Climate Technology

A Spat on the Back

California governator at odds with biz lobby over plan to cut CO2 Arnold Schwarzenegger’s til-now cozy relationship with the California Chamber of Commerce has hit turbulence over the Republican governator’s […]

Eco-friendly furniture meets the cubicle culture

The email query came not from you, dear reader, but from a staffer at the Mothership: “Grist is moving offices this spring, and we’re looking into environmentally friendly office furniture,” […]

Repent, Ye Synners

Shady synfuel industry making billions off tax-credit loophole A budget bill currently being hashed out in Congress may help a few dozen coal plants continue to get filthy rich off […]

Ethanol is suddenly all the rage in D.C. and Detroit

It’s as befuddling to see the “Live Green, Go Yellow” slogan splashed across the General Motors ads running throughout the Olympics as it was to hear the term “switchgrass” uttered […]

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Remunerate

Eco-entrepreneurs pay people to recycle What’s the best way to get people to recycle? Same way you get them to do anything: pay them for it. Patrick FitzGerald and Ron […]

Career Window

Advice on taking the first step toward a new eco-career Looking for a job is a daunting task, and just about everyone — from life coaches to library books to […]

Advice on making the move to a new eco-career

As director of program development at The Environmental Careers Organization, Kevin Doyle knows a thing or two about job searching. In a new column for Grist, he'll explore the green job market and offer advice to eco-job-seekers looking to jumpstart their careers.

February is National Mentoring Month. Aren't you psyched? No? Well, consider this column a shout-out to mentors everywhere. If you've had a good mentor in the past, or if you have one right now, celebrate February by calling that person just to say "thank you." (And call your mother, too. She's worried about you.)

In this column, I want to focus on the biggest of big pictures and share three pieces of strategic wisdom I've stolen over the years from people who are a lot wiser and smarter than me.

Just get started!

Take a look at any book about jobs and careers. Inevitably, you'll find the same rigid list of action steps buried in the text. Strip away the detail, and the strategy usually looks something like this: Know yourself (your skills, your preferences, your values, your astrological sign, Chinese New Year animal ...) and understand "your industry" (job titles, public and private employers, salary levels, important trends). Have a plan and develop a vision of your ideal job. Get needed degrees, certifications, and experience, and master the basic job search skills (résumés, interviews, cover letters). Build a good reputation, and develop and maintain a strong career network.

That's a lot of work! Where does one even start? Truth is, it doesn't matter where you start. Trust me on this. Before you're done, reality will force you to deal with all of the career components above. If you're listening to your life at all, each situation will practically scream a good next step in your ear.

So, if you're the planning type, go ahead and plan. If you're a doer, jump right in. If you derive power and energy from self-reflection, by all means, go ahead and gaze at that navel. The important thing is to get started.

Royaling for a Fight

Oil and gas companies set to receive $7 billion taxpayer windfall To supplement their already record-breaking profits, oil companies are set to receive around $7 billion in royalty relief over […]

What green looks like to the world’s emerging economies

Give a child a hammer, they say, and everything is seen as a nail — or at least in need of a good pounding. Likewise, give an environmentalist a brush […]

But Kermit Said …

Japan rules, U.S. drools in new list of greenest vehicles An annual list of the world’s greenest cars placed the top American car at an impressive, uh, No. 10, while […]