Let's Talk About Work : Are You At a Career Crossroads

In September, Carol Henning asked: 'What is offered to college-age people or to older adults ready for career change or enhancement?' and reported on educational opportunities related to the enviromrient and sustainability. Her question remains salient, and we decided to keep asking it in terms of employment: California has the second highest unemployment rate of all the states, the Census Bureau just declared people in their 20s-30s hardest hit by the recession, and while adults laid off mid-career aren't 'hardest' hit, many of us know someone fitting this description who's been hit pretty hard. We hope this feature will provide you with information to help on your career path.

• You may read about how someone got started and decide to employ his/her method.
• You may find out about a job/field you didn't even know existed.
• You may learn about a networking event/organization you could join.
• You may make a contact who could help you on your way to employment: for example.

Wes Harding has offered to take questions from anyone interested in learning more about his profession and company.

INTERVIEW WITH GREEN BUSINESS OWNER
Wes Harding, President of Harding Construction & Sustainable Solutions

Q: What do you do? What is your title and what does it mean in plain English?

A: I'm the President of Harding Construction & Sustainable Solutions. What we do is green remodeling and home energy efficiency upgrades. Green means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To me, green means quality work at the time of decisions during a remodel or upgrade. For remodeling or upgrading, we think of the home as a system and make decisions that will optimize that system as far as energy conservation, air quality, and resource conservation. We always think as well about sustainability and durability of the product we will use. if it's durable and it's timeless it's more sustainable.

Q:What about your job do you enjoy most and what would you give up if you could?

A: I like to limit the amount of time I have to sit behind a desk. I like being the green home investigator. I'm always out and on the move within a 45-mile radius of Long Beach.

Q: How did you first get interested in your field?

A: I took a one-hour seminar and that's when I realized the green movement's very cutting-edge. It doesn't matter what industry you're going into--Green always applies. It's where new products are, where the science is being developed.

It's neat to be on the cutting edge and part of a new movement. Constantly learning is exciting.

Adding the green expertise to my existing construction business met my goal of tying profit and purpose together, trying to help other people and the Earth if I can.

Q: You started in construction?

A: Yes. I started working in construction. Construction is rewarding and creative in itself- -to build something and stand back and marvel at it. is a great feeling. Outside of work, I'm an avid surfer. And I'm from Long Beach, so from my surfing, I learned a lot about pollution, went to beach cleanups, etc.

I thought about my work and my passions outside of work and thought about what to do to bring those two together.

Q: What degrees, training or certifications did you have to complete?

A: I hold many certifications, many from courses I took just to determine what's what and how to make green movement work for me. [Harding is so well-versed that he created a class at Cal State Long Beach for people interested in green careers. Subsequently, Long Beach CIty College and Nodrth Orange County Community College asked him to teach his program there--Ed.]

Home Energy Auditor: People looking for jobs should explore home energy auditing. Home audits address safety and environmental concerns. Auditors analyze systems in the home to detect problems like carbon monoxide, potential pollutants and fire hazards.

Since there are rebate programs that are BPI-certified, BPI certification would be valuable.

HERS Auditor or Verifier: Home Energy Rating SYstem (HERS) Raters are the energy police/inspectors. Working as an extensionof the building department, HERS auditors do energy assessments and make sure energy features are installed correctly on new home or HVAC systems in commercial and residential properties.

Q: Describe the person who'd be a great fit for your job.

A: If you're thinking about a green job, find out what's happening locally in your community--it's about who you know and how much you know.

Be entrepreneurial. If you are, you'll be able to find a job somewhere. Again, green goes across all industries and types of jobs. I don't expect an office manager to crawl underneath a house and know about insulation, hut an office manager who has a background in green technology or sustainahility issues will have an easier time finding a job because this is an expanding field.

The main requirement is an interest in the green movement/green technology/sustainability.

Q: Can readers can contact you if they have questions?

A: Yes. They can email me through my website.