What Exactly Is a Green-Collar Job

What Exactly Is a Green-Collar JobWhat Exactly Is a Green-Collar JobIts a hot buzzword, but whats a real green-collar job?In the heart of this recession, with unemployment soaring and traditional jobs being exported overseas, the hot buzzword in the careers arena is green. Green-collar jobs are being talked about everywhere.The current administration is hoping that the emergence of green jobs will be a major economic stimulus. But is the hype over green jobs creating false hope with unrealistic expectations?Lets examine that question from four different points of view.1. EntrepreneurGayle Oliver-Plath, founder/CEO of CareerEco, a green job-search community, looks at green jobs as any positions that can help reverse negative environmental impact or provide environmental sustainability.2. CorporationFor corporate management, a very pragmatic overview of green jobs, products and services is that they should be focused on providing effective performance while reducing or reversing ecolog ical impact, sustaining the environment and maximizing the productive and responsible use of natural resources.3. GovernmentVP Joe Bidens task force identifies green jobs on whitehouse.gov in this way Green jobs are jobs that provide products and services which use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, conserve energy and natural resources and reconstitute waste.4. AuthorCarol McClelland, executive director of Green Career Central and author of the forthcoming book Green Careers for Dummies, goes a step further and looks at green jobs through a series of goals, which I like very much. A green jobGenerates and uses clean, renewable energy.Lowers greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.Conserves energy, water and natural resources.Minimizes and reuses waste.Decreases the use of hazardous materials as inputs and outputs.Promotes biodiversity and restore ecosystems.Remediates/reverses/minimizes human impact on the planet.I have just scratched the surface with ansicht definitions of green jobs and careers. Simply stated, however, this burst of interest underscores the fact that our nation is just beginning to define this new world and approach a consensus on what it includes. Our understanding will continue to evolve as we rapidly become more environmentally conscious.Employers lure job seekers with green idealsAccording to CareerEcos Plath, businesses must ultimately adapt to new environmental technologies and consciousness to hold the interest of job seekers, especially as the economy revives. If they do not, they will fail to be competitive in the jobs marketplace for talent that embraces sustainability. She is right on target. And this is relevant to each and every industry, not just the new, green ones.Every industry is green, not just energyAre there green job opportunities out there? You bet Most people think in terms of jobs in energy industries like biofuels, wind, solar and hydro. Without question, job opportunities exist in those industries. Howev er, just about every industry is thinking green, which opens up green jobs within those industries.Dave Sanders, managing partner of in aller herren lnder search firm WorldBridge Partners and practice leader for clean technology, said that there is an emerging need in major corporations for people who understand the business issues surrounding going green and who can help identify ways those companies can maximize profits and mitigate risks. Opportunities abound for energy-efficient data centers and lighting, and companies want to eliminate processes that waste energy. Here is just one simple example accountants. Can bean counters really be green? Absolutely With emerging emphasis and growth on cap-and-trade initiatives, there is a demand for accountants who can perform the internal environmental audits within every company and industry.The growth of green opportunities is projected to be vast. Here are a few jobs compiled by The Green Economy Post that have a green impactEmissions traderClimatologist/environmental meteorologistCorporate social responsibility professionalSolar installationGreen jobs are even expanding into state and local governments. Take a look at what The Sierra Club is doing through their Cool Cities initiatives, and consider how your role may fit into these types of initiatives.Now that you can see the opportunities in green careers, how do you transition and make yourself marketable for a green job? In next months article, we will cover all the tactics on how to land a job in the new world of green opportunities.

