio-eco innovation mice can be found through the unreasonable institute, as well as through hubs such as ashoka.org, dowser.org, change.org, as well as among the winners of the William James Foundation Social Business Plan Competition. However, these mice might seem to risky for many aspiring responsible professionals interested in pursuing responsible careers that are financially and personally rewarding.Hence your best bet is to look into socio-eco innovation gazelles. But where can you find who these are, and most importantly what jobs they are creating? I would recommend to start with the Social Venture Network, B Corporations, Net Impact, as well as with members of the Conscious Capitalism Movement, BALLE, and the American Sustainable Business Council. These hubs might have been less visible than the Fortune 500 or the Global 1000 rankings, but they include the gazelles that truly get business done better.Photo Credit.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Edward-Belbruno-Talks-About-His-Career-As-An-Artist-And-Scientist/46183.htmlWed, 02 Mar 2011 17:50:17 GMTMrim Boutla You've been well-known for your contributions to chaos theory for quite some time, but there's been a shift in the circles in which your name is discussed of late. These days, you're a topic of interest at art galleries and to private collectors. Could you explain to readers how you've come about putting together your professional life as a mathematician and artist?I first started doing oil painting at seven years old it just came naturally. Ever since I started painting, I knew on some level I Read Full Article ]]> You've been well-known for your contributions to chaos theory for quite some time, but there's been a shift in the circles in which your name is discussed of late. These days, you're a topic of interest at art galleries and to private collectors. Could you explain to readers how you've come about putting together your professional life as a mathematician and artist?I first started doing oil painting at seven years old it just came naturally. Ever since I started painting, I knew on some level I would always be doing it. In the first couple of years of college, math came easy to me and I found that it was a safe field to pursue; I knew it could be used to make a steady income. So, I decided in my senior year of college to continue painting - but more in the background until I could build a math career, and then when the math career was bringing in steady money, I would pursue building my painting career more seriously. The recognition of my artwork as grown over the years and now the demand for it matches that of my work in mathematics and chaos applications to space travel. Since my paintings seem to have an other-worldly sense to them, they seem to fit naturally with my space related work. However, I need to keep these careers separate since they are handled totally differently. For instance, my art is done when I am in a state where I don't think; I let my intuitive powers guide me. On the other hand, the space-related work requires mainly thinking in a forced manner.You've had solo exhibitions all around the world, and your most recent platform is New York City. Is New York City the peculiar beast that people say it is? How has your experience there been unique?New York City is the center of the art world, among many other things, and because of that it has a well-developed art industry. To break into that in a significant way, you must be doing very high quality work. If you do, then people will be interested in what you are doing and opportunities will naturally occur. With my unique background, I have found that interesting opportunities have come my way that other artists would not necessarily obtain. For example, a couple of years ago, The Metropolitan Opera House was showing the opera Dr. Atomic, which is aboutthe development of the atomic bomb. Because of my knowledge of physics, I was invited to both show my art at Lincoln Center in a solo show and also to discuss atomic physics. I was also featured in NPR's nationally syndicated show, Studio 360, a year ago because of the interest in both my space work and my art. Those are just a couple of examples.Tell me about your next show.I have an upcoming solo show at the prestigious Gallery 61 of New York Institute of Technology, which opens on March 31. I'll be showing 30 new paintings in a new series I am very excited about and that has quickly gained a lot of interest. The gallery is located near Columbus Circle. This show has come about due to the school's interest in both my science and art. Before the show I will be giving a lecture on my work in art and science. More information about the exhibition and lecture may be found at: www.nyit.edu/belbruno.Do you forsee art being a full time job? Is it something for which you would give up your math/science career? Painting and math/science are two distinct parts of myself. It would be difficult to give up the math/science. However, one never knows the chaotic roads their lives may go.Photo credit: Linda Gambone]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Jesse-Medalia-Strauss--A-Gen-Z-Perspective-on-Careers-and-Employment/46205.htmlTue, 01 Mar 2011 18:46:00 GMTMrim Boutla The ways in which people communicate have altered drastically since the birth of the Internet. Likewise, there has been a significant shift in work/career culture. Analysts say that Generation Z trends are heavily focused on betapreneurship and freelance work for a multitude of clients. Members of Gen Z expect flexibility, and work that molds to their lifestyle not the other way around. Gone are the days of the twenty year stints of a 9-5 job with one employer.Jesse Medalia-Strauss, a member of Read Full Article ]]> The ways in which people communicate have altered drastically since the birth of the Internet. Likewise, there has been a significant shift in work/career culture. Analysts say that Generation Z trends are heavily focused on betapreneurship and freelance work for a multitude of clients. Members of Gen Z expect flexibility, and work that molds to their lifestyle not the other way around. Gone are the days of the twenty year stints of a 9-5 job with one employer.Jesse Medalia-Strauss, a member of Generation Z and student at the American University, talks about his career aspirations and expectations.Tell me about your internship at the Science Friday Initiative (SFI). How many hours a week do you work? What kind of projects do you do? Has this experience influenced your career expectations or goals?My experiences at SFI were life changing. I worked from 10 to 5, five days a week and got a wonderful amount of creative control over my projects. I got to go to events all around the city and meet so many interesting people and I got to bring a friend or two along. SFI has influenced where I want to go in a career in two ways. The first is I know I want to do documentaries and investigative journalism and the second, I want to work for a nonprofit or agency that reflects my beliefs and do good work. Your job means nothing unless you are making a positive impact.You'll be graduating in just two years. Do you have a specific job in mind?Hopefully I will get a job doing communications for a campaign or organization. I would love to make my own independent documentaries.Do you think graduate school will be necessary at some point, or do you believe work experience to be more beneficial?I am actually going to try to do a fast track program and get a masters in Political Communications by staying at American University an extra year.What kind of work environment do you look for? For instance, do you want flexible hours or the ability to work at home? How many hours per week do you envision working?I want to be able to run around the city filming, taking pictures and meeting interesting people while getting paid.Do you expect to work for one employer for a long time, or do you see yourself more as a freelancer who works projects or gigs for a variety of companies?I see at first a freelancer who works on many projects but if I get really embedded with a particular organization I believe in, that would not be bad either.Are there any companies for whom you would especially like to work? Who and why....SFI: I love all the people there and it would be great to do content for the show.PBS: Directing a Frontline episode would be a dream come true.NPR: They need web videos.DNC or DNC candidate: Would get my foot in the political door.MoveOn.org: Great liberal organization that produces funny and insightful videos.Do you see yourself owning your own company some day? If so, tell me a bit about your vision for that.I see myself directing and producing documentaries and narratives for social change. Possibly running for Congress one day.Do you use social media outlets to increase your professional network? How helpful has this been (or how helpful do you expect it to be)?I absolutely do. I often use my linkedin, facebook or vimeo profiles to show people examples of my work and to tell them about myself.You started college just as the global financial crisis hit. Has this influenced your outlook on potential jobs/careers? Yes it did indeed. The financial crisis made me realize that I do not want to work in the private sector. I would be much happier making money while doing good than just making money for the sake of money. I would prefer to work for myself, a non-profit, or the government.What benefits (if any), do you consider essential? For instance, your generation isn't likely to be able to rely on Social Security checks or company pensions. When you research potential employers, do you look at things employer contributions to a 401k? Or will you simply make plans for your long-term future on your own?I am prepared to make long terms plans on my own. Healthcare is the essential benefit.As a native New Yorker, can you imagine living/working anywhere else? If so, what cities would you consider moving to for a job?The only way I would move from New York is if I get 270 electoral votes and then it would only be for four to eight years.