Advice for Newcomers

As mentioned already, the need to fill thousands of positions in sustainable and renewable energy industries does not mean that standards will be relaxed when it comes to filling those positions. Many jobs will require graduate level study and advanced degrees. If you haven't worked extensively in the field of sustainable energy, you'll want to highlight your educational exploits over your experience.

Place the education section of your resume ahead of your work experience, and be specific when listing the courses you have taken or are currently completing that are relevant to renewable energy and the environment. In place of experience, recruiters want to see that you are taking (or have taken) courses related to the environment.

Recruiters are also looking for graduates with a sense of real concern for the environment. If you aren't involved in extra-curricular activities, get involved and highlight those activities in the education and training section of your resume.

As a newcomer, you are going to lack relevant work experience and professional training that recruiters are looking for in applicants. This means that your education and training section needs to sparkle. List your educational achievements in reverse chronological order and explain how those course modules have provided you with the environmental policy, legislation, and managements systems knowledge you need to succeed.

Last but not least, keep your resume short. A good resume for those with less field experience and more educational accomplishments should be no more than two pages.

General Advice

The rush to fill the ever-expanding number of roles in the sustainable energy field doesn't mean that recruiters are going to relax the standards for landing a job in the industry. There are thousands of applicants vying for thousands of jobs, but don't expect to get a job just because there are more openings than applicants to fill them.

Recruiters in sustainable energy roles are looking, first and foremost, for the right people to fill each role. There are three major factors your CV will need to cover to attract their attention. For starters, sustainable energy firms want individuals with the proper qualifications and/or training to fill these highly specialized, and often technical, jobs. Secondly, they will want to read about your skills and experience that specifically apply to the sustainable energy field.

Last, but certainly not least, recruiters want to see that you have a demonstrable interest in the field of sustainable energy, renewable energy sources, and the environment. If you've volunteered with environmental groups and organisations, attended lectures on environmental topics, or taken extensive coursework in the field you need to make that clear on your CV.

There are all sorts of job boards that you can utilize to find jobs in this area. Here's one great catch-all:

http://www.greenjobs.net/

What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy, or clean of even green energy as it is sometimes called is naturally replenished energy generated from natural resources-such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat - which are renewable. Renewable energy technologies (also sometimes referred to as cleantech) include solar power, wind energy, hydro, wave, tidal, biomass and biofuels.

Climate change concerns coupled with high oil prices, peak oil and increasing government support around the world are driving increasing renewable energy legislation, incentives and commercialization.

Low Carbon Economy

Political leaders around the world have recognized the need to shift towards a 'low carbon economy' based on sustainable and reduced energy use, stimulating economic growth and creating millions of 'green collar jobs' across the globe.

Carbon Emissions

European Union leaders reached an agreement in principle in March 2007 that 20 percent of their nations' energy should be produced from renewable fuels by 2020, as part of the EU drive to cut emissions of carbon dioxide.

In the United States President Obama committed to ensuring that 10 percent of all electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.

In their first 'Carbon Budget' delivered in 2009, the UK increased their carbon reduction target to 34% by 2020.

What sorts of companies operate within renewable energy?

There are a huge number of growing businesses at every stage of the renewable energy supply chain including those involved in the exploration and development of alternative energy sources, businesses involved in the generation of renewable energy and those developing and implementing technologies related to energy delivery & infrastructure as well as consumption and increased energy efficiency.

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