As green careers continue to grow in popularity, I’m pleased to share an interview I conducted with Shari Aaron, co-author of Climb the Green Ladder: Make Your Company and Career More Sustainable.

Lindsey:  For those who don’t know, what is social entrepreneurship and the “triple bottom line”?

Shari: Sustainability, corporate social responsibility, green, and triple bottom line are all terms that refer to doing business in a way that is more sustainable.  These terms refer to taking into account the social, environmental and economic impacts of the way we do business — hence, not just a financial bottom line but a triple bottom line.

There has been a cultural shift in society’s expectations that businesses should work to protect the environment and its people.  In fact, 95 percent of CEOs report that businesses must address the social and environmental pressures of society (McKinsey & Co., July 2007) and mounting evidence shows that employees will drive companies’ efforts to address sustainability (MIT Sloan Management Review, Sept 2009).

Social entrepreneurs work both inside of companies and in their own firms to help advance a triple bottom line approach to business and society. If you utilize entrepreneurial talents inside of a company,  you can be referred to as a social intrapreneur.  The success of social intrapreneurs lies not only in their passion for sustainability, but also in their ability to translate that passion into a great pitch, a solid business plan, and positive, measurable results.

Lindsey:  Can you share some examples of sustainable businesses?

Shari: Companies like Timberland, Green Mountain Coffee, Seventh Generation, and Interface are often referred to as more sustainable businesses as they incorporate positive social and environmental practices into core business operations.  This includes reducing toxic materials, water, and waste while increasing use of renewable energy sources and recycling more materials.  Many large corporations, academic institutions, and government offices are working to increase their commitments to sustainable practices — these include such household names as Johnson & Johnson, HP, and Walmart.  Even the United States Postal Service uses soy inks in their stamps and has made commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Lindsey: What does it mean to “climb the green ladder”? What can each of us do as individuals to be more sustainable in our careers?”

Shari: There has been a circular argument about sustainability — many say corporations should green up their acts, others say governments should legislate more on these issues, and still others say that consumers should be demanding products that are more sustainable. Individuals make up all these organizations and each individual has the power and ability to make a difference, to  influence his or her workplace.  In fact, that is what has been happening as more and more employees –from all levels and from all industries — are influencing their workplaces.

“Climb The Green Ladder” refers to a new corporate ladder — one where employees bring their values to work and help their workplaces become more sustainable and profitable. It also refers to a progression and six key principles that are behind all effective sustainability strategies.  These six key principles are outlined in Climb The Green Ladder and have come from extensive research with more than 500 employees and sustainability experts.

Lindsey: What advice do you have for students and young professionals interested in launching or working for a sustainable company?

Shari: I would encourage them to consider joining organizations like New York Women Social Entrepreneurs (NYWSE) that provide a community of support, mentoring, and resources.  I also would encourage them to “get the mindset” around sustainability and to understand the issues that face society as well as to learn as much as they can about how forward-thinking companies and individuals are addressing climate change and limited resources, poverty, toxic waste, etc.  I would encourage them to read Climb The Green Ladder, in which they will learn important principles and case studies to help inspire and motivate them to action.

In addition, be sure to read a company’s and competitors’ sustainability reports and ask relevant questions on job interviews.  Seek out greener, more progressive companies and help them to grow.  Work with your colleagues and peers to bring attention to your current workplace.  Never give up — it’s too important.

Lindsey: Tell us about  your new program to help female professionals near New York City get ahead in their careers.

Shari: In order to provide women with the platform to become business leaders at their workplaces, New York Women Social Entrepreneurs (NYWSE) is launching its Emerging Sustainability Leaders (ESL) program.

As a longtime corporate sustainability professional and author of Climb the Green Ladder: Make Your Company and Career More Sustainable (Wiley), I founded the ESL program to work with women professionals in developing a business case for implementing sustainable initiatives at their workplaces. The training program will address best practices and lessons learned as well as provide an opportunity for each participant to present her business case before a panel of experts. The [triple-]bottom line: A group of well-prepared, innovative women ready to take the lead and change the way their companies do business, improving financial, social, and environmental results.

The program, which is designed for female professionals, will begin in January 2010 and take place in New York City.  For more information on the NYWSE ESL program, please see: www.bit.ly/nywse-esl.

This post originally appeared on the Lindsey Pollak Career Blog.

TAGS: career advice, environment

Another summer weekend, another article about the tough job market for recent college grads. This week’s installment appeared in The New York Times Style section in the form of “Say Hello to Underachieving” by Alex Williams.

