Greener pastures for job seekers

For the past seven years that he held a corporate job at DuPont, Clarence Chaplin, now 60, felt something wasn't right. When the company "right sized" his position after 32 years, he left -- no regrets -- and entered the green economy.

The St. Paul man had long since taken steps toward reducing his impact on the environment: recycling, persuading DuPont to downsize his company car, conserving energy at home with a new boiler and insulation. He learned about green jobs, read "Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life," and worked with explorer and climate change educator Will Steger. Today, Chaplin considers his exit from DuPont a blessing.

"I have a deep passion in knowing that what I'm doing is really connected with my values," Chaplin said.

Whether for ethical reasons or to pursue a new career, a growing number of Twin Cities professionals are leaving corporate jobs for green jobs. But information about such jobs is spotty, and the meaning of "green" is open to interpretation. In addition, green-job seekers worry about landing at "greenwashing" companies that fail to back up their sustainability claims.

Because of the demand for information, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development began putting together a survey of the state's green economy this summer and took a stab at defining a green job: "Green employment are those jobs with firms that create renewable energy, firms that create a product or service that lessens energy use or emissions, firms involved in environmental remediation and firms that rely upon recycled materials as a manufacturing input."

"Since it was not measured, we wanted to really take a look at where this industry is going," said Kirsten Morell, spokeswoman for the department. "The trick really was to define it. We're ahead of the curve on this compared to other states ... to actually get that definition out."

The department hopes to release the results of its survey by the end of the year.

The jobs are out there, but it's not always obvious where or in what way they are green. When WomenVenture hosted Barbara Parks in July, the self-described green career coach discussed the challenges of defining and finding green jobs.

About 30 women at the meeting watched as Parks unraveled a list (almost touching the floor) of career fields, some surprising, that include green or "sustainable" jobs. Air quality, ecotourism, alternative health practices, bird-watching, asbestos removal, mass transit and waste management dotted the list.

Paula Gilbertson, 46, of Minneapolis, is looking to re-enter the green field after taking a break from natural food co-op work. She spent the summer with her daughter and "gardened like a maniac," but is back to exploring and networking all over again in the quest for fulfilling work.

"There's gotten to be so many [companies] into it now, which is a good thing, but I'm a little bit cautious," Gilbertson said. "I want to make sure they're in it for the long haul."

Gilbertson has a system for exploring the green job market: First, she finds a business that seems ethical and learns more. Next, she combs the Web. Then she networks at green socializing events such as WomenVenture and the Eco Experience at the State Fair.

He even paid his own way for a tour of sustainable municipalities in Sweden in May and will fly to Kenya in September for more training. Chaplin spoke about the green church movement Aug. 13 at Twin Cities Green Drinks, a social meet-up for green career veterans and hopefuls at rotating restaurant venues.

'I had to make my fit'

"We get electricians, lawyers, vermaculturists [worm composters], permaculture people [proponents of perennial agriculture and natural ecology], people who are totally new to green, ravenous activists and just barely 'olive greens,'" said Wendy Jedlicka, chapter chair for o2USA, the founding group for Twin Cities Green Drinks.

For Sue Budd, 50, of St. Louis Park, working green meant choosing a corporate social responsibility position with IBM, where she tries to put her values to work within the company. She also volunteers with nonprofit groups for neighborhood cleanup and planting projects. But Budd wants to go beyond volunteering, and into profitable green endeavors.

"It's an industry in its infancy," she said. "Being in a learning mode is probably a necessary piece to growing with it. But learning how to think about it profitably ... that's my initiative."

"To find my fit, I had to make my fit," Rose said. "It's very fulfilling and I like learning every day about these great new projects."

Many career jumpers agree: That sense of fulfillment is very real in the green economy.

"It is what people are looking for," Gilbertson said. "It is very enriching."