Resume Builder Can Help You Go Green

If you're one of the many Americans interested in a green-collar job, using the best free resume builder (Click here) can help transform your resume so it's more attractive to green employers.

There has been a big push on the green industry as of late, both to help citizens and companies become more environmentally-friendly, and because the initiative will help create millions of jobs for out-of-work Americans.

"Sustainability is a competitive advantage in the marketplace," Dedee DeLongpre Johnston, director of sustainability at Wake Forest University, said. "College graduates entering the job market this year will definitely have an edge if they have developed sustainability-related skill sets."

This is where the use of a free resume builder can come in handy. A good free resume builder will offer you many templates and format options, so you can creatively convey the fact that you're seeking a green job and have experience in the industry. (And if you're truly green-minded, avoiding paper resumes is another plus).

When it comes to putting that resume into effect, it's important for job seekers to keep in mind that a green job doesn't necessarily mean one with "sustainability" or "environment" in the title, and that green jobs aren't limited to those installing solar panels or weatherizing houses.

Instead, there are green jobs available in nearly every industry - from marketing to publishing to accounting to finance. That means having practical experience and skills in the green industry can make a difference when applying for jobs.

"Sustainability is a way of thinking," DeLongpre Johnston notes. "And, that way of thinking has value across the job market. Experience and knowledge tied to sustainability will make this year's job hunters stronger candidates."

Students can get ahead of the game by nabbing an internship focused on sustainability. These types of internships are invaluable, because they help students show employers they can solve problems.

In addition, the ability to integrate sustainability into a career also helps students who are passionate about a greener world align their passions and talents with their work.

"Eventually, sustainability will be woven seamlessly into the fabric of society," DeLongpre Johnston notes, adding that just as word processing and Web proficiency is now expected in the workplace, understanding sustainability principles and how to apply them will become a basic expectation of employers in the future.

Pittsburgh Job Growth in Film Industry

Anyone looking for a Pittsburgh job should consider the city's motion picture and television industry.

The Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board recently released a study highlighting the strength and impact of the motion picture and television industry in Pennsylvania.

The study found the state's film production tax credit, which goes to films that spend 60 percent of production costs in Pennsylvania, helps to create high paying jobs and support current job gains.

"This study shows the strength of the motion picture and television industry in Pennsylvania and its ability to create high paying jobs, even in difficult times," TRWIB CEO Stefani Pashman said. "This data reinforces the need to retain the film production tax credit, a tax incentive that has given our state a distinct competitive advantage.

"In 2008 alone, the motion picture and television industry employed over 15,000 workers with wages that average $85,500 in Philadelphia and $67,200 in Pittsburgh," she continued. "At a time when jobs are being lost, we cannot afford to let go of this tax credit and damage a growing industry cluster. Without the film industry tax credit, Pennsylvania will lose high paying jobs, and the opportunity to bring high profile projects to Pennsylvania."

The study further found:

• The motion picture and television industry in Pennsylvania currently ranks sixth in the nation with 2.5 percent of the national motion picture and video employment.
• According to the latest data available, there were 799 motion picture and television industry establishments in the state in 2007. These establishments created 9,785 jobs and generated $613 million in payroll.
• Motion picture and television industry wages have grown annually by 2.1 percent as compared to 1.5 percent in the private sector. The average annual wage in the industry is relatively high at $66,676 and in the motion picture and video production sector alone, there was a 17 percent increase in employment and a 38 percent increase in wages.
• The production sector reported a marked increase in the number of workers between 2001 and 2008 growing by 44 percent and adding 1,482 workers making it the sector with the largest workforce.
• There were about 15,180 workers who held a motion picture and television industry job for at least one quarter or more during 2008 in Pennsylvania.
• When not working in the motion picture and television industry, workers were employed in a variety of other industries. A large number of workers are recorded as being employed by Temporary Help Services and Payroll Services. For example, Entertainment Partners, a major film industry payroll service, reports that they paid over $25 million in wages to Pennsylvania residents in FY 06. This amount jumped to over $75 million in FY 08. These employees are not counted in the employment and wage data for motion picture and television production but as payroll service employment.
• The motion picture and television industry in Pennsylvania is concentrated in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. These two regions accounted for 64 percent of the industry jobs. Both metro regions experienced jobs gains: Pittsburgh gained 576 jobs or 40 percent of the industry-wide growth and Philadelphia added 193 jobs, or 6 percent since 2001. Average annual wages in these two regions were higher than in other regions: $85,500 in Philadelphia and $67,200 in Pittsburgh.
• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth forecast for motion picture and television industry occupations is strong. These include multimedia artists, animators and audio and video equipment technicians.
• Pennsylvania has at least 70 post secondary institutions including community colleges, public and private colleges and universities and certificate programs that offer courses in motion picture and video production and related subjects such as technical theater.
• Pennsylvania has a growing Career and Technical Education initiative at the high school level “Arts, A/V Technology and Communications” that includes printing and graphic communications as well as film/video/cinema production. Approximately 74 schools offer approved instructional programs.

Los Angeles Hotel Jobs

There are many choices for those seeking Los Angeles hotel jobs.

There are many different types of hotels and other accommodations, but hotels and motels make up the majority of establishments in the industry. The different types of hotels include: full-service, limited-service, extended-stay, casino, conference, resort and all-suite.

Other entities, such as bed-and-breakfasts, RV parks, campgrounds, rooming and boarding houses, guest houses and youth hostels, are often included in the hotels and other accommodations industry.

Service occupations account for nearly two-thirds of the hotels and other accommodations industry, which also includes office and administrative support occupations; management, business and financial operations occupations; and other occupations.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry provided 1.9 million jobs throughout America during 2008. Hotels usually employ many young workers and first-time job holders for part-time and seasonal jobs, with 19 percent of workers younger than 25-years old during 2008.

Nationwide, employment in the industry is expected to increase by 5 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is lower than the 11 percent growth rate projected for all industries. The majority of new job openings will be full-service hotels.

Although there are many hotels throughout Los Angeles, providing many job opportunities, employment has declined somewhat during the economic downturn.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area's leisure and hospitality industry employed 371,900 workers during January, according to the BLS. This is down from 377,700 workers during December 2009 and a 2.8 percent decrease from last year.

There are many hotels to choose from if you're looking for a hotel job in the Los Angeles area. Because the area is such a popular tourist destination and is home to several events, hotels are abundant. Here is a list of the most popular hotels from 10Best:

1. Mondrian in Hollywood
2. Best Western Norwalk Inn
3. The Ambrose in Santa Monica
4. The Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey
5. AAE LAX Econo Airport Hotel in Los Angeles
6. Comfort Inn Hollywood/Universal
7. Econo Lodge West Hollywood
8. Safari Inn in Burbank
9. Vagabond Inn Glendale
10. Vagabond Inn Los Angeles-USC

City of Orlando Jobs in Tourism

A new statewide effort to support tourism will help preserve and create City of Orlando jobs.

Gov. Charlie Crist recently announced that Florida is relaunching its "Share a Little Sunshine" campaign in an effort to strengthen the state's economy and encourage people to visit.

"I invite all Floridians to 'Share a Little Sunshine,' and encourage their out-of-state friends and family to visit the Sunshine State," Crist said. "Together we can let the world know how great Florida truly is, and help keep our state's world-class restaurants, resorts, parks, and attractions strong."

Orlando is well known for its tourist attractions, which include: Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and The Holy Land Experience. The city also has the second-largest number of hotel rooms in the nation, behind only Las Vegas, and is one of the busiest cities for conferences and conventions.

During 2008, a total of 48,888,000 people visited Orlando, according to the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Unfortunately, that number was expected to decrease by 9.4 percent to 44.3 million visitors during December 2009, mainly because of the economic downturn.

Overall, Florida's tourism industry employs more than 1 million people and generates 21 percent of the state's total sales tax revenue. During 2008, the tourism industry contributed $3.9 billion in tax revenue and $65.2 billion in direct economic impact.

As part of the campaign, residents can log onto the Share a Little Sunshine Web site and select one of several free video invitations or custom e-mail postcards to send to friends and family. Each invitation includes information about special destination offers.

The campaign also is being spread through: the Florida Association of Broadcasters, Florida Outdoor Advertising Association, Florida Cable Telecommunications Association, Governor's Office of Film and Entertainment, Florida Lottery, Florida Attractions Association, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Florida State Parks, Facebook and Twitter.

