The Best Green Jobs

As a young professional, my job not only excites me but I also feel grateful. I (like many of you) know friends and family members getting ready to enter the work force, getting laid off, or searching for a job. Either of the three can be daunting, but don't have to be ridden with despair.

I recently stumbled upon Fast Company's article on Ten Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade and thought each one to be relevant as they fill a legitimate need. So considering a job change? Looking to sustain our environment? You might want to think twice about these positions...

Photo Credit: Fenner School of Environment

Farmer: Related careers: urban gardener; farmers market and CSA coordinator; artisanal cheesemakers; and other food producers.

Forrester: Companies/organizations: "The Nature Conservancy; New Forests Inc."

Solar Power Installer: Companies: "Akeena Solar; Sungevity; Sunpower; Full list at SEIA.org."

Energy Efficiency Builder: Schools: "Arizona State University School of Architecture: Energy Performance Climate-Responsive Architecture; University of Michigan: Alfred A. Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning; The Earth Institute at Columbia University."

Wind Turbine Fabricator: "According to the American Wind Energy Association, the industry currently employs some 50,000 Americans and added 10,000 new jobs in 2007."

Conservation Biologist: Schools: "Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington and the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University. At the small College of the Atlantic every student gets his or her degree in human ecology; it's been called the most sustainable college or university in the world."

Green MBA and entrepreneur (a personal favorite): Schools: "Stanford School of Business; San Francisco's Presidio School of Management; Leeds School of Business; University of Colorado at Boulder -- Deming Center for Entrepreneurship; the Bainbridge Graduate Institute in Wash."

Recycler: Companies: "Rumpke; Greenstar North America."

Sustainability Systems Developer: Companies: "IBM, V2Green, WindLogics."

Urban Planner: Schools: "Penn Institute for Urban Research; Harvard: Department of Urban Planning and Design; Portland State University: Nohad A Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning."