Get Certified and Get Hired

It's a dog eat dog job market out there these days. There are too few jobs and too many applicants. What can someone do to stand out from the crowd? The name of the game these days is "certification."

Every employer today seems to be looking for some type of certification. Building trade workers generally have to be certified; computer technicians need to be certified to work on software products; and, secretaries have to certify their typing speed. Even the medical aide who changes bedpans has to be a "Certified Nursing Assistant"! Sometimes these certifications are industry driven. Other certifications are government required licenses. If you don't have a certification you will have trouble getting hired. If that certification is a license then you can't work without it.

LEED certification is becoming a "must have" for any serious professional who wants to work "green." The certification is primarily aimed at professionals in the building industry. However, the number of professions that are related to that industry is huge. A typical building project, whether commercial or residential, involves dozens of inputs. It starts with a designer then moves to the builder. The end user, the customer, then evaluates the final product. Along the way there are suppliers, salespeople, and various subcontractors. Don't forget the bankers either. No lender is going to advance major funding on a commercial building that isn't going to be energy efficient. An energy inefficient building has higher operating costs which lead to higher probabilities of financial failure. The banking industry has specialists who work only on these types of projects. These lenders are going to have LEED certified employees on hand to evaluate proposed projects.

If you want to enhance your career potential then getting certified is a requirement. If you are still in college it's a good idea is get your LEED certification right then. Picking one up in mid-career is almost a requirement. The more value you offer a potential employer translates into the better chance you have of being hired. It also means the less chance you have of being laid off when times get tough.

The possession of a LEED certification is useful whether you are entry level or mid-career. Run the terms "LEED Employment", "Entry Level LEED" or just "Green Jobs" on your browser. You will get well over one million "hits" returned to you. Try a different term like a job title specific to your "green" field of expertise. Take a close look at the job postings that come up. Don't be surprised if you see that a LEED certification is either required or preferred.

These days it's not enough just to be a hard worker with a reputation for honesty. You can't just claim to better than the next guy. You have to prove it. If you have any involvement in the building industry then having a LEED certification is how you do it.

Leed Certification Resources

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