What Your Company Needs to Know About Automated Financial Systems

What Your Company Needs to Know About Automated Financial SystemsWhat Your Company Needs to Know About Automated Financial SystemsTechnological advances in recent years have not bypassed finance and accounting. On the contrary, theyve played a significant role in changing business dynamics.Many companies are considering a shift to automated financial systems to better handle complex processes. Automated financial systems can streamline processes, help an organization meet its overall goals, and, ultimately, save time and money.In Benchmarking the Accounting and Finance Function 2014 from Robert Half and Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF), 24 percent of U.S. executives said they use third-party software for account reconciliation, more than double the number in last years survey. An additional 16 percent of respondents said they use an internally developed tool.There are several reasons for businesses to consider switching from manual processesto an automated financial s ystem, includingNew and emerging regulationsEvolving technologyCompany growthIn general, the benefits outweigh the possible disadvantages of moving toward adopting automated financial systems.The benefitsThis type of automation can help an organizationQuickly assemble reports and balance sheetsEliminate lengthy manual reconciliation of accountsControl information flow across the companyFacilitate efficient communication between departmentsImmediately access informationFree up employees to devote more time to other tasksReduce errors due to multiple data entry pointsThe potential drawbacksBecause theyre not perfect, these systems do come with some potential downsides. These includeTime required to train management and key users on the new systemCost of system software and trainingPotential security concerns of cloud-based systems Transitioning to an automated financial systemIf youve determined that shifting to an automated financial system is the right move for your business, get s tarted with these five steps.Identify the key employees who will be involved in the transition, including those who will be trained first and those who will assist with the training.Consider which processes will be streamlined by adopting an automated financial system and which ones may still benefit from manual work.Make a rollout plan. Consider which staff members will need to take time away from their normal duties to assist with the implementation.Put your implementation plan into action. Expect some snags as employees get used to the new system, and emphasize the importance of accuracy during the transition.Continually evaluate the results of the move. Youll want to ensure that accuracy doesnt suffer while team members are still becoming comfortable with the change.Switching over to an automated financial system can yield significant benefits for your company. It also takes a measure of planning and patience as your staff learns and adjusts. Having a plan in place will help ens ure your organization benefits from the move and stays in touch with the newest technology.Has your company implemented an automated financial system? Share your experience below.

Career Profile of a Naval Aviation Ordnanceman

Career Profile of a Naval Aviation OrdnancemanCareer Profile of a Naval Aviation OrdnancemanLets be honest Without guns and missiles, theres little to differentiate military aviation from the kind of flying the rest of us are used to. And though we take for granted just how amazing it is that we can make giant tin cans fly across the world, attaching things that go BOOM to those tin cans still gives those of us with the minds of adolescent males a bit more of a thrill. After all, without weapons, Top Gun would just be - Top. Hence the need for weapons, and the sailors who maintain them on naval aircraft Aviation ordnancemen (AO). Duties and Responsibilities Lets be clear on what the Navy means by aviation ordnance Thatd be the massive machine guns, torpedoes, and mines that can be launched from any of a number of aircraft launched from ship or shore. Aviation ordnancemen are charged with counting, loading, and repairing that impressive arsenal, whether at a land-based airfield or aboard a mighty aircraft carrier. AOs may even be in charge of shipboard armories and maintaining the small guns, like pistols and rifles. (Because if you can handle a torpedo, you eat pistols for breakfast.) The Navys Enlisted Classification Manual adds that AOs can even be responsible for a variety of equipment that is very much not involved in blowing things up, but still vital to ordnance operations aboard ship, such as sprinkler systems . . . and aircraft carrier weapons elevators. Not all ordnancemen are stuck on the concrete waiting for the planes to come home, mind you. According to Navy Personnel Command, the truly qualified can earn additional flight pay by volunteering to be naval aircrew. Military Requirements As with all sailors, a high school diploma and qualifying scores on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) are required to join the aviation ordnance community. One of two tiefpunkt scores, resulting from different combinations of test categori es, are required Verbal expression, arithmetic reasoning, and auto/shop must add up to 185 or higher, or else mechanical knowledge, auto/shop, and assembling objects scores must equal at least 140. Although theyre not required to be US citizens, potential AOs must also establish themselves as trustworthy by qualifying at least for a classified security clearance level. The job may be physically demanding, but on paper, minimum physical requirements to enter the AO rating amount to little more above and beyond the basics required to enter the Navy. But the nature of the work tinkering with electronics and listening to a lot of loud noises, basically means that AOs must also have normal hearing, normal color vision, and eyesight not worse than 20/100 (and correctable to 20/20.) Education Enlistees in ordnance fall in, at first, with the rest of the sailors at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois for Navy basic training. Following induction into the sailors way of life, specific t raining begins at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, where instructors spend nine weeks preparing candidates to work with the big guns. According to the AO rating information card from Navy Credentialing Opportunities On Line (COOL), the ordinance A school covers aviation basic theory . . . and electronics troubleshooting. Graduates must also spend two to three weeks in follow-on training that prepares them for a specific assignment, either as part of a ships complement or a member of an airwing. Certifications and Career Outlook Over at Navy COOL, aviation ordnancemen can scope out several civilian-equivalent certifications for the rating, all of them eligible for financial assistance from the Navy or the GI Bill Associate Electronics TechnicianCertified Aerospace TechnicianCertified Professional LogisticianForeign Object Elimination Also, the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program allows AOs to use the on-the-job experience to earn journeyman apprenticeship s tatus as ordnance artificers, aviation ordnancemen, or armory technicians.