Dan Smolen, Author and Founder of The Green Suits, Appearing on Sustainability News and Entertainment Radio

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

Radio Host Diana Dehm hosts Sustainability News and Entertainment Radio. Her show airs Saturdays at 10AM Eastern Time on WSMN Radio 1590 in Nashua, New Hampshire. Afterwards, show segments are available as podcasts.

At 10AM Eastern Time this Saturday April 14, I will be host Diana Dehm’s guest on her show, Sustainability News and Entertainment. The show airs on WSMN Radio in Nashua, New Hampshire and may be heard via the station’s website. In case you miss the Saturday airing, you may listen to the rebroadcast Sunday, April 15 at 10AM Eastern Time, or, listen to the podcast.

Diana and I discuss the current state of green business career development and how talented and purpose-driven executives may use their knowledge, skill, and experience to successfully pivot into “green” careers. We talk about “skill-based volunteerism”–a truly great and noble way to add greenness to a professional résumé–and much more.

To quote another radio host with a similar name, NPR’s Diane Rehm: “Do join us!”

Recruiter Randall Byrn Joins The Green Suits

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

Randall Byrn has joined The Green Suits, LLC as Executive Recruiter. He represents clients seeking executive talent in direct marketing, market research and consumer insights, and "green" business.

We are very pleased to announce to the world that Randall Byrn has joined The Green Suits as Executive Recruiter. Over the weekend, we got to interview our newest talent hunter.

TGS: Welcome to The Green Suits. Please tell everyone about you: Where are you from? Where did you attend college?

Randall Byrn: I grew up in Clarksville, Tennessee and at first studied English at Southwestern at Memphis (now called Rhodes College). Then, I transferred to USC in Los Angeles to study film making; I have a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema from USC. Movies didn’t turn into a career for me, but they are my lifelong passion.

TGS: Tell us please about your pre-recruiting career.

Randall Byrn: The first part of my career was in book publishing: as a catalog copywriter for Ingram; a sales executive for Berkley Books, and after moving to New York; a direct mail manager for John Wiley & Sons. I left publishing for direct marketing assignments in the conferences space, first at IQPC and then at CFO Magazine.

TGS: Where have you lived?

Randall Byrn: A few places such as the west side of Manhattan and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Last summer, I moved back to my native Tennessee.

TGS: What do you like about being an executive recruiter?

Randall Byrn: I compare recruiting to being a detective, hunting down the right candidates for the assignment. Getting to know candidates is quite enjoyable. Also, it is very fulfilling to communicate to the hiring manager the candidate’s strengths and appropriateness for the position. But of course placing a great candidate in a new role is the biggest thrill of all; sure, it is a personal success for me, but I especially enjoy the happy outcome for the both candidate and the hiring manager.

TGS: The Green Suits, LLC represents clients in the marketing analytics space. As a result, you have connected to–and gotten to work with–hundreds of talented marketing analysts and other insights professionals. What is it like to work with people who analyze marketing metrics for a living?

Randall Byrn: Well, it is a good time to be in analytics! It is the “need” in most companies, and it is likely to remain that way for a while. Many of our analytics candidates–especially the more experienced ones–are learning just how valuable they are to hiring companies.

TGS: You are also working with companies which are committed to environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Randall Byrn: Most large companies have incorporated sustainability and corporate social responsibility into their strategies and identities, and this will expand to mid-tier and small companies–especially ones which do business on a global scale. Being perceived as responsible corporate citizens just makes good business sense. And it is certainly a draw–or a selling point–in attracting great talent, whether or not a particular job has “sustainability” or “corporate social responsibility” in the title.

TGS: The Green Suits promotes remote office work. And you too work from a remote office. What do you think are the most important steps one can take to be truly effective in a remote office environment?

Randall Bryn: It does take discipline to work effectively from a remote office. Everyone must find what works best for her or him. I find that starting early and finishing late–with several breaks lasting a few minutes to an hour or more–provides me with the flexibility I need. Plus, I go to the gym. Of course, recruiters need to accommodate the needs of candidates and clients, which means making and taking calls during evenings and on weekends. Sometimes, weekends are good for catching up on what used to be called “paperwork.”

TGS: Great to have you on the team.

Randall Byrn: Thank you. I am thrilled to be a part of The Green Suits!

Are you a marketing insights expert? Now is the time to get on Randall’s radar screen. Ring him up at 931-538-4433 or email him your résumé (CV) at: randall@thegreensuits.com.

The Three Questions

Cross-posted to The Green Suits:

As is the case at Monty Python's Bridge of Death, successful job interviews depend on the answers to three questions. Image h/t 1975, Monty Python (pythonline.com)

Fans of this website know that I am a big fan of Monty Python. And from the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the “Bridge of Death” scene may be one of the funniest ever filmed. Remember the three questions the Bridgekeeper asks all who approach the Bridge of Death?

Bridgekeeper: “What is your name?”
First man: “Sir Lancelot.”
Bridgekeeper: “What is your quest?”
First man: “I seek the Holy Grail.”
Bridgekeeper: “And what is your favorite color?”
First man: “Red!”
Bridgekeeper: “Well…off you go then.”

Sir Lancelot answers wisely and safely gains passage across The Bridge of Death. To some, Lancelot’s experience seems much like an interview in the current job market.

So, what three questions might you expect to hear from a hiring manager? Last year, Fortune interviewed Heidrick & Struggles CEO Kevin Kelly who provided this boiled down but spot-on answer:

“Can you do the job?
Will you love the job?
Can we tolerate working with you?”

Hopefully, you won’t hear a hiring manager posing questions to you in such a brusque manner. But with these three questions, Kelly identifies the essential need. Let’s break it down:

CAN YOU DO THE JOB?

