By Jackie Simmonds, NEJS Blog Editor

Green Jobs are of interest to many job seekers who are doing some soul searching and looking for a way to “give back”, find personal satisfaction and apply the skills they have gained during their careers.  But where are they?  And are they available for someone who doesn’t already have a Ph.D.?  I have looked for green marketing positions and have only found ones that are so technical that I am hopelessly under qualified.  How do you find a green position and make that career transition?

Although there are now more than 80 green job boards online — among them SustainableBusiness.com, EnvironmentalCareer.com, and TreeHugger – Carol McClelland Ph.D., founder and executive director of a Web site called Green Career Central says that many great opportunities can be found only through networking.  “This is even more true for green jobs because so much of the growth in the green economy now is local. It’s happening city by city, town by town,” she says. “So start or expand your green network by joining local conservation groups.” You can also find groups on LinkedIn and other online social networks that share your interest.

McClelland, who is also author of a highly useful new book, Green Careers for Dummies, says  “Major economic shifts always happen slowly. We’re moving to a new economy — what author Thomas Friedman called the Energy-Climate Economy — and it’s just getting started.” » Read more: Job Opportunities: Green Jobs, Fact or Fiction