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Responsible-Careers-in-Microlending/46201.htmlTue, 01 Mar 2011 11:40:36 GMTMrim Boutla Last night I attended an interesting event on microlending organized by several Net Impact Chapters of the DC Area. Professionals, as well as students from Johns Hopkins, Georgetown and George Washington University gathered to have a conversation on microlending with Giovanna Masci, a Yale MBA who joined KIVA.org 3 years ago and is now their Regional Director for Latin and North America.As most of you know, KIVA is a leading microlending institution. Through their website, you can review specifi Read Full Article ]]> Last night I attended an interesting event on microlending organized by several Net Impact Chapters of the DC Area. Professionals, as well as students from Johns Hopkins, Georgetown and George Washington University gathered to have a conversation on microlending with Giovanna Masci, a Yale MBA who joined KIVA.org 3 years ago and is now their Regional Director for Latin and North America.As most of you know, KIVA is a leading microlending institution. Through their website, you can review specific projects and entrepreneurs that you want to support, and agree to give money that will go to the micro-entrepreneur of your choice. Your money will not lead to any dividend for you, but will be used by a microfinance institution (MFI) to make a loan to the micro-entrepreneur (with interest rates serving to cover capital costs for the MFI in the country where the micro-entrepreneur resides). Through their website, KIVA has enabled lenders to fund over 500,000 micro-entrepreneurs in approximately 58 countries. Since their launch in 2005, KIVA has enabled over $196M in loans to be distributed through 196 KIVA field partner MFIs.Of course, KIVA, as a leader in microlending has not been spared by the critics and the sad events that have occurred in India and in Nicaragua. Suicides following the predatory lending practices used by loan sharks and MFIs have led to increased scrutiny and have further underscored the importance for MFIs and micro-lending institutions to clearly document their impact through transparent governance and social performance measures.But what are the career paths available in microlending institutions? Responsible careers in microlending institutions such as KIVA include careers in portfolio management, product management, legal and human resources, software and website design engineers, as well as opportunities in marketing and communications. At KIVA, the staff has grown from 30 people when Masci joined 3 years ago to 65 staff members today. KIVA is currently funded through tips from its lenders as well as by grants. Future trends for KIVA discussed by Giovanna Masci at the event yesterday included international expansion, student loans, and tighter social performance measures. Let's discuss the responsible career implications of each of these trends.To reach out to more lenders worldwide, KIVA is thinking about translating its website in several languages. To do so, they will need multilingual responsible professionals with a background in marketing or communications as well as work experience in their target countries. A great way for you to prepare for these opportunities might be to volunteer (e.g. Bankers Without Borders through the Grameen Foundation - http://www.bankerswithoutborders.com/). By volunteering in communications or translations within the microfinance field, you are sure to position yourself well for future responsible career opportunities in microlending.Announced last fall, the KIVA protocol of lenders funding specific micro-entrepreneurs in need will be expanded to provide students loans. The goal is here to enable students in impoverished regions to gain access to higher education. This program is currently available to students in Lebanon, Bolivia and Paraguay. This exciting new program might become a opportunity for youth to get out of poverty faster. Unfortunately, it might lead to the same crushing student loan burden that many American students and graduates are currently facing. Of course, it will be key for KIVA to make sure that their MFI partners do not charge exorbitant student loan interests or push loans to students who want to pursue careers for which they don't need a college degree. Professionals with portfolio management or product management experience will be needed to design and deliver products that will fit the needs of that new type of lender/borrower partnership.Paramount to the success of KIVA and micro-lenders in general is their ability to demonstrate that microlending is indeed key to poverty alleviation and to economic and social stability for their partners and borrowers. Measuring social impact is most difficult, and therefore, KIVA is for now focusing on measuring the financial and social performance of its partner MFIs. By adapting the CERISE Social Performance Indicator to the different countries and regions it works in, KIVA is in the process of integrating social and financial performance measures that lenders can use to make decisions about who they want to lend to. Furthermore, such measures also helps KIVA strengthen its relationships with current partner MFIs, as well as better assess future MFI partners. If you are interested in portfolio management or product management careers in microlending and microfinance, learning more about social performance indexes, including CERISE, would be a great way to assess whether you would like this type of job, and to best position yourself as a credible candidate when you apply for opportunities. In addition, reading 'Small Loans, Big Dreams' by Alex Counts can be a excellent preparation for anyone interested in learning more about microlending and social measures of poverty alleviation.Overall, the field of microlending and microfinance is in a transition period that is pregnant with opportunities for responsible professionals. As the field continues to evolve, it will need stronger regulations to prevent predatory lenders to call themselves micro-lenders. In this context, professionals witha passion for poverty alleviation and sharp analytical and communication skills will be much needed to empirically demonstrate the power of micro-lending in helping micro-entrepreneurs and students reach their goal of self-sufficiency.Photo Credit.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Mischa-Merz--The-Sweetest-Thing--from-the-Punch-to-the-Pen/46170.htmlTue, 01 Mar 2011 00:38:08 GMTMrim Boutla Somehow you manage to put writing and boxing in the same sentencewhen talking about what you do. You write. You box. And you write about boxing. How did this happen?It was a happy accident. Not long after I started actually sparring as opposed to just doing boxacise, I had an idea. And as with most ideas I get I started saying it out loud. 'What if I had a fight and wrote about it?' and people started saying 'Yeah, great idea'. Pretty quickly I got an agent and a publisher and before I knew it I Read Full Article ]]> Somehow you manage to put writing and boxing in the same sentencewhen talking about what you do. You write. You box. And you write about boxing. How did this happen?It was a happy accident. Not long after I started actually sparring as opposed to just doing boxacise, I had an idea. And as with most ideas I get I started saying it out loud. 'What if I had a fight and wrote about it?' and people started saying 'Yeah, great idea'. Pretty quickly I got an agent and a publisher and before I knew it I had signed a contract to write about having a fight. I had to fight. To back out would be just impossible. It was my first book and I'd managed to get the attention of Picador Australia so I couldn't possibly waste the opportunity. And as it happened, I kind of liked the fighting and the writing about it and weirdly, it has become my thing. And actually it's turned out to be quite a rich and rewarding beat. I look at some of the options in journalism that my contemporaries have pursued and I can't think of one that could suit me better. I would never have set out to attain such a goal. That kind of thing can only happen if you go with the flow, and that's basically how it happened. There was no plan.Obviously, yours is not a 9 - 5, clock in and out type of job. What is a typical day like? Atypical, perhaps? A typical day will start with caffeine and Facebook at about 8am. And when I've wasted enough time I started resuming writing projects I have begun or promised to people that I will start and others that I have launched myself with no immediate prospect of publication. When my arse gets sore from sitting I go for a run, come home, have lunch and these days have started reading the paper on the iPad I convinced my husband to buy. The rest is a moveable feast of giving people one-on-one boxing lessons, aka personal training, holding boxing fitness classes, sparring and doing a little weight training. I try to keep mornings free for writing but it doesn't always happen that way. I break the day up with a nap before my gym day starts at about 4-5pm and I often don't get home until about 9pm. I usually find myself cooking dinner with my boxing boots still on. My husband Peter is often playing tennis when I get home but I can't wait for him to get back so I can tell him what he calls 'my gym stories'. Sometimes that stream of consciousness post-gym babble can actually turn into literature. But often not. It's really my first draft stage for a lot of writing though.Fighting and writing have taken you around the world. Is boxing culture in Australia different to what it is in America? And how about the publishing scene? Boxing is much more revered in the US than it is in Australia, where it is quite marginal and unknown. People think it's like what you would see in a Rocky film and when they say to me I don't look like a boxer I have to remind myself that they're really saying I don't look like Sylvester Stallone, which is probably a good thing. But to me looking like a boxer means you look in great shape. The fitness boxing scene is big in Australia but that's a different world. Actual boxing culture is more 'white' in Australia, more Aussie working class. It has a somewhat different rhythm to it than what you would find in say New York or Atlanta, where it is very much black and Hispanic and has much more of a syncopated swagger to it. It's like AC/DC in Australia whereas it's more like James Brown in the US. I also met a lot of boxers from all over the world when I went to the women's world boxing championships in Barbados last year and the training tent was a real melting pot. It was chaos in about ten different languages. It made me think that actually, boxing is a universal language with dialects. Everyone knows the basic vocabulary and there are regional nuances. As for publishing? Who knows. I've been pretty lucky in that I usually snare the first publisher I approach. But the selling of the books is the hard part. I've been encouraged by the iPad experience. I can almost foresee a time when buying a book is cheap and easy and people will do a lot more of it once we've let go of this idea of the cumbersome production of the actual 'book'. The net kind of killed long form journalism for a while but surely people will tire of reading captions and crave something meaty. I've really been enjoying the meaty stuff I can get from the New Yorker, Harpers and the Atlantic on the iPad apps. I haven't read a book on it yet but I'm keen to do so. I think a lot of the costly infrastructure of book selling will fall away, bookshops, distribution etc and we will be left with writing, editing and design. I don't think that's such a bad thing.What are some of the particular challenges of writing boxing literature?It's a bit of a niche audience, although I'd like to think I can make it accessible to a broader audience. If it was cricket or football I was writing about here I'd be working around the clock trying to keep up with demand.When does your next book come out and when/where is your next fight?The Sweetest Thing a boxer's memoir, published by Seven Stories Press will be released at the end of March, launched at Gleason's gym in New York on April 12 and my next fight is in Atlanta on April 23.Photo credit: Seven Stories Press]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Yachtz-Radcliff-on-Managing-Alternative-Energy-Funds/46134.htmlMon, 28 Feb 2011 22:48:47 GMTMrim Boutla What exactly do you do as an alternative energy hedge fund manager?My company, Radcliff Capital, manages the U.S. Infrastructure and New Energy Economy Fund. To put it simply: We are a private fund that invests in a broadly diversified portfolio of leading companies in the alternative energy, energy efficiency, and infrastructure industries, such as Solar, Wind, the Transmission (Smart) Grid, Battery, Geothermal, Infrastructure and Energy Efficiency, Alternative Fuels, Carbon Trading, etc.What