Tackling Your Career Greenover

With the national unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, staying employed these days often requires relocation to regions with pockets of growth, such as the Southeast and the Rocky Mountains.But another option is to break from traditional markets and look into the green industries — a virtually untapped cornucopia of long-term careers. With sustainable jobs on the rise due to America's green cultural explosion, getting a toehold into a firm now could mean decades of job security with a handsome salary and plenty of room at the top. Smart choices now can give you a chance to develop highly specialized skills that — as demand increases — will certainly translate into rapid advancement.

There are a wealth of online green job boards overflowing with a staggering number and variety of job openings throughout America and abroad. Below are a few of the best resources for green job trailblazers of every stripe:

?Sustainlane.com features an elaborate yet user-friendly job board that can be perused in descending order, or browsed by region, state, city and skill. With job search tip blogs, an e-newsletter and forums with topics like “How to write a Green Resume,” this site is perfect for both seasoned green job seekers and neophytes alike. Nicely, SustainLane's services are free for both employers and potential employees.

At SustainableBusiness.com, the “Green Dream Jobs” page is an excellent source for sustainable employment. Browsable by descending date posted, or using their advanced search tool, you can scan categories from “PR/Communications” to “Travel and Leisure,” “Farm/Organics,” “Finance,” practically every skill set imaginable. Charging employers to post on a sliding scale, the service is free for job seekers.

Treehugger.com is a site everyone should pop into, simply for the experience. With its mod design and rich vein of content, there's a Food & Health page, Fashion & Beauty, a forum, sweepstakes — you name it, it's there. Featuring “How to Go Green” and “Green Basics” pages, Treehugger appeals to a wide range of users. Because it's owned by the Discovery company, it's commercial luster feels slightly slick like Starbucks, but that's new millennial boho for ya. Otherwise, it's an excellent garden for the green god within. Although there aren't a ton of job listings, the job board is always worth a gander once a week to see what's new.

The Green Jobs Network's motto is “Connecting People with Opportunity,” and they don't disappoint. Featuring a (literally) Craigslist-like state-by-state browsing option, you can also browse by career sector or use the keyword search option. For employers, posting costs a modest $25, while job seekers can use the board for free. This no-frills, no-nonsense site is as grassroots as it gets, and grassroots is great, just like you, reader.

Who knows, maybe your new career in clean tech awaits. Happy hunting!