9 Tips for Writing a Great Green Résumé
Posted September 9th, 2013
If you are hoping to transition into a green career or you are looking for a green job, you will need to revamp your résumé. Your résumé is more than just a listing of your accomplishments and work experience; it is what determines whether a hiring manager or a recruiter offers you an interview. There are tons of general tips and tricks on how to develop a powerful résumé, including:
- Customize your résumé for each and every job you apply to
- When describing your qualifications, use the same words and phrases that are used in the job description.
- If you lack job-specific experience, highlight any/all relevant volunteer work
- Leverage your cover letter to stress what you have learned through your formal and informal education.
You should follow all these general tips; however, your résumé needs to also highlight your “greenness” if you want to capture the attention of the hiring manager at a green business. So, if you need to specifically need to develop a green résumé, here are 5 more tips to focus on as well:
- Gain a working knowledge of the green industry you want to enter. You must incorporate appropriate industry-relevant terminology into your résumé and use that terminology correctly. If you are not sure the difference between recycling and precycling, do a little research. It is critical that you frame your accomplishments in a way that aligns with your new industry rather than your original industry.
- Do not assume that certain skill sets are not valid. Think a bit outside the box in order to make the case on how your skills match the requirements of the job you are applying for. Most green businesses are reluctant to specific designate skills as “green skills”. To them, the skills are simply what is needed to do the job.
- Embed evidence of the training you have taken. For example, highlight any green-related certifications you have. With all other certifications, present them in a way that they make the case on how they would benefit the company. Elements of all certifications can be put into a green context.
- Prove you generally care about the planet. If you must print a paper résumé, use recycled paper. If you have been involved in environmental causes in the past, include them. Green employers want to know that you practice what you preach….not just pursue a paycheck.
- If you know someone who currently works in a green job, have him/her read your résumé to make sure that it makes sense and that the lingo/jargon is appropriate.
One final tip is to locate recruiters who specialize in engaging talent for green businesses. These companies, like Bayside Solutions, can provide a vast amount of information to help you stand out from the crowd. With their help, you can create a great green résumé – one that will help you land an interview. So, if you are looking for a green staffing agency near San Francisco, contact us today to learn more. If you are looking for green jobs in California, contact Bayside Solutions today.