i Read Full Article ]]> What exactly do you do as an alternative energy hedge fund manager?My company, Radcliff Capital, manages the U.S. Infrastructure and New Energy Economy Fund. To put it simply: We are a private fund that invests in a broadly diversified portfolio of leading companies in the alternative energy, energy efficiency, and infrastructure industries, such as Solar, Wind, the Transmission (Smart) Grid, Battery, Geothermal, Infrastructure and Energy Efficiency, Alternative Fuels, Carbon Trading, etc.What is your reason for focusing on alternative energy?In short, there are four factors: (1) First and foremostthe era of cheap oil is overwhich is a function of the simple economics of supply and demand: declining supplies and accelerating long term demand fueled by explosive growth in developing countries such as China and India has already started a global energy arms race, (2) for national security, environmental and economic reasons, there has been a meaningful shift in policy and regulatory favoritism from big oil towards to more efficient and cleaner, renewable energies, (3) surging inflows of venture, entrepreneurial, and intellectual capital, technological innovation, and economies of scale will further drive the costs of alternatives downward, thereby accelerating their competitiveness with even the cheapest fossil fuels; and (4) ultimately it is these industries that have beeneven in the recessionrebuilding and reshaping the U.S. economy, and who are leading it into the next age of global economic growth.Do you have any stats or predictions about US alternative energy and its future?1. Global investment in clean energy topped $243 billion last year, surging 30 percent from $186.5 billion in 2009, according to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. This is up 30% from a revised figure of $ 186.5 billion in 2009, and makes 2010 easily the strongest year so far for investment in clean energy - double the figure recorded in 2006 and nearly five times that from 2004. This is a spectacular result, beating previous record investment levels by a clear margin of more than $50 billion.2. In the U.S. in 2009, cumulative wind capacity increased by 39% and cumulative solar PV capacity grew nearly 52% from the previous year.3. In the United States, renewable energy has been capturing a growing percent of new capacity additions during the past few years. In 2009, renewable energy accounted for more than 55% of all new electrical capacity installations in the United Statesa large contrast from 2004 when all renewable energy captured only 2% of new capacity additions.4. $80 Billion began being deployed in long-term investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency when the Stimulus Bill was passed in 2008.Tell me about your typical day.There is no typical day, but they average between 12-14 hours. A majority of my time is spent on reading, research, and financial modeling. I also usually spend a couple hours on the phone each day, which involves anything from discussing strategy with advisors and specialists, talking to industry contacts, companies we're looking at, and our clients.Is your position a "job" or is it more of a lifestyle?I love learning about new technologies, processes, and what is going on in the world. The pace of innovation and changes we are witnessing is extraordinary. Staying up until the late hours of the night on a regular basis is definitely voluntary for me, but like many areas of finance, running a fund is not merely a job. Without question it is a lifestyle.What are the most enjoyable and most frustrating parts of your job?There are a lot of misperceptions about the industries we focus on. Talking about the field and our research can be immensely rewarding. Unfortunately, there can be a political dimension to some of these issues, and some people have very entrenched, dogmatic views. Reasoning with dogmatism is always a challenging and frustrating process.Do you expect there to be a growing demand for jobs in alternative energy investing? Even during the recession, we've seen an unprecedented acceleration of investment and growth in what I call the New Energy Economy. In my opinion, it is these areas that will drive the next global macroeconomic cycleso yesI do indeed see an accelerating demand for jobs in these areas.What sort of educational background is necessary, or what experience/skill sets are required?When people inquire about my educational background and I tell them it's from Northwestern University, they assume it's from Kellogg (the business school at NU). They're invariably surprised to learn my background is from philosophy, not business. In my view, education is necessary but not sufficient. It's very important seek out and work with leaders in your field.Photo credit: Yachtz Radcliff]]>http://www.justmeans.com/2011-Good-Jobs-Green-Jobs-Conference--Career-Insights---Part-4-Of-4/45728.htmlSun, 27 Feb 2011 21:53:38 GMTMrim Boutla The goal of the 2011 Good Jobs Green Jobs conference was to facilitate a conversation between unions, corporations, nonprofits and government representatives on how to create responsible jobs for workers at all levels of the pyramid. In previous posts, we have explored the range for organizations across sectors who participated in the conference as well as some of the career insights that emerged from conversations on education and responsible business.But where are the green economy jobs being Read Full Article ]]> The goal of the 2011 Good Jobs Green Jobs conference was to facilitate a conversation between unions, corporations, nonprofits and government representatives on how to create responsible jobs for workers at all levels of the pyramid. In previous posts, we have explored the range for organizations across sectors who participated in the conference as well as some of the career insights that emerged from conversations on education and responsible business.But where are the green economy jobs being created? Are these jobs available to all, or are they only being created for engineers or product managers? Are there any entry level positions that are available for young professionals? Examples of real jobs are one of the best ways to explore where green economy jobs are created. As a hub for getting business done better, our Justmeans job board provides clues that green jobs are available for professionals of all experience levels. These jobs are not only for engineers, demand is also strong for professionals that come from non-technical backgrounds. The good news is that green jobs are real and growing. 178 responsible jobs were added to the Justmeans job board since February 1, 2011. Among these jobs, here are a few that clearly shows that jobs in the green economy are available at all levels of experience and for technical and non-technical professionals:Entry Level Green Jobs:Clean Cities Program Assistant - American Lung AssociationNative Plant Nursery Manager - Save The BayPhilanthropy Associate - ClimateWorks FoundationProgram Coordinator, Green Jobs Youth Development - Solar Youth Inc.Thorne Natural Science School Teaching Assistant - Thorne Ecological InstituteMid-Level Green Jobs:Energy Efficient Project Manager - Energy SolutionsEPS Performance Specialist - Earth Advantage InstituteKey Account Manager - Paladino and CompanyMarketing Director - Bonneville Environmental FoundationOffice Manager - Chicago Gateway GreenProgram Director For Sustainable Environments Program - Surdna FoundationSales Manager - Green Living ProjectSenior Level Green Jobs:Director of Feasibility and Development (Solar PV Systems) - Panthera Search PartnersDirector of Institutional Relations - Student Conservation AssociationExecutive Director - US Green Building CouncilSenior Energy Engineer - ERS Energy and Resource SolutionsVP, Construction - Renewable Energy Solutions AmericasFrom this sample of green jobs, it is clear that green jobs are being created in the private, nonprofit and government sectors. These green jobs are available to entry-level, mid-level and senior level professionals interested in getting business done better through functional expertise such as engineering, marketing, advocacy, education, project management and relationship management. In sum, green jobs are growing, and are providing a unique opportunity for responsible professionals to create a sustainable world.Photo Credit.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Working-in-Theater-and-Film--James-Creque-Pities-the-Fool/45735.htmlFri, 25 Feb 2011 06:00:41 GMTMrim Boutla So you're a theater and film professional. That's a bit vague what do you do?I'm always a bit cagey when trying to explain my job situation. For the last three years I've worked steadily in the production department of The Public Theater in NYC. I have a degree in Theatre and Dance (mostly theatre) and most of my professional income has been generated by working on the production end of various theatre and film projects. I act when I can and play poker from time to time, but my reliable income h Read Full Article ]]> So you're a theater and film professional. That's a bit vague what do you do?I'm always a bit cagey when trying to explain my job situation. For the last three years I've worked steadily in the production department of The Public Theater in NYC. I have a degree in Theatre and Dance (mostly theatre) and most of my professional income has been generated by working on the production end of various theatre and film projects. I act when I can and play poker from time to time, but my reliable income has come from being a freelance stage hand, stage manager, stage production manager, film production manager, electrician, and on and on. When I'm not working on a project I'm getting paid for, I occasionally spend that money working on short film projects.Does that career come with health care?Health care. I'm not familiar with this 'health care' of which you speak. So far my plan has been to not get sick or, as a predominantly freelance hourly worker, to go to work when sick anyways. It's worked well so far, but then I have great genes (thanks mom and dad!). My intermittent research into health care costs have shown them to be far too high a proportion of my income for the time being, but I'll keep checking. I haven't been health insured for several years and I'm 30 now, so it's all downhill from here.What kind of credentials are required?As with many professions, when it comes to getting a gig it's been less about what I can show I've learned and more about making a good impression on potential employers, doing good work, and networking from there. I started doing more theatre and in the last few years have gotten more into film work and I've had a lot more success getting hired by people I've worked for or with than by submitting my resume. I've found that how much you've been working is generally more valuable on your resume than where you've gone to school.Tell me about your last film project.I've got a short film script I'm inching along into a screenplay at the moment. I kind of hate writing, except that I love seeing ideas manifested. It's kind of like hating cooking and loving eating, only I actually really enjoy cooking. I'm just more of a doer than a planner, I suppose. I produced a short film last summer called Coin Artist, an adaptation of a short story by Harlan Ellison. It's fallen to the back burner while trying to negotiate the final edit with the director because our schedules have had very little overlap, but the end is in sight. Then it'll