Colleges and universities are now offering educational programs for students interested in a green energy career. It should also be noted that the number of hands-on training opportunities is growing as well. There are a variety of ways in which one can get the education and training he or she needs for acquiring a job in solar technology.

Current working professionals can also obtain solar training through various programs. There are always opportunities for engineers, roofers, architects, and accountants in the solar industry. Also, electricians are always needed for solar panel installation. Anybody who is interested in switching careers will find that getting a job in green energy technologies really isn’t that difficult. There are plenty of resources available.

What Type of Job Opportunities Are Available in the Alternative Energy Industry?

There are a number of jobs and careers available, including:

- Geology
- Engineering
- Architecture
- Financial consultation
- Installation
- Sales and marketing
- Plumbing

Everything from solar panels to solar powered homes requires a lot of hard work and planning. Both residential and commercial solar energy projects require the expertise and skills of many types of professionals.

Since the demand for alternative energy jobs is increasing, the education required to train people to be proficient at these jobs is crucial. Educational programs and on the job training opportunities are available from a variety of sources in the US and across the globe.

3. Narrowing Your Job Interests
Knowing what kind of job you want is great and it should be a job you enjoy working, a position you’re qualified for etc. Just keep in mind if you decide you want a job that doesn’t involve using a phone, you’re taking out a huge chunk of what’s plenty available.

4. Being Too Broad in Your Job Interests
Okay it was just mentioned that you shouldn’t narrow your job interests, but having too many interests makes you look like a Jack/Jill of all trades who really don’t have strong work experience or skills in any specific area. It makes you look like a mediocre worker and it’s not how you want to portray yourself.

5. No Research
While there are a lot free information on popular companies via work at home boards, you still have to do your research. You can save a lot of time if you do your research based on your needs, wants and suitability as opposed to what’s suitable for someone else.

6. Not Looking For the Right Help
Many people turn to work at home forums to get help and get questions answered because it’s free and that’s okay for basic help, but if you’re seriously looking for guidance go to a job agency who can advise you from creating professional resumes to applying and getting job interviews etc.

7. Influence
Word of mouth is valuable and hearing other people’s experiences can largely influence how things are perceived. If you read a lot of negative reviews about a company, you’re more likely to avoid them. There is some truth to what is being said, but you have to go with your instincts and make your decision based on what you feel is right regardless of what’s being said by others.

8. Not Knowing Your Worth
One time or another each of us had accepted a low paying job. Some may chalk it up as having lack of experience or skill. With your skills/experience, you should have an idea of what’s the going rate for the position you’re applying for.

There are eight wrong ways to go about job searching and if you’re making these mistakes it’s time to turn it around and start doing them right to make your job search more effective.

Make sure you see the human resource manager or the hiring officer by yourself. Very many receptionists are not faithful with peoples applications. Always insist on seeing the hiring officer and present your case to them.

Register with recruitment agencies and out sourcing firms. Though many of them may charge you or even take part of your salary, it is better than not having a job. Recruitment agencies normally get job offers from many employers who you may not be able to meet when using the door to door job search method.

Lastly, tell you friend about your need for a job, many of them may be able to link you to others who may have job offers. There are many people today who continue to get jobs through friends.

As for dress, you don’t want to wear anything too flashy. This may sound counter-intuitive, but you will be remembered for your crazy outfit. Instead, I will just distract your interviewee during the interview. If you want to be remembered, you need to ask intelligent questions and for a dialogue with the person interviewing you. Respond to questions slowly and thoughtfully and be sure to have many questions of your own, about the person ends about the company.

This will show them that you did your homework. This will show them that you know what you’re talking about that you can have an intelligent discussion with just about anybody. You’re basically building rapport and because of this you will stand out to the interview.

Yes!

True, many well-qualified applicants are offered jobs despite neglecting to send a personal thank you letter. But why take that chance? If you don’t write a job interview thank you letter, you’re missing a great opportunity to continue describing and demonstrating your greatest skills and strengths!

Professionalism

A well-written and correctly-timed job interview thank you letter demonstrates professionalism and strong communication skills as well as punctuality and reliability.

Follow-Through

It also demonstrates that all-important ability to “follow through” that employers are desperately searching for from each and every applicant.

Resilience

If you feel that it was a sub-par interview performance on your part, then job interview thank you letters also demonstrate resilience – that you’re willing and able to take your disappointing interview and turn it around or transform it into a job offer. You’re sending the message, “I’m not giving up that easily!”

Say What You Would Have Said…

Personal thank you letters also offer you the opportunity to take time to prepare a particular message to the employer – a luxury that you don’t often enjoy while answering a variety of challenging questions during your interview. Interview performances are “on the spot” and never perfect – we often feel like there’s something we could have done or said differently. Using personal thank you letters, you can continue to describe and demonstrate your particular qualifications and abilities.

Take the Time to Write it Well

A poorly-written job interview thank you letter, on the other hand, can only hurt your chances of getting a job offer and can actually diminish your status in the eyes of the interviewers. This includes letters that lack enough persuasive content or are not carefully edited and proofread.