Like to Cook? Get a job in a great place!

As like years past, there are a plethora of cooking jobs available on CoolWorks.com. I say pick your spot and apply. Here are some fantastic options:

Assistant Cook at Camp Baco in The Adirondack Mountains
Minerva, New York

Cook at The Village at North Fork, Inc. midway between Yellowstone and Glacier on scenic Hwy. 93
North Fork, Idaho

Sous Chef at the Iroquois Hotel on Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island, Michigan

Assistant Chef at Crystal Creek Lodge
King Salmon, Alaska

Fry Cook with Yellowstone General Stores
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Cook with Chisos Mountain Lodge
Big Bend National Park, Texas

Line Cooks with Catalina Island Resort Services
Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California

Chef with Camp Menominee in the beautiful Northwoods
Eagle River, Wisconsin

Baker with Stehekin Pastry Company at the head of Lake Chelan
Stehekin, Washington

Deli-Cook with Stehekin Pastry Company in the North Cascades
Stehekin, Washington

Cook at Ring Lake Ranch, at retreat center in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness
Wind River Mountains of Wyoming

Line Cooks with Club Getaway in the Berkshires
Kent, Connecticut

Baker / Assistant Baker with Club Getaway
Kent, Connecticut

Chef with Red Horse Mountain Ranch
Idaho

So where do you want to go? : )

Found: My Herd

This week we did a podcast on Blog Talk Radio that was all about the job seeker. Our goal with the show was to get our "tribe" to talk to one another, ask questions, get answers and share experiences. I think for round one, we succeeded.

My favorite line from the might was when Mindy said that through her seasonal jobs in Alaska, she finally "found her herd." She found her people. She found folks that got her and she got them. What a gift to be where you belong.

That kind of story just makes me smile, especially in this day and age where there are so many false expectations that to be successful, one has to climb the corporate ladder, make a lot of money, live in a big city, and so on, and so on. That may be true for some, but certainly not for all. Everyone needs to find out for themselves what is right for them.

Our belief at Cool Works is that life changing and satisfying experiences can be found in a summer job in a great place. Perhaps that summer job may lead to a full-time career. Perhaps it will only be one summer in a long life of doing other things. Perhaps it may be the best thing that person ever does. Perhaps not. But, no matter the experience, good or bad, or otherwise, it takes guts to try and be out of one's comfort zone, trusting that all experiences will benefit whichever path one takes.

So to you, the reader, what are you going to do this summer? Is a summer job in your future?

Jobs in Texas Get Funding to Go Green

Funding for green training will ultimately result in the creation of jobs in Texas.

Officials recently announced that the State of Texas will receive $4.8 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to train workers to fill jobs in the renewable energy industry. The funding will be used under the Central Texas plan, which is meant to create a thriving green energy economy throughout the central portion of the state.

Overall, about 1,000 workers will be trained on how to install solar panels at solar power plants in Austin and San Antonio. The training will be offered through the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee.

The JATC is sponsored by the Central Texas Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association and the IBEW Local Union Number 520, a branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

IBEW will offer the apprenticeships in conjunction with the Austin Workforce Investment Board, which operates through the Department of Labor, and ImagineSolar LLC, which offers solar consulting and training services.

The money given to Central Texas is part of $100 million in federal funding for green jobs training that will be distributed to 25 entities throughout the nation that offer the most potential for using renewable energy skills or have suffered the greatest economic impact.

Other locations are receiving awards that amount to anywhere from $1.4 million to $5 million. Some of those locations include: $5 million to the State of Massachusetts; $3.87 million to the State of Washington; $3.2 million to the State of Missouri; $4.99 million to the AFL-CIO Utility Workers Union of America in California and Massachusetts; and $5 million to the Blue Green Alliance of Minnesota.

Non Profit Jobs in Houston for the Holiday Season

Many people like to volunteer during the holiday season, whether it's because they have a specific organization they like to work with or because they simply want to give something back.

Especially now, when many people are out of work and looking for ways to fill their free time, volunteering can offer a fun and rewarding experience. Fortunately, many non profit jobs in Houston are opening up for the holidays.

While most companies are offering positions on a strictly volunteer basis, one organization is planning to pay its workers. The Salvation Army is struggling to find people willing to serve as bell ringers, those cheery people who collect donations in red kettles that you always see outside of stores this time of year.