be off to festivals, worldwide critical acclaim, fame and fortune. The short film racket is a great cash cow. Like selling t-shirts.And what do you do for the theater?At The Public I'm part of the Production team whose mandate is to take the available personnel and resources and use them to facilitate the needs of the Lighting, Sound, Costuming, Scenery, etc. department on a play by play basis. The big thing we do every year is the Shakespeare In The Park which is the free top notch Shakespeare performed in Central Park every summer.So which is it for you, film or theatre?It's both, of course. Theatre is a more personal communicative experience. It's there in a room and then it's gone, every performance unique. Alternatively you can share film more readily with a vastly wider audience. I really enjoy directing plays, nearly as much as I enjoy acting. You get to play with people and to use them to make your ideas and interpretations come alive. It's odd relinquishing that control when it's time to show the work to an audience though. I think the difference between film and theatre is that in film you do essentially do a series of rehearsals that an editor later cuts into a performance for an audience, but in theatre it's all about getting an audience-ready performance together. I'm always struggling to negotiate the creative versus the production side of my career, mostly because it's far easier to earn a living wage by doing production work.What's next?Well I just finished a fairly lucrative three week stint working for a lighting company during this latest Fashion Week which has bolstered my finances enough to pay off my Visa card and put me in the black a bit. Naturally I have little choice but to get back in the red by finishing up Coin Artist.Any advice for readers who are thinking about a career in film or theater?It's really a career path where you can't gauge your success by numbers. The best case scenario is that you're part of a brilliantly written, produced, and performed piece of work that speaks to everyone in the world that everybody sees that makes you rich, but the gulf between that ideal and not getting anything of merit done at all is vast and deep and skews largely towards the latter. And despite each of us rightly knowing we are the geniusest, it's very difficult to do a project of any significant scale without collaborating with other people who also will have their own genius to impart. There will be overlap, but no one will get everything exactly the way they want it and the audience's reception is always the ultimate judge anyway. The product you make is not actually for your own use and when it's ready, that project will be over. Perhaps unique to theater and film is that as soon as you get really good at a project, you stop doing it and move on the next one. And there's always a next one. All you can do is keep the quality of your work high and keep learning and networking.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Responsible-Careers---Want-Better-Answers--Change-Your-Questions-/45491.htmlTue, 22 Feb 2011 13:38:07 GMTMrim Boutla Responsible careers are growing. These careers focus on getting business done better in terms of social equity and environmental sustainability. As emerging professionals or established professionals contemplating a career switch, you might be seeking the career that will enable you to bring your values and skills to work for a decent salary. You have heard the old saying 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' so you have done your best to network and get career advice from current or new c Read Full Article ]]> Responsible careers are growing. These careers focus on getting business done better in terms of social equity and environmental sustainability. As emerging professionals or established professionals contemplating a career switch, you might be seeking the career that will enable you to bring your values and skills to work for a decent salary. You have heard the old saying 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' so you have done your best to network and get career advice from current or new contacts. However, thus far, none of that has been helpful in helping you identify the types of careers that would be a best fit for you. What else can you do?One of the first things I would recommend is for you to revisit how you ask your questions and to whom you ask your questions. Lucky you, there is lots of help out there for you to learn how to formulate questions to get the information you need more easily and quickly. One of the best methods I have come across in my career has been developed by Dr. Marilee Adams, author of 'Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 10 Powerful Tolls for Life and Work'. Dr. Adams also founded the Inquiry Institute and has been helping emerging and established leaders increase their productivity and career advancement through her 'question thinking' approach. This approach has been successfully used by business leaders at Fortune 100 companies, as well as by students and emerging professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Dr. Adams is currently facilitating a conversation about how teachers and educators in the US can use her 'Questions Thinking' method to reinvent K-12 education in the US. For more information about upcoming programs and discussions, see the Inquiry Institute website.Let's take an example of how Dr. Adams approach can help you with your responsible career questions: Imagine you are an MBA candidate in your last semester of business school, and you know you want to leverage your business toolbox to help people in developing countries. You meet a new contact at a Net Impact Networking Night on campus and you ask her: 'I am interested in international development, do you know anyone who works in international development?' Classic case of a question that is too broad for the good of this MBA candidate. Maybe the new contact knows nobody in international development. Or the new contact knows over 50 people who have had some international development experience as professionals or volunteers. Based on how the question is formulated through, the new contact will be hard pressed to share relevant contacts with this student. What could the student have done instead? Let's revisit his questions through some of the tools offered by Dr. Adams' 'Question Thinking' method:Question Thinking Insight #1 - Adopt a learning mindset - Consider your question from the observer's perspective. Would you be able to address it? The broader the question, the less you will be able to address it. Instead, start thinking about very specific and concrete preferences. For example: 'I have been inspired by the progress made in maternal health through the MDGs, and would love to contribute to this cause in developing countries, preferably in South Africa or in Sierra Leone, do you know any one that has experience in this field or in these countries that I could contact'? Chances are that the person might have a contact in maternal health, or a contact who worked in one of the countries you mentioned, or who works in prochoice movement for the poor in the US. No matter the first contacts you receive they will bring you closer and closer to contacts that will have all the characteristics you are seeking. By starting with a very specific and concrete aim, you will jog the memory of people you talk to in a much more productive manner, and this will lead you to better and better contacts (as well as to learn about career opportunities that you might not have considered otherwise).Question Thinking Insight #2 - Question assumptions - When making career decisions, we can all suffer from the consequences of making assumptions based on false or incomplete information. For example, we hear all the time that working for good means working paycheck to paycheck. However, in international development as in other occupations, salary will depend on the occupation you choose, the skills it requires, the size of the organization, and the location where you work. When looking at careers, be sure to ground your assumptions in facts that you gather through research (and not through what one person tells you about a career). Look at salary reports for the organization you are interested in on glassdoor.com, indeed.com or using relocation converters so that you can see what the cost of living will be in your target city before making a decision on whether a career will (or not) be a viable option given your financial obligations.Question Thinking Insight #3 - Keep your own mindset in check - It's easier to fade into inertia than to keep a disciplined approach to your responsible career search. The more you find out about other career options, the more you might be scared to switch careers because of the assumptions you might be making in terms of how that career change will negatively impact your salary, your reputation as a knowledgeable contributor, and most importantly your relationships with your loved ones. For example, you might assume that your mom is going to have a nervous breakdown if you share with her that you want to pursue a career in maternal health in Africa. But if you come to her with a clear plan on how you will do so, which salary ranges are associated with these opportunities, and who you have been in touch to make this plan a reality, she might be more amenable to support you in the next stage of your career development. Making sure to ask yourself about what you are trying to avoid and what you are afraid of will tremendously help you design and implement strategies that will lead you to overcome these assumptions and move towards a career that successfully blends financial return with social impact and environmental responsibility.Overall, Dr. Adams' Question Thinking method will help you adopt a learner mindset, questions assumptions and emerge as the committed and grit-filled professional that you will need to be to get business done better!Photo Credit.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Kevin-Kirshner-Talks-About-What-it-Takes-to-Run-a-Wholesome--Indie-Granola-Business/45353.htmlSun, 20 Feb 2011 21:39:16 GMTMrim Boutla It takes a certain kind of person to whip up a good granola recipe and decide to take on the market at large. Kevin Kirshner is one of those rare types. In this interview, he openly discusses the challenges and rewards of producing and marketing Berkshire Grain, and how he expects environmental changes to affect the industry in the future.How long have you owned your own business? What came before Berkshire Grain?Berkshire Grain was started in Spring of 2008, and prior to this I had another busi Read Full Article ]]> It takes a certain kind of person to whip up a good granola recipe and decide to take on the market at large. Kevin Kirshner is one of those rare types. In this interview, he openly discusses the challenges and rewards of producing and marketing Berkshire Grain, and how he expects environmental changes to affect the industry in the future.How long have you owned your own business? What came before Berkshire Grain?Berkshire Grain was started in Spring of 2008, and prior to this I had another business, Forerunner Promotions, that specialized in temporary staffing of models, live performers, actors and actresses, and even stay at home moms for outsourced marketing assignments.Tell me a bit about how Berkshire Grain came about?Even before Forerunner, I had another natural food company called Happy Heart Foods. We produced granolas and decadent vegan desserts. So, about 15 years ago I had first met my current business partner Sandy Montag, who discovered and fell in love with our granola while at Canyon Ranch Spa in Lenox, MA. He loved it so much he used to order it direct and in bulk every few months. Sandy did that faithfully for several years until I got out of the granola business, which I thought at the time was for good. Over a five year period Sandy would call me every now and again looking for his favorite Cinnamon Toast Granola. Occasionally if I had some granola around for my own personal consumption I would oblige him and send some. Then in early 2008 Sandy called and we got to talking and I was about to tell him there was no granola and there would never be anymore granola, but then I switched conversations and shared with him details of a project my wife Barbara was involved in called Doggity's Diner. Doggity was a children's entertainment project that was attempting to deal with good lifestyle choices and food, as 'edu-tainment'. Sandy is a senior manager at a very large and well known media company - and I asked him if he would be interested in taking a look at the project. As we continued our conversation about edu-tainment, it became increasingly clear that we were both passionate about diet and excercise. We decided to work together on a healthy granola recipe - just as a part time thing - and here we are now. