Social entrepreneurship

i'm always interested in other social entrepreneurs and what they're doing with their ideas. more specifically, how can social strategies succeed in the traditional business world. here's a great interview of David Bornstein by Guy Kawasaki.

one quote from David hit me hard...when asked why some take action and make their ideas happen, while some don't: "There is emotional pain associated with inaction, especially if we care about something."

Green jobs and do-better employment

I had a conversation with a friend last night on jobs, companies and marrying the two to an employee's ethics...much of what I covered in this post. Browsing TreeHugger this morning, I noticed their job board. Check it out if you're interested in a diverse selection of "green" jobs. Also, idealist.org is another great resource for volunteer and employment opportunities in the U.S. and abroad.

Employment always stumps me...we humans seek out friends with which we have commonalities. Significant others who share our passions and beliefs. Places of worship that speak to personal theology. Even brands that seem in line with our moral fiber. But many of us do not seek to continue those standards into the jobs we do. And maybe that's because of, simply, the word job. It's a means to an end. A necessary evil. A have to. But it doesn't have to be like that. And maybe, as the attention on green moves ahead and the public conversation on social awareness increases, so will (as I posted before) the demand for a better work experience.

The bottom line is we human folk do better doing what we enjoy. Moreover we do better doing something that resonates on a level higher than ego, salary, fame and status. It's never too late to seek such an opportunity. Start by volunteering. Or by exploring the little gut feelings you might frequently ignore. You never know...that dread of skydiving one day may result in a dream career.

Also from TreeHugger, some tips to green your workplace. Even if you don't love your 9-5, you could love the impact (or lack thereof) your office has on the environment. This would be a nice link to send your boss. Or your HR dept.

the better job balance

Triple Pundit has an intriguing post on socially-conscious employers and the demand of the young workforce. the debate is over whether socially-conscious young folks are able to find a job that pays, offers appropriate benefits, etc. without sacrificing their ideals and social values. the post pins the debate between saint and sell out: choose a job that allows you to do good for the implied lesser wage/benefit package/perks or tow the company line and make some more moolah. true, we can't all work at patagonia (darn it), but as my generation sticks its head out of the job pool we've been in for a while now - or completes grad school - and enters its 30-something years, i believe our expectations will not only shape our careers, but shape the workplace.

therefore, i'd contend the debate isn't saint or sellout, but create demand or don't create demand. capitalism works to the socially conscious employee's benefit here. in addition to late Gen X-ers and now Y-ers redefining job fulfillment (from changing the dress code and workday flexibility to finding employers of similar social stances), we could change the social standards employers must hit to even consider recruiting strong talent.

within the same vein, a great recruitment video from Connected Ventures, via Dustin. is web video the new career fair? i hope so. they've got four million views. how's that for reach, HR?



Lip Dub - Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger from amandalynferri and Vimeo.