In Houston, the Salvation Army is hoping to hire 80 people. The organization will pay its volunteers $7.25 per hour and in addition is offering bonuses for to the bell ringers who collect the most donations.

Part of the reason the Salvation Army is looking to hire more bell ringers is that the organization saw its 2007 to 2008 fiscal year intake decrease by 12 percent. On top of that, red kettle donations decreased by 17 percent, so the company is hoping that hiring motivated volunteers will help bring in more money for the needy.

In addition to bell ringers, the Salvation Army also is looking for volunteers to help with the organization's Angel Tree Program, which collects gifts for needy families to put under their Christmas trees.

Unfortunately, donations for this program are at the lowest level in years, while the need for donated gifts is much higher. So far, about 30,000 families have registered for the program, which is a 20 percent increase from last year.

Several other organizations are hiring workers on an unpaid, volunteer basis for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

The City Wide Club of America is looking for volunteers for the Houston Big Feast to serve shifts as short as one hour between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving day. Volunteers will help with setup, serving dinner, waiting tables and cleanup.

The YMCA of Greater Houston is looking for volunteers for the Jingle Bell run and Walk, to take place on December 13. Volunteers will help with setup, registration, course monitoring and staffing water stations.

Jobs At San Diego Green Companies

If you're looking to get in on the ground floor of the emerging "green collar" movement, there are plenty of available jobs at San Diego companies that support the up-and-coming green industry.

A green job has become known as one that benefits the environment and the worker involved. In California, green jobs have been more readily available in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, mainly because those areas received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for large-scale green projects.

However, San Diego is not far behind. Here is a list of companies doing their part to further the green movement, as compiled by the San Diego News Network:

• CleanTECH San Diego - This company recently played a large part in securing $154 million in federal bond financing for San Diego County through the Clean Renewable Energy Bonds program. The funding will be used to finance solar installations. There are currently financing opportunities for 192 projects for public facilities, which will create hundreds of green jobs.
• San Diego Workforce Partnership - This company has partnered with the California Community College District and other public colleges to develop green training certification programs.
• San Diego Gas & Electric - This company recently received $28.1 million in federal stimulus funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to install wireless smart grid communication devices. The company estimates upcoming projects will help create 100 jobs in the area.
• U.S. Navy - This organization has set aside $4.1 billion for green infrastructure projects throughout the San Diego area.
• U.S. Department of Energy - This organization has issued a total of $28 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding throughout San Diego County.
• MAAC Project - This company works to connect job seekers with entry level jobs in weatherization.

In addition, there has been increased investment in local algae-based alternative fuel companies, including Synthetic Genomics and HR BioPetroleum, as well as investment in Achates Power, Inc. and Advanced Telemetry, all of which have helped to create job opportunities.

Students Farming for Internships

The number of students looking for internships that allow them to sit around all day in an air conditioned office may surprise you. Recent consensus shows that many more students are trying to find internships doing green work or work on a farm.

These students may be onto something. Not only are they more likely to learn something if they're doing work out in the field, literally, but Fast Company recently reported that farming will be the hottest green job during the next 10 years.

A recent article by The New York Times reported that the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service found that 1,400 farms were seeking interns this year, almost three times as many as two years ago. The NSAIS is financed by the Department of Agriculture.

And not all students opting for farm internships are agricultural majors hoping for an opportunity with one of the nation's large conventional farms. Instead, most are studying a variety of majors and are more interested in internships at smaller organic and sustainable farms.

The Sustainable Farming Internships and Apprenticeships Database, which is run by the NSAIS, is a good place to see what kind of farming internships are being offered. As of today, the database has 93 pages full of available internships throughout different states.

For instance, Hay Creek Stock Farm in Sebeka, Minn. is looking for one intern at their 160-acre farm. The intern will gain skills in animal husbandry, pasture management, organic vegetable production and direct marketing. The internship runs through Sept. 15.

Lavender Hills Farm in Vashon, Wash., also is hiring an intern to work on a 1/2-acre lavendar farm and garden and live with the farm's owners and their two children. This internship lasts from July 1 to August 15.

Flat Creek Lodge in Swainsboro, Ga. and Charis Eco-Farm in Staunton, Va. also are seeking interns.