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience that I am sure will continue to grow.What are some of the challenges, both of being a business owner, and of the food industry in particular?The food business is one of the most competitive industries. Just think of all the choices we have in all our markets.Distribution and sales are probably the two most difficult things I deal with at Berkshire Grain. As a new, young brand, the challenge is to find outlets for our products and to connect with consumers who become repeat customers. Berkshire Grain relies on a contract manufacturer for our production needs, however there is constant monitoring and communication that goes into that operation side. Negotiating with vendors, government compliance issues, marketing and sales are some of the other areas that are always in need of attention.Another challenge all entrepreneurs face is how to keep from wearing too many hats. It's essential to build relationships that allow you to be the conductor, rather than to do each job, and to find people or vendors that share your ideals.Did the global financial crisis make things especially difficult? How did you cope?In 2008 it couldn't have been a worst time to start a new business. However, since our venture has been partner funded and not reliant on financial institutions, all it required was for us to move forward slower than we would have liked.Globally though, the food industry is under siege right now due to fires, severe weather and environmental conditions that are causing financial pressures in all commodity food groups.It is too soon to tell how long these conditions will prevail, or whether these current conditions will snowball. Right now the western countries have plentiful food supplies - and we do grains, seeds and nuts from the USA - but we live and operate in a global economy. The value of our commodities are impacted by world supply. In the future, I expect to see some erosion in food supply and a rise in prices. Food companies will react by re-formulating products in order to maintain a reliable supply at affordable prices.What is your typical day like?Most days run 10-12 hours. There are no 9-5 type days.The typical day? There is no typical day. As a young company, my schedule may start out dealing with problems in manufacturing, checking in with our sales team, and finish with customer calls. Yesterday began at 7 a.m. on the road, and through the miracle of wireless phone service I spent the next 2 hours making a variety of phone calls as if i were still in my office.My first actual destination was with one of our largest customers to discuss a new private label product for their stores. Since I was in a particular area where one of our smaller customers was located, I chose to hand deliver a case of granola to them and meet the owner.These face to face meetings always prove to invaluable and almost always lead to something positive. By making this effort, I learned of plans to open a new location and an opportunity for Berkshire Grain to do something to be part of the opening.I stopped into two schools as well, sinceBerkshire Grain is embarking on a very special effort to offer our products to school systems and fulfill one of our missions to become part of the solution and fight against poor nutrition and childhood obesity.The rest of my day was filled with visiting with store owners and managers. I returned home at 7pm, some 250 miles later.Who is involved in the Berkshire Grain team? How many people does it actually take to make this sort of business happen?It takes hundreds of people. However all of our people work in virtual, freelance environments. Key people include: manufacturing staff, packaging vendor, graphic designer, writers, sales staff and distribution staff. We run a very lean business without any full time employees and find it easier to hire freelancers to do various jobs on an as-needed basis. Like any scenario, it has some advantages, which is to keep our overhead low and free of lots of other government compliance labor issues, and expenses.Do you find that social media makes a difference in your marketing strategy, or is it simply a matter of getting your goods onto the shelves at major grocery stores?The answer is all of the above. Of course it is getting your products onto shelves whether it be at a retailer, a restaurant, a school or corporate cafeteria - it all starts with moving product out of our warehouse where they can be consumed and enjoyed. Social media definitely makes a huge difference in the types of communication you can achieve with customers and in getting messages out.What advice would you give to others who are entertaining the idea of starting their own company within the food products sector?ReadFrom Kitchen to Market - it is an excellent primer. And interview lots of people, everyone from store owners to other business owners.Photo credit: Berkshire Grain]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Haralee-Weintraub--A-Socially-Responsible--Entrepreneurial-Success-Story/45245.htmlSat, 19 Feb 2011 18:03:24 GMTMrim Boutla After a sweaty battle with cancer, Haralee Weintraub ditched a great, stable career and started a company that produces sleepwear and pillowcases made from Wicking fabrics - the kind of material from which sports clothing is often made. Wicking fabrics drawperspiration away from the body to the fabric where it evaporates quickly, making it an ideal material not just for athletes, but for anyone who is has a high internal thermostat and wants to get a decent night's rest in something that will ke Read Full Article ]]> After a sweaty battle with cancer, Haralee Weintraub ditched a great, stable career and started a company that produces sleepwear and pillowcases made from Wicking fabrics - the kind of material from which sports clothing is often made. Wicking fabrics drawperspiration away from the body to the fabric where it evaporates quickly, making it an ideal material not just for athletes, but for anyone who is has a high internal thermostat and wants to get a decent night's rest in something that will keep them comfortably dry and cool. It's a simple concept, brilliant concept. Below is an interview with Haralee about how she got started and how she has managed to get through the global financial crisis while operating a socially responsible business that produces garments in the United States whilst many of her competitors are cutting costs by outsourcing the production overseas.Tell me about your transition from pharmaceutical representative to entrepreneur. What were some of the challenges, rewards, and how long did it take to get things rolling?I had a great career with Fortune 100 and 500 companies in sales, marketing, and management. In 2002 when I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer from a routine check-up, I started working part time and re-evaluating my career goals and path. One of the side effects from my cancer treatments was drenching night sweats. I was familiar from the slopes and the trails of wicking clothing but I could not find anything comfortable for sleep. I recognized this as a need for many women, cancer patients, menopausal women, side effects from various medications, all causing women to be robbed of a good night sleep. I knew I could make a product that would-be a solution to this problem. In the fall of 2004 I launched my company, Haralee.com.It took me close to 2 years to get my company started. Sourcing raw goods, manufacturing and design and keeping it all in the USA was a big challenge. I am committed to employing businesses in the USA and as more textile companies move off shore the challenges are ongoing.How did you cope with the global financial crisis? Did it change the way in which you'll do business in the long-term?The retail business is all about Christmas sales. November and December sales are double and triple of every other month of the year. When the stock market plummeted in October 2008, we just saw our Christmas sales dwindle. We had already committed to our production run so we were heavy on inventory. 2009 was a rough year also, but we did see a glimmer of rebound. We reduced our inventory and new product introductions. We reduced our raw good buys and negotiated more with our vendors. 2010 was the light at the end of the tunnel from the global crisis. Customers came back!We market our products as a problem solver solution item, not just a fashion item. Consumers are still employing caution in their buying habits and we try to give them reasons to shop with us. Besides being made in the USA, we give a portion of every sale to breast cancer research. One in eight women in the USA will have breast cancer in her lifetime. With such horrendous statistics few people are not touched by the disease, and buying from a customer that gives back makes sense.Congratulations on winning theUS Commerce Association Best of Portland 2009 Award. I understand this award is given to businesses that have achieved exceptional marketing success. What are the key marketing strategies that you attribute to this?We won that award in 2009 and 2010. We also won an award from StartUpNation.com in 2009. The awards give us some validity and generate more awareness for our company. It is a marketing waterfall; the awards and recognition all contribute to positive awareness about the company.Being an on line company, we have to get customers to our web site and then stop to shop and buy. I re-post my blog on various sites for brand recognition.Contests and reviews and giveaway blogshave gained popularity in the last 18 months. I have tried a few and some have been more successful than others.I advertise on Google and Facebook. Facebook has been a pleasant surprise for my demographics.Where do you see the business in 10 years time?I see Haralee.com in 10 years as the premeire wicking sleepwear company for women.Do you have any advice for other entrepreneurs who are interested in the clothing industry?The clothing industry is difficult if you want to stay in the USA and sustain the US economy and the employment of your friends and