b5media Theme Day – School’s Out! (So where can green students find green careers?)

I’ve known the end of the school year has been coming for a while – my mother-in-law is a teacher and has been counting the days to summer break.

But what if you’re a student, let’s say a graduate even, and the end of the school year has snuck up on you a little too quickly and you’re not quite sure what to do with your summer (and perhaps beyond?)

By its very nature campus live is pretty communal and self-contained and as a result, pretty easy to keep green. Most of us had Sierra Clubs right on campus (or was that just me?) and constant (heck, even nagging) reminders to recycle, reuse, don’t be wasteful. If our roommates, residential counselors and collegiate etiquette didn’t demand it, our thin pocketbooks and necessity did.

But what about now? Classes are over. You are getting ready to live on your own. How on earth do you maintain a green lifestyle without breaking your (still slim) bank? Those organic vegetables are bleeping expensive! And what about your future? How can you enter the workforce and still have an impact on the things you care about? Like the environment?

I’ve found that tons of the tips at GreenStudentU transfer well into “adult” life.  Just switch over from Green Campus to the Eco-Lifestyle section and you’re already off to a great start. There’s no shortage of websites to help you create and maintain a greener you (including, ahem, DailyTomorrow) but what about that thing you’ll be doing to make money. You know, a job….

National Geographic’s Green Guide lists job search websites that specialize in eco-conscious jobs.  They note that many universities’ career centers have added a green jobs category among their listings, and remind the recent grad (or heck, any of us, that):

if there is an organization you respect, go directly to their website to check for openings. If the positions they list don’t seem to fit your interest or experience, it never hurts to reach out anyway. Some companies may not realize they need your help until you let them know you’re interested.

While you’re browsing, it doesn’t hurt to check out sites specific to your state (or the state you’d like to be in). Several states have created websites highlighting their own green initiatives and many like Pennsylvania are trying hard to create and promote green jobs within the state.

And even if your job doesn’t focus specifically on the environment, you can still continue your green advocacy in your workplace, no matter where you are.

And you know what else? I think you need a nice new soy candle to spice up your post-school digs. Don’t you? You did enter the latest Green Giveaway, right?