I’m very glad this topic is still on the radar screens of major media reporters. I just wish the articles would include some helpful suggestions for young people who find themselves in the tough position of facing the longest recession period since the 1930s. The Comments section of the Times article certainly included a lot of — ahem — suggestions, but I’m not a big fan of snark. So, I thought I’d share my three cents on how college students and recent grads can still improve their resumes without a traditionally “good” summer job or internship.

1. Volunteer. In fairness, in addition to the snarky remarks, the Comments section of the Times piece was filled with the suggestion to volunteer, and that advice is spot-on. I’ve written many times about the value of volunteering and it’s even more important this summer.

Although future employers will understand why you might not have a superstar internship on your resume for the infamous summer of 2009, they won’t understand why you don’t have any volunteer experience during that time period. Volunteer for Meals on Wheels, a political candidate, a soup kitchen, a Little League team, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, an animal shelter, anything. Search for thousands of opportunities at Idealist.org.

2. Take on a Project. I just finished reading the memoir Julie and Julia, which has been made into an upcoming movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. The book is about a young woman with a boring temp job and dreams of becoming an actress who decides on a whim to spend a year cooking every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and writing a blog about it. A little weird? Yes. A challenging, unique project that takes commitment, determination, creativity and confidence? Also check. If I were a recruiter for a cookbook publisher, restaurant chain or the Food Network, I’d call Julie in for an interview.

Can you spend the summer taking on a project related to your area of career interest? A business major could read through every book on the summer’s Wall Street Journal business best seller list and review each book on Amazon.com. An aspiring film industry worker could watch every film on the American Film Institute’s lit of 100 best films of all time. An aspiring curator could tour every museum in a 200 mile radius. If you choose a worthwhile, valuable project, it could lead to a job (or a book deal).

3. Start a Small Business. My friends over at Gradspot.com just featured a great post outlining four businesses that are easy to start and manage, including dog walking, tutoring, computer programming and babysitting/nannying. These are all resume-worthy summer pursuits and can lead to great opportunities for networking, skill building and, of course, moneymaking. I’d add to this list jewelry making, graphic design, lawn mowing, gardening, house painting, social media consulting (you would not believe the number of people who ask me if I know of a college student who would teach them how to use Facebook or Twitter) and bartending (if you’re of legal age). Employers are often impressed by the hard work and leadership it takes to launch and run a business on your own, especially in hard times.

Do you have more suggestions for making the most of an jobless summer? Please share in the comments!

This post originally appeared on the Lindsey Pollak Career Blog.

TAGS: Generation Y, Job hunting, volunteering

Last night I was privileged to attend the Women for Women 2008 Gala Dinner. This incredible organization was started 15 years ago by Zainab Salbi, who, as a 23 year old, not only wondered what she could do to make the world a better place but took action. Women for Women’s mission is to assist women in war torn countries economically, socially and emotionally.

I encourage you to read more about what they do (simply amazing) but that’s not the main purpose of this post, rather, it is about how paying attention to the things that really matter can help to put things into perspective.

All too often lately, I know I have been focused on the economic situation and feeling badly about it. Last night, it was easy for me to see that my concerns are small in contract to those whose lives are truly in chaos.

We’re almost always better off than we think we are. And giving to others is a sure-fire way to feel richer.

TAGS: giving back, volunteering, Women for Women, Zainab Salbi

I know that a number of Thin Pink Line bloggers serve on nonprofit boards. If you’re a frequent visitor to TTPL you know that Carol and I serve on the Board of Bloom Again Foundation.  I believe in giving back to the community, but if a Board is dysfunctional or unproductive I don’t have time for it — and neither should you.  Your time and expertise is valuable. 

A number of years ago there was a wonderful book titled “Boards from Hell” by Susan Scribner.  Unfortunately it’s no longer available but there are surefire (pun intended) ways you can create a Board from Hell (and the antidote is obviously the opposite behavior):

• Never explain Board roles thoroughly to new members.
• Don’t force Board members to participate in training or orientation.
• Schedule meetings on different days and at different times every month so no one knows when they are.
• Elect someone to chair a committee who is always absent.
• Diversity be damned — just fill Board seats with all of your friends.
• Don’t share information with Board members before meetings.
• Don’t hold people accountable for missing deadlines or not following through on commitments.
• Don’t enforce terms of office.
• Never let staff get to know Board members.
• Never have a quorum — just go ahead and meet anyway. 
• Allow members unlimited absences from Board meetings.

If you serve on a Board from Hell you might want to print this out and offer it as a discussion item for a future meeting.  If members don’t want to change (and many times they’ve grown accustomed to the dysfuntion and are OK with it) then I suggest you find yourself a better Board where you can make a meaningful contribution rather than just spin your wheels.

TAGS: Board Building, Boards from Hell, Nonprofit Boards