neighbors by giving them a living wage.Recently, the cotton industry has suffered a world wide crop failure which will result in higher prices for cotton clothing.Many companies are going to even cheaper production countries.The bottom line for other entrepreneursis to reach out to the consumer and ask them to use their buying power with a social conscious. An entrepreneur can not compete with the costs or retails of a Walmart, but there are millions of shoppers willing to support a new designer or line if the quality and flair is there!Photo credit: Haralee Weintraub, by Mariane]]>http://www.justmeans.com/2011-Good-Jobs-Green-Jobs-Conference--Career-Insights---Part-3-of-4/44900.htmlThu, 17 Feb 2011 04:00:20 GMTMrim Boutla In this series, we are focusing on the career insights that emerged from the 2011 Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference that took place last week in DC. Our first insights emerged from the vast diversity of organizations and perspectives present at the conference. Representatives from unions to nonprofits to government agencies to big and small businesses were present to share information and find common ground around creating well-paying US-bsed jobs by finding opportunities to accelerate the growth Read Full Article ]]> In this series, we are focusing on the career insights that emerged from the 2011 Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference that took place last week in DC. Our first insights emerged from the vast diversity of organizations and perspectives present at the conference. Representatives from unions to nonprofits to government agencies to big and small businesses were present to share information and find common ground around creating well-paying US-bsed jobs by finding opportunities to accelerate the growth of the Green Economy. In the second part of these series, we focused on how educators are combining classroom teaching with experiential learning for workers at all levels of the green ladder.To facilitate this conversation, the 2011 Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference featured a session titled 'The Role of Business in Building a Just, Vibrant, and Sustainable Economy'. This session moderated by Richard Eidlin (from the American Sustainable Business Council) included remarks from 4 panelists from a variety of backgrounds: Jeffrey Hollender (Co-Founder of Seventh Generation), Frank Knapp (President of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce), Jill Harris (CFO of the Social Enterprise Alliance), and Vince Siciliano (President and CEO of New Resource Bank). Here are 3 career insights that emerged from the conversation:Career Insight #1 - The 'Business Community' is not monolithic - All panelists, but especially Frank Knapp were very insightful in terms of how to approach this issue. As citizens and responsible professionals, we must go beyond that the 'business community' is a single voice. Let's face it, the loudest voice of the business community is that of traditional businesses that use their deep pockets to lobby politicians into creating and maintaining the best policies for them. The US Chamber of Commerce is pretending to represent all businesses, but does little to go beyond the usual rhetoric of 'cut our taxes, we'll create jobs'. This common belief has shown to be false. Indeed, despite the highest profits on records posted by big companies for Q42010, US jobs are not being created. We must educate politicians and the public, and help them understand that the true business community, the one that truly creates jobs is that of small business owners. This point was also re-emphasized by Vince Siciliano, the CEO of New Resource Bank, which offer banking services akin to those of big banks, but lends money to values-driven entities that create a better world. The Obama administration has understood that and is trying to increase the visibility of smaller businesses through its Startup America Partnership. A key career insight here is that looking at smaller to medium size businesses seems to be a much better way to build a responsible career. See also a previous post on where to find these responsible jobs across sectors.Career Insight #2 - Wider gap between rich and poor in the US is the result of the current public policy ecosystem - Jeffrey Hollender made a strong statement about the fact that the current US policies are doing what they are supposed to be doing - Create a system that concentrate wealth and help richer people get richer. Both in business and in politics, a winner take all approach is predominant. Building upon career insight #1 about moving past the business community as a single entity, Hollender and other business leaders are contributing to the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), a coalition of business owners that is dedicated to 'advance public policies that ensure a vibrant, just, and sustainable economy'. Even more encouraging, 35 representatives of ASBC, including partners, business supporters, and allies met with Secretary of Labor Solis and six members of her senior staff the day after the panel. These ASBC supporters that came to DC to speak to Secretary Solis included Ben Cohen, Jerry Greenfield (both of Ben & Jerry's), and Dal LaMagna (IceStone). This meeting further reinforces the idea that the Obama administration team is clearly paying attention and wants to amplify the voices of smaller businesses (i.e. the ones that are most likely to continuecreating the lion share of livable wage jobs in the US).Career Insight #3 - Social innovation transcends sectors - Jill Harris from the Social Enterprise Alliance emphasized that social innovation occurs across sectors. Indeed, whether a social enterprise is set up as a nonprofit or as a business, they all use market-driven approaches to eradicate a social issue. One of the most famous social enterprise model is microfinance. By lending money to the poorest of the poor, microfinance institutions have developed profitable entities while enabling their clients to lift themselves out of poverty. Other social enterprises that focus on building employment opportunities for vulnerable workers include, Harbor City Services in Baltimore, MD. This nonprofit organization offers fee-based services, including warehousing, shredding, & moving services to customers. They do so while creating vocational opportunities, treatments & supports for workers, who are recovering from mental illness & substance abuse. Good responsible jobs can be found in social enterprises that operate across sectors, either as businesses, nonprofits, or hybrids.Overall, this panel and the follow up meeting with Secretary of Labor Solis bring to the forefront that responsible job creation is not generated by traditional businesses. Instead, responsible job creation is fueled by small to medium size businesses, nonprofits, and hybrids that truly operate to provide services and products while creating livable wage jobs and preserving our environment. Think about that when looking for your next good job!Photo Credit.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/2011-Good-Job-Green-Jobs-Conference--Career-Insights---Part-2-of-4/44510.htmlTue, 15 Feb 2011 04:00:19 GMTMrim Boutla The 2011 Good Jobs Green Jobs (GJGJ) Conference provided a wealth of career insights for workers from all backgrounds and levels of education. These insights are applicable to all professionals, whether they are at the bottom of the American Pyramid or whether they have MBAs or PhDs.During the sessions I attended, I was amazed and inspired by the success stories I heard. There are many dedicated professionals and educators that are building (and growing) programs designed to prepare professional Read Full Article ]]> The 2011 Good Jobs Green Jobs (GJGJ) Conference provided a wealth of career insights for workers from all backgrounds and levels of education. These insights are applicable to all professionals, whether they are at the bottom of the American Pyramid or whether they have MBAs or PhDs.During the sessions I attended, I was amazed and inspired by the success stories I heard. There are many dedicated professionals and educators that are building (and growing) programs designed to prepare professionals from low-income and at-risk populations for good paying green jobs. These success stories are geared towards professionals with little education, but many of the insights shared during these sessions apply to any professionals dedicated to getting business done better:Career Insight #1: Transferable skills are a key to success - From conversations on how to train at-risk youth through apprenticeships to debates on how to combine education at community colleges with experiential learning with partner organizations, one career insight remains constant across approaches: Students need to understand that what they are learning and know how to do in one context can be transferred to another context. These transferrable knowledge and skills are key for workers to advance their careers and climb the green ladder no matter where they start. This point was made very clearly by two panelists at the 'Partnerships and Pathways: Keys to Success in Regional Green Jobs Training and Placement' (namelyCathy Melvin from the Central Arizona Area Governments, and Jan Lepore-Jentleson from the East End Community Services). These remarks were also made during a session titled 'Pathways to Somewhere: Linking Educational Pathways, Apprenticeships Pathways and Demand Creation Strategies'. Both Sammy ChuSammy Chu (Director, Long Island Green Homes Program for the Town of Babylon), andJeff Grabelsky (Director of the Cornell University Construction Industry Program) underscored the importance of transferrable skills in career advancement in the construction industry. Being able to articulate one's transferrable skills is a key to successfor graduates from a pre-apprenticeship program, community college graduates, liberal art graduates from an Ivy League school, MBA students as well as for PhD candidates that do not want to pursue an academic career. For all hiring managers, past performance predicts future performance. Hence, no matter where you come from, you must be able to translate your past experience, skills, knowledge and education into winning statements that will help you convince your future employer of the value you can add.Career Insight #2: Knowledge and practice go hand in hand - Sitting in a classroom listening to stories about how to do something is not akin to being able to do it yourself. For example, attending a course on the different welding techniques and tools will do little to guarantee that students in the course will be good welders at graduation. Similarly, sitting through an accounting course focused on different accounting techniques and regulations will do little to guarantee that students in the course will be able to enter a single accounting line when starting out at a firm. Many programs have understood this point, and are integrating practice within their curriculum to make sure that graduates are ready to add value to firms from day one. Some examples of such programs for Americans at the bottom of the Pyramid include the stackable programs offered at theLos Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC). Other success stories include RichmondBUILD, which receives financial support by the EPA Brownfields Job Training Program. This green job training program recruits mainly ex-gang members in LA, and teach them the knowledge and skills they need to compete for well-paying green jobs. Their placement rate is 91%, with an average starting salary of $18.33. The combination of classroom knowledge and built-in practical projects to apply that knowledge gives the best of both worlds. Of course, many MBA programs use the case method extensively, but these nice finite projects still feel quite abstract to many students who know they don't have to live the consequences of the recommendations they make during their case comp presentations. Classroom learning combined with internships, apprenticeships, or free lance work are best to help professionals get the knowledge and experience they need to be competitive on the job market (and effective once hired).Whatever level of education or background you come from, you need to be able to articulate your transferable skills, as well as combine knowledge with practice in order for you to be able to kickstart or advance in your green career trajectory. What other career insights have you gathered through the 2011 GJGJ Conference?Photo Credit.