Exactly what should I say in my personal thank you letter? Job interview thank you letters are designed to be brief and to the point, making only a few points using a few sentences, and to follow 3 simple steps.

Step 1) Thank You!

The first “thank you” or a statement of appreciation for the interview. Everyone loves to be thanked for their time and attention. Showing genuine appreciation is one of the easiest and most effective ways to build rapport with new people, and a thank you letter is an easy way to do this!

Here are a few examples to get you started:

“I very much appreciated the opportunity to meet with you and your team earlier today.”
“Thank you for the opportunity to get to know you and your growing organization.”
“Thank you for our interview. I very much enjoyed our meeting and hope to continue to get to know you and your company.”

Step 2) Emphasize a Positive, Downplay a Negative or Fill in a Gap

The second thing you want to do is take a sentence or two (three sentences maximum) to add value to your interview performance. Make an important point about your interview – either emphasize a positive, downplay a negative, or fill in a gap. This is in keeping with your interview “game plan” – your specific plan to tell the interviewers about your most impressive strengths and highest-level skills while minimizing your weaknesses.

Emphasizing a Positive

What messages or clues did you get from the interviewers suggesting what was vitally important or exciting to them, where their voice, posture or facial expressions “perked up?” Which of your qualifications or interview answers seemed to jive the most with them or noticeably capture their attention and interest?

You could mention something about this in your personal thank you letter, using statements starting with “I.” For instance, you could start like this:

“I would like to emphasize that I offer over 4 years experience working with older psychiatric patients – a strong fit with your organization’s current needs”, or…
“I know that my graduate degree in organic chemistry prepares me particularly well to fulfil the challenges of this new research role”, or…
“I am confident that my ten years of clerical experience in a similar professional environment would make me a strong fit for your new office team”…

Downplaying a Negative

Did you say something in your interview that you now feel worried or regretful about? Maybe you don’t think you did a good job at answering a “weakness” question and are concerned that the employer might decide not to hire you because you over-stated a weakness in the “heat of the moment.”

Write a few words to soften your answer, like this:

“During the interview, I mentioned that I often want to do things perfectly. I would like to clarify that I have learned over the past few years to soften this approach. I am now able to do my work quite accurately without causing myself undue stress.”
“As I mentioned in our discussion yesterday, I am continuing to study Spanish, and am confident that I can speak fluently with your Spanish-speaking customers about a wide variety of concerns.”

Filling in a Gap

Perhaps there was a part of your interview that just didn’t work out the way you’d hoped. You didn’t answer a question well, or perhaps didn’t answer it at all due to a mental block or because you didn’t prepare properly for that particular question. The solution: Answer it now, in your personal thank you letter! Perhaps in filling in this gap through your job interview thank you letter, you can help to put the employer’s mind to rest about that particular issue, and greatly improve your chances of getting hired.

Here are a couple of examples:

“One of the questions that you raised during the interview addressed my ability to deal with conflict in the workplace. I would like you to know that I have faced misunderstandings with co-workers in the past that I have always been able to fully resolve through approaching them directly, politely and respectfully.”
“You asked during the interview about what it means to be professional. To me, professionalism includes many interpersonal skills, including but not limited to punctuality, reliability and always treating both customers and co-workers with respect and kindness.”

Step 3: Say “Thank You Again” and Offer to Answer Further Questions

End your job interview thank you letters by saying thank you again and offering to answer further questions. This demonstrates openness and a desire to stay in touch. It is common to write the actual words, “Thank you again” at this point in the personal thank you letter.

For instance, you could write,

“Thank you again. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions about my skills, experience or education. I can be reached during the days at (465) 238-5412.”

If possible, make your job interview thank you letter shorter without deleting any of your best writing. Examine every word for relevance and if you don’t need it, delete it! As always, proofread your letter and ask a trusted friend or family member to examine it for typos and and make sure that it conveys a very positive message about you.

Can I send a personal thank you letter using a personal/greeting card?

This is generally not a good idea. Sending a job interview thank you letter using a greeting card may send the wrong message. The employer may interpret it as overly-personal and not in keeping with professional protocol and boundaries.

It’s the content that matters. So it’s better to send a job interview thank you letter using email – a simple email with a simple font, simple signature and professional-sounding email address. Send it in the body of the email and not as an attachment – keep it simple.

Who to Send the Personal Thank You Letter To, and When

Send the letter to everyone who interviewed you, or at least your main contact. To make the best impression, send job interview thank you letters later on the same day as your interview or early the next morning.

Summary

In summary then, here are the steps to writing a great personal thank you letter:

1) Say thank you in your own words
2) Emphasize a positive, downplay a negative or fill in a gap
3) Say “thank you again” and offer to answer further questions

Other key points to remember:

Always take the time to write a personal thank you letter, and ensure that it is well written, edited and proofread. Send it within 24 hours, via email. Most important of all, make sure that it conveys this very positive, powerful message: “I’m ready!”