How well suited are you for the assignment? Do you have the requisite knowledge, training, and experience? Can you back up your claims with positive metrics? Can you hit the ground running with minimal or no training? Seriously, if you couldn’t do the job you wouldn’t have made it past the phone interview stage.

WILL YOU LOVE THE JOB?

This question speaks directly to motivation: What sets the fire burning in your belly each morning as you leave for work? Are you passionate? Will you enjoy a place where missions and strategies seem to turn on a dime? Can you visualize yourself being successful on the job and at the company? Can you see yourself rising through the ranks at the company? Will there be enough challenges and reward-opportunities three, four, five or more years from now to keep you jazzed about the company? And for The Green Suits: Is this company as committed to environmental sustainability and social responsibility as am I?

Actually, it is most-likely during the face-to-face interview round that the hiring manager will pick up on your body-language and soft-skills to determine whether or not you will be happy and thrive at the company.

CAN WE TOLERATE WORKING WITH YOU?

This is the “fit-check.” Regardless of great answers to the previous two questions, a hiring manager and his or her team may not see you being successful–or worse–compatible with company culture. Or the consensus may be that you are too much like the company culture and the need is for an iconoclast, someone who is a shaker-upper who will rattle a struggling company out of malaise. With this question, you hope for the best outcome. But really it is for others to decide.

For The Green Suit presenting him or herself for a sustainability or social responsibility management role in a not-already-committed-company, determining whether or not the team members can work with you may have a lot to do with how you frame language and answer [their] questions about difficult situational dynamics or company politics.

Still, knowing that it basically comes down to these Three Questions can be empowering. It need not be disabling. Understanding the mechanics of the candidate-selection process will help you be better prepared for interviews, and may increase your chances of landing a truly great job.

Now, I must ask: what is YOUR favorite color?

The Green Suits Featured in Ithaca College’s Sustainability Newsletter

Our thanks to Marian Brown, head of sustainability at Ithaca College, for highlighting our recent on-campus visit in the latest issue of Collective Impacts (the college’s sustainability newsletter).

Read more about our visit, and other sustainability stories, HERE.

Univ. of Mary Washington to Host March 20th ‘Tailoring the Green Suit’ Strategy Session

The University of Mary Washington is located in historic Fredericksburg, Va. On March 20, 2012, the university's career development office will host 'Tailoring the Green Suit: Establishing a Bright Green Career in a Dull Gray Economy'

Happy New Year, everyone! We are pleased to start Twenty-Twelve off with some very exciting news.

On March 20, 2012, we will present our green career strategy session–Tailoring the Green Suit: Establishing a Bright Green Career in a Dull Gray Economy–at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. This session, sponsored by the Office of Career Development, will provide ten key strategies which soon-to-be-grads may employ to achieve immediate and lasting “green” career success.

If you live or work in the vicinity, then we hope to see you at UMW on March 20th. Further event details will follow, soon.

Season’s Greetings from Dan Smolen and The Green Suits

EcoApprentice.com Founder Richard Halpern Interviews TheGreenSuits.com Founder Dan Smolen

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

Our thanks to Richard Halpern of EcoApprentice.com for the terrific interview experience. Here’s a snippet:

“For most sustainability-minded executives—who have been rendered risk-averse by the current job climate—the idea of creating shift in their current companies truly resonates. I am counseling them to turn their current jobs and companies green before they venture out to apply for and land an obviously green position in another company (such as Director of Sustainability). I think it is easier to turn one’s current job green, because the executive already knows the business culture and is likely aware of what it will take to create positive and lasting change in the company.

Check out EcoApprentice.com and the full interview, HERE.

‘Tailoring the Green Suit’ Author Dan Smolen Quoted in Project Management Institute’s Official Magazine

PM Network is the official magazine of the Project Management Institute. Matt Alderton's article, "Green Growth," discusses green job-making opportunities for project professionals. Logo h/t PMI.

Well, at least my mother will be very proud of me for this.

PM Network is the official magazine of the Project Management Institute, the world’s largest association for project management professionals. PM Network is read by over a half million PMI members, worldwide.

The December 2011 issue features an article by writer Matt Alderton entitled Green Growth: Organizations worldwide need help managing and measuring their environmental impact–and project professionals are the first in line to benefit. And I am quoted in that article:

“Usually, people who don’t have green experience become sustainability experts by proxy and by practice, Mr. Smolen says. “It may start with recognizing that your company isn’t addressing its carbon footprint or that it’s very resource-heavy, then putting together a brief business plan to tackle the problem by coming up with solutions the company can act on. All of a sudden, you’ve got sustainability-related project management experience. It’s fabulous. And with a year or two, that could easily become a recognized green job.”

Read the entire story, HERE.

Greenbiz’s Chrissy Coughlin Posts ‘Dan Smolen and the Art of Getting a Green Job’

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

Well, today starts of well with a nice post by Greenbiz.com contributor and WSMN’s Nature of Business radio host Chrissy Coughlin.

Chrissy summarizes last week’s radio interview, HERE.

Check it out!

‘Tailoring the Green Suit’ Author on ‘Nature of Business’ Radio Show

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

Wow…that was fun!

This morning, I was Chrissy Coughlin’s guest on her radio show, Nature of Business. Chrissy broadcasts weekly from WSMN Radio in Nashua, New Hampshire; her show is also podcast on GreenBiz.com.

Chrissy is a great host and well-informed green business expert. In the interview, we covered a lot of interesting topics related to green executive employment. In case you weren’t able to listen live, then please check out the podcast, available 24/7: HERE.