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Shifting-From-Corporate-to-Nonprofit--Things-to-Consider/44460.htmlSun, 13 Feb 2011 06:00:53 GMTMrim Boutla Fantasizing about a meaningful career at a nonprofit is standard fair for employees whose corporate monkey suit is beginning to rub them the wrong way. Before doing anything rash though, consider the following:SizeNonprofits are a diverse lot. The sector is made up of public, private and government organizations that range in size from one to tens of thousands. Money and OpportunityNonprofits are not around to make money, they are out to serve a purpose. But they often require money, and it's a Read Full Article ]]> Fantasizing about a meaningful career at a nonprofit is standard fair for employees whose corporate monkey suit is beginning to rub them the wrong way. Before doing anything rash though, consider the following:SizeNonprofits are a diverse lot. The sector is made up of public, private and government organizations that range in size from one to tens of thousands. Money and OpportunityNonprofits are not around to make money, they are out to serve a purpose. But they often require money, and it's a mistake to think that money doesn't matter, or isn't a major source of concern. Many of the larger, successful nonprofits do indeed operate like corporations, so if you're after a corporate environment with a cause at the bottom line, check out larger and long-standing organizations. The NonProfit Times Top 100 Largest Nonprofits is a good place to start.If you prefer a smaller organization where you're likely to have more opportunities to be involved with the mission at the nitty-gritty, ground level, be prepared to sacrifice a heft pay check, predictable raises, over-time pay, job security, and little luxuries like gym memberships. The average nonprofit worker's salary is 49k. For a more specific breakdown, see Simply Hired.People Your boss(es): Nonprofits are generally governed by a board. Research the board members, find out if they're active or if they're simply figure-head fillers, and review the annual report.Your clients: Nonprofits serve a range of "clients". Perhaps it's your community, children in a far off developing nation with frightening diseases, or maybe the organization was developed to serve a niche group in need - like freelance writers without health insurance. Think about who you want to work with and be honest about your expectations. Do you want to be able to network with the people you serve? Do you want to travel internationally and broaden your view of the world? Do you want to be active within your community? Don't just sign up to serve anyone. Choose your nonprofit as if you were choosing a partner.Colleagues: Though people who work in nonprofits are often more passionate about their careers than the typical corporate cubicle-mate, don't be fooled: nonprofits are rife with office politics, gossip, and drama too.Once you consider the above, it ought to be fairly clear whether you ought to probe deeper into nonprofit career opportunities, or if you're better off keeping your corporate gig and volunteering on the week-ends.Photo credit: Amnesty International]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Spotlight-on-Environmental-Science-Consultants/44405.htmlSat, 12 Feb 2011 06:00:48 GMTMrim Boutla Hazardous waste management, ecosystem restoration, product development, land use and urban planning are just a few examples of government and private industry challenges in which an environmental science consultant's professional advice would be required. This position is a good match for the the teamwork-oriented, ultra-organized, eco-minded person with a science background who is also capable of responding to problems while at the same time predicting potential future troubles and taking all o Read Full Article ]]> Hazardous waste management, ecosystem restoration, product development, land use and urban planning are just a few examples of government and private industry challenges in which an environmental science consultant's professional advice would be required. This position is a good match for the the teamwork-oriented, ultra-organized, eco-minded person with a science background who is also capable of responding to problems while at the same time predicting potential future troubles and taking all of that into account when proposing new strategies. Was that a run-on sentence? Well, it's that sort of job, but it does have its rewards. If that description sounds like you, and if you're willing to offer your services for an average annual wage of around $65k, then the following practicalities may be of interest.According to College Toolkit, the need for environmental science consultants is projected to increase by 28% by 2018. This may be attributed to a number of factors - here are the top three:1. Rapid population growth. Plain and simple: more people = more stress on the environment.2. While disaster management has been the norm, the new trend in strategic prevention will be a large and on-going contributor to the continued growth of the environmental science/consultancy sector.3. A heightened, global consciousness of pressing environmental issues has lead to demands for increased governmental regulations on a large, international scale. That means tighter industry standards, both at home and abroad. For instance, these days it is not nearly as easy (nor as kosher) to send non-compliant projects overseas as it once was. These new and widespread industry reforms will require major shifts both in the manner in which businesses operate and the way in which many produce their goods. This, in turn, will also result in an increased demand for environmental science consultants - particularly within within the private sector.Scientists who go down the environmental consulting path can expect to working with teams of engineers in addition to bureaucratic and corporate administrative staff. Be prepared to wear multiple hats and risk the development of a personality disorder.The takeaway: Environmental Science Consultants are in demand, play an important role in society, and are paid a liveable wage.Photo credit: Ground Report]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Get-Ready-for-Earth-Hour-2011/44216.htmlFri, 11 Feb 2011 06:00:09 GMTMrim Boutla It's time for companies to gear up for powering down. Earth Hour 2011 will take place on March 26 from 8:30 - 9:30 pm (local times, respectively). The initiative began as an idea promoted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (better known as WWF) and the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007 via a simple request that individuals and businesses alike turn off all non-essential lights and other electric devices for one hour. The result was staggering. More than two million Sydney residents participated, brin Read Full Article ]]> It's time for companies to gear up for powering down. Earth Hour 2011 will take place on March 26 from 8:30 - 9:30 pm (local times, respectively). The initiative began as an idea promoted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (better known as WWF) and the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007 via a simple request that individuals and businesses alike turn off all non-essential lights and other electric devices for one hour. The result was staggering. More than two million Sydney residents participated, bringing world-wide attention to the project.Earth Hour has since been embraced by more one hundred countries. In 2009 and 2010, buildings and homes from the Sin City to the Forbidden City collaborated in this movement to recognize the importance of taking care of our planet.Even a multitude of television and radio stations participated. Last year, National Georgraphic Channel Asia suspended its broadcasting for the entire hour, as did Vietnam's FBNC channel and the Philippinno ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation cable news channel ANC. For more information about how your company can support Earth Hour, see this pdf, or visit the Web site for more general details about the initiative.Photo credit: Earth Hour logo]]>http://www.justmeans.com/2011-Good-Job-Green-Jobs-Conference--Career-Insights---Part-1-of-4/44361.htmlThu, 10 Feb 2011 22:29:51 GMTMrim Boutla This week, lots of great responsible career insights were shared at the 3rd Good Jobs Green Jobs (GJGJ) Conference in Washington, DC. The GJGJ Conference is a unique conference created by the BlueGreen Alliance, 'a national, strategic partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy'. This alliance between environmental activists and unions workers is really at the center of what the global socio-eco innov Read Full Article ]]> This week, lots of great responsible career insights were shared at the 3rd Good Jobs Green Jobs (GJGJ) Conference in Washington, DC. The GJGJ Conference is a unique conference created by the BlueGreen Alliance, 'a national, strategic partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy'. This alliance between environmental activists and unions workers is really at the center of what the global socio-eco innovation movement aims at accomplishing: getting business done better by advocating for the growth of jobs that pay employees livable wage (not minimal wage) while creating operational practices across sectors that are environmentally sustainable.Launched in 2008, the GJGJ Conference has grown to over 2,000 participants this year. Most amazing at this conference is the consistency of career insights coming from such a variety of participants' backgrounds. Participants and presenters came from unions, nonprofits, academia, government agencies, workforce investment boards, small businesses, social enterprises, and big companies. During the 3 day conference, concurrent sessions focused on topics that included 'Business, Investment, and New Markets, Workforce', 'Economic Development and Youth Education', 'Emerging Green Sectors: Recycling, Chemicals, Water, Agriculture, and Other Growing Industries', 'State and Local Initiatives and Partnerships', as well as 'Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency'. The goal of the conference was to facilitate the emergence of shared goals that can lead to partnerships, shared resources, and common ground among participants. These shared interests and common grounds can of course lead to collective action and pressure on legislators to change laws to create an environment that will