It's Labor Day on Monday and that got me thinking about the illusive promise of green jobs. Everyone seems to want one, but no one seems to be able to find one. Having written, "Green Your Work", I get calls weekly, asking if I know of any available green jobs. Recently, a national television producer who wanted to do a story showing people doing green jobs contacted me; I wasn't sure where to send them.

The truth is that real green jobs are most often unexciting typical office or service jobs woven into the fabric of a traditional law firm or a restaurant. They don't scream "GREEN JOB" and they probably don't get any kind of public funding or tax breaks for the greening that they are doing. It is simply a worker who has taken on the responsibility to green their area of control in an organization.

So, if you are in pursuit of the GJ and currently employed, know that you can make your own job green by changing a few simple things. If you are looking for a job, let interviewers know that you have an interest in helping them find the resource and cost savings through greening. It may be the trait that sets you apart.

Here are some tips to get you started. These suggestions don't necessarily require buy-in from higher ups and most also apply to a home office:

Practice energy management -- Optimizing the energy settings for your computer and other electronics can be more than a modest energy saver. Set computers to energy-saving settings so they automatically use less energy if you are not using it.

Turn off your computer/screen/printer when not in use overnight - Computers left on unintentionally overnight can eat up $100/year in cost and the corresponding amount in electricity. Use a power strip, so you can easily turn it off each night before you leave.

Request dual monitors for your computer -- It is easy and relatively inexpensive to hook up two monitors to your computer. Your productivity will increase because you can research a topic or read from one screen and make edits to related document on another without printing which means that you reduce your toner, paper use and become more efficient.

Take online classes whenever possible -- Instead of spending time to get to a class that will hone your skills, find out if there is an online class or webinar option. This will avoid the time, gas and emissions of travel.

Choose green office supplies -- Post consumer content recycled paper and envelopes that have been processed and colored using eco-friendly methods. Pens and pencils can also be made of recycled materials, and refillable pens and markers are preferable to disposable ones. Recycling printer cartridges is often free, and recycled replacements are cheaper than new ones.

Print emails only when necessary – Some of us have a habit of printing every email whether we need to or not. Have a "Think before you print" closing sentence on emails.

Store information digitally on your computer rather than in paper files -- Paper comes from a valuable resource, is expensive to store (compared to computer file space) and expensive to move at the price of a stamp (compared to email which is much less expensive).

Choose to make copies on both sides rather than only one -- The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 pieces of paper a year. Making a simple choice to "duplex", when you are copying or printing, can save 35-40% of the paper that you use.

Start a carpooling network in the office or ask if you can get a discounted mass transit card -- Start by asking around to see if anyone else lives near you and wants to share a commute. Post an online sign up sheet for others that may want to car pool with you or form their own commute group.

Start a bike to work day once a month -- Biking is becoming a more popular way to get to work. You will use no gas, have no emissions and be getting some good exercise.

Turn out your light whenever you leave your Office -- We do this at home but often don't think of it when we are in another setting. Start a new trend by having a lights out policy when you are out for more than a few minutes or have enough daylight to work.

Don't wear fragrance or heavily scented products. One person's perfume can be another's poison. Strong smelling fragrance or personal care products can disrupt indoor air quality and even cause illness in sensitive individuals.

Choose office plants that clean the air – The right plants in the office can add color and life to a sterile room or cubicle while they're cleaning the air. Spider plants are one of the best indoor air cleaners and azaleas can remove toxic chemicals and perfume the office. A note of caution: over-watering any plant can cause mold growth and create an unhealthy situation so hydrate plants with care.

Sign up for a crop share from a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with a co-worker -- You will get a bushel basket of fresh local and organic ingredients each week that will be plenty for 2 families.

Start an Eco Lunch group -- Get other green co-workers together for a once a month lunch group. Go out to a restaurant that serves sustainable food and discuss how you can get more people actively involved in greening your workplace.

Start a renegade-recycling group. If there isn't a recycling program in your workplace, ask your boss if you can go through garbage at workstations and in offices to collect recyclables like cans, bottles, newpapers and magazines. Once a week take them to a neighborhood drop off. Organize the same for electronics or hazardous waste like paints and toxic cleaning products.