force (big) businesses to get business done better. In the US, where wealth concentration and economic disparities are increasing, it is central to have this cross-sector dialogue taking place. But who were some of the organizations in attendance?Unions came in large numbers, including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, United Steelworkers, the Service Employees International Union, the Laborers' International Union of North America, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Utility Workers Union of America, the American Federation of Teachers, the Amalgamated Transit Union, the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association, the United Auto Workers and the United Food and Commercial Workers. Together, these unions represent over 15 million workers in the US and globally.Nonprofits represented at the conference included the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Sustainable Business Council, Wider Opportunities for Women, the US Climate Action Network, the Solar Energy Industries Association, the Social Enterprise Alliance, the National Youth Employment Coalition, and theNational Wildlife Federation.Federal, state and local government agencies represented at the conference included the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, the Department of Transportation, the U.S. Green Building Council, the City of Philadelphia, the City of Pittsburgh, the National Association of State Energy Officials, and the DC Office of Planning.Big and small companies represented at the GJGJ Conference included Alcoa, ArcelorMittal, AT&T, Aztec Solar Power, Byrum and Fisk Communications, General Motors, Honeywell, Hydro-Stop, Phillips Lighting, and Seventh Generation.Seeing people from such varied background debate important issues of economic, social, and environmental justice is amazingly invigorating. Furthermore, the GJGJ Conference further shows that responsible careers can be found at all levels of the corporate, union, nonprofit or government career advancement ladder. Career insights were provided for workers at all levels of organizations. Examples included public/private partnerships built around programs teaching high school drop out youth to deconstruct houses, government funding projects to build high speed trains or building smart grid technology, or founders of successful socially responsible businesses advocating for changes public policy to redistribute wealth. Leveraging the well-known 'power in numbers' tool, the GJGJ Conference provides a convening event where professionals from a variety of backgrounds find common ground around social and environmental justice, and can build coalitions that can lead to real change when it comes to getting business done better.In my next posts, I will share some of the key career insights I gathered at some of the GJGJ Conference sessions!Photo Credit.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Twitter-s-San-Francisco-Shenanigans/44202.htmlWed, 09 Feb 2011 06:30:55 GMTMrim Boutla Twitter is threatening to move its headquarters from San Francisco to Brisbane unless they receive a significant payroll tax exemption that would put a $250,000 cap on the company's future tax bills.Twitter currently employs approximately 350 people and has plans to double in size over the next few years. The company is also investigating office space on Ninth and Market streets, an area of of San Francisco that could certainly use the financial perks. Not surprisingly, city officials are under Read Full Article ]]> Twitter is threatening to move its headquarters from San Francisco to Brisbane unless they receive a significant payroll tax exemption that would put a $250,000 cap on the company's future tax bills.Twitter currently employs approximately 350 people and has plans to double in size over the next few years. The company is also investigating office space on Ninth and Market streets, an area of of San Francisco that could certainly use the financial perks. Not surprisingly, city officials are under pressure. Here's the schtick:Payroll tax is confidential, but the San Francisco Bay Guardian (online edition) surmises that the tax break would not amount to much. If the 350 employees are paid an average of 70k per year, then the 1.5% tax amounts to a mere $294,000 - meaning that if the company does double in size, Twitter stands to save about $300,000 a year. This is not a lot in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps it's not about money after all, especially considering that, from a legal standpoint, the city can't just give a tax cut to Twitter - they would have to revise tax laws that cover the entire zone at the very least. If such a law were passed, it would benefit large companies, rather than the smaller ones who are more likely to require financial assistance. I, for one, would not hedge my bets on the passage of such a law. Not in San Francisco anyway.It's not surprising that headlines in San Francisco are screaming blackmail, but what is surprising is that such a ridiculous idea (if it is indeed as simple as it is laid out to be in the press) is being entertained and debated. A accusation of blackmail is bad press, obviously, and even more so considering Twitter's efforts to appear to be a socially responsible company (or at least the PR department's efforts to build a socially responsible looking facade). It is equally strange that Twitter would waste its time with an attempt to blackmail the city for so little return on their efforts. Besides those niggling PR issues, there are a number of practical, operational issues to consider. For instance, if Twitter is going to remain a competitive employer that attracts the best techie minds on offer, relocating to Brisbane is not a good strategy. But Twitter know that, surely. The question, therefore, is not whether the city should give in to Twitter's demands, but rather, what is actually going on behind the scenes. Photo Credit: Flickr]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Cure-Your-Career-Funk--Build-Your-Responsible-Career-/43979.htmlTue, 08 Feb 2011 04:00:18 GMTMrim Boutla In the last few years, the goal for many people was straightforward: Keep your job! In the toughest economic climate of our generation, securing or keeping a job with benefits was the main pre-occupation for emerging and established professionals. However, and at the same time, keeping your job came with a big cost: you were asked to do more with less again and again, with little recognition for your contributions (and probably no raises for the past couple of years). Fortunately, 2011 might mar Read Full Article ]]> In the last few years, the goal for many people was straightforward: Keep your job! In the toughest economic climate of our generation, securing or keeping a job with benefits was the main pre-occupation for emerging and established professionals. However, and at the same time, keeping your job came with a big cost: you were asked to do more with less again and again, with little recognition for your contributions (and probably no raises for the past couple of years). Fortunately, 2011 might mark the end of the employment funk at the marco level. With job growth in socially responsible businesses, social enterprises and select nonprofits raising, it might be your time to start taking steps towards aligning your values with your paycheck!Responsible careers are a growing trend: Professionals want careers that successfully blend financial return with social impact and environmental responsibility. However, as many aspiring socio-eco innovators, you might feel that you are facing the classic catch 22 of a career switch. If you want to join an existing socially responsible business (or work for a nonprofit), you might get discouraged because you feel you don't have the experience or education required on the job postings you find online.The good news is that in today's digital world, there are numerous ways to gain the experience you need to reach your responsible career goals. Here are three ways to gain experience without changing what you are currently doing to generate your income:Responsible Career Tip #1: Volunteer Your Time And Expertise - Whether your are an operations coordinator wanting to flex your marketing muscles, or a financial analyst wanting to participate in strategic planning, volunteering can provide you with the skills you need to get closer to your responsible career goals. Platforms such as the HandsOn Network, VolunteerMatch, Idealist.org or Sparked.com will provide you with opportunities to volunteer for or serve on the board of social enterprises and nonprofits that align with your values. Volunteering is key to demonstrate your passion for causes you care about. Indeed, a 2009 survey by Idealist.org shows that nonprofit hiring managers favor candidates that have been volunteering at their organizations, or at organizations that have similar goals when selecting candidates for interviews. Therefore, documenting that you have contributed your time and knowledge to make a difference in one or two causes you care about will be a tremendous asset to your future applications for both nonprofit and social enterprise jobs.Responsible Career Tip #2: Leverage Online Education - In today's digital world, you don't have to leave your job to get a quality education. In addition to part-time and weekend programs, you also have a growing set of online options that will enable you to learn the frameworks, best practices, and skills that you need to contribute to the causes you care about. This trend is confirmed by the 2009 Online Nation report issued by Sloan-C, an MIT-based consortium of institutions that measure the quality of online education. A 17% increase in students attending at least one course online was observed between the fall of 2007 and the fall of 2008. In the fall of 2008, over 4.6 million students were attending at least one online course. Importantly, this 17% growth rate in online learning participation was far beyond the 1.2% growth observed in the overall enrollment in more traditional higher education options. Certificate programs in Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, or nonprofit management are significantly growing as well, which means you don't have to leave your job to get the education you need to build your responsible career.Responsible Career Tip #3: Freelance Your Way to Your New Responsible Career - Surveys indicate that in 2011, companies are consideringhiring for contract work and freelance opportunities rather than for full-time positions. Indeed, surveys from Business News Daily, DominionBusinessCenter.com, and GlobeTask.com showed that 34% of employer respondents percent intended to hire temporary or contract workers in 2011. Furthermore,39 percent of respondents stated that they plan to hire their full-time employees from their pool of contract or temporary workers. Given this trend, packaging your skills and expertise to get freelance work with your social enterprises or nonprofit of interest might lead to you find your next full-time opportunity.The Post-Great Recession Era has been dubbed the 'gig' economy. In this new gig economy, it is central for you to put your time, knowledge (and money) towards causes you believe in. Through the contacts you will make and the experience you will gain, you will not only get out of your current career funk. You will also build your credibility as a responsible professional dedicated to aligning your values with your paycheck.Photo Credit.]]>