"Yahoo's new CEO, Scott Thompson, is under fire for telling the SEC (and Yahoo's board) that he had a computer science degree from Stonehill College when he does not have one". Read more: 

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Our brains are superior machines when it comes to utilising energy. They use a heap, but we are, well, you know, conscious beings and all.  My brain is running a little inefficiently today however, since I have been fending off what feels like one of those seasonal colds from coming on for the past day and a half.

The efficiency of a brain with a cold is a good way to describe that of the majority of our buildings in Australia. Inefficiencies abound through poor design, choice of materials, location and occupant behaviour. My experience over the last fortnight has reminded me that there is a huge amount of opportunity to reduce Australia’s emissions through increasing energy efficiency of existing residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

There are a number of funding programs, which are designed to encourage an increase in building retrofits of commercial and/or residential buildings. The City of Melbourne’s 1200 Buildings program, beginning in 2010, is aimed towards supporting commercial building owners and managers to improve water and energy efficiency and reduce landfill waste. Funding is provided by certain financial institutions and is then recuperated by the City of Melbourne through a rates charge.

I have also learned through the Energy Efficiency Council that an Energy Performance Contract (EPC) is a useful way for businesses to get a guarantee on an agreed amount of energy savings. An EPC is very rigorous and has a price and process time to match, however the guarantee offers a security, which has found it particularly popular with government buildings. It has yet to really take off in the industry sector, where it is more commonplace to get a less rigorous Integrated Energy Efficiency Retrofit. The Energy Efficiency Council is working towards rolling out the EPC accreditation requirement for contractor companies nationally to include non government tenders within the next 12-18 months which will provide business with not only the security of the guarantee, but also the knowledge that the contractor company's service is of a high standard that has been benchmarked against the rest of the auditing and project implementation industry.

A tweet by @geoffgourley brought my attention to an article describing some of the barriers against the uptake of energy efficiency retrofits for residential apartment. Government legislation requiring a 75% consensus within the OC (Body Corporate) to conduct significant upgrades, upfront costs required and a lack of understanding of the benefits and how to undertake a retrofit were the dominant barriers. The article also describes how the City of Melbourne is actively working to provide information and guidance on the benefits and processes of undertaking sustainable retrofits which will be available to all apartment owners throughout Australia.

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What a week it has been! I have survived through my first 2 weeks with Eco Recruitment and am thoroughly enjoying it. There is so much learn, people to meet with and jobs to fill but as the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu said “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”.

 
This week I have been talking to a number of people in the corporate sustainability sector. The pervading sense I am getting is that candidates are keen to move sustainability within business forward. Whether it be getting their employer to voluntarily work proactively toward carbon neutrality, expanding the team to target sustainability from an holistic perspective throughout all facets of business’ internal and external operations, to moving beyond compliance and taking a broader focus on short and long term economic benefits by implementing sustainability strategy for their clients. Phew!

 Business, it appears in general, is reluctant to go to the next step. There is still hesitation and foot dragging. We are way behind Europe and North America. We are still lazing about on our cushions of coal. The simple fact is, we have a burgeoning workforce of people who are ready to make a difference. If business does not move fast enough there will be a major skills shortage once the inevitable gearing up occurs, and our (Australia's) opportunity to compete and succeed in the sector will be reduced. The hesitation of business is understandable, with the current political uncertainty. However, the Carbon Tax, come July, is in, and it is now in business’ court to prepare ahead of time and make the transition as smooth as possible.

In other news, I attended the self-proclaimed most sustainable festival in the world over the weekend. Fest La Frog, put on by barefootprints and held at CERES Environment Park, was a musically diverse affair. Local Melbourne artists were the Barons Of Tang , Hugo and Treats, Ponyface and Dub the Magic Dragon just to name a few. Also including solar powered sound systems and LED lighting (Cyclic Sound System), delicious locally brewed solar powered beer and cider (The Good Brew Co.) and a paperless barcoded ticket and bar system. Despite the weather being a bit of a wash out, there were tired smiles on faces all round at the end of the night with the knowledge that a good party doesn’t need to produce more than a handful of landfill and next to zilch CO2 emissions.

• Connect with Sarah Hardgrove on Twitter - @sarahhardgrove

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I remembered an article I had come across on Twitter earlier this week about Mining in space. Recently a selection of the biggest space agencies met in Quebec, Canada where they discussed the possibility of mining the moon. Apparently it has an abundance of rare earth minerals, including gold. Not surprisingly given their presence here in Australia, China had previously expressed a keen interest in moon mining. Being a recruiter in the Environmental sector, I at the time of reading pondered the environmental implications that one might need to consider on the moon. Given it's not somewhere we reside as humans, should much consideration be given to how we leave it? I can't imagine the big corporates would have a huge desire to ensure Environmental management Plans are put in place when there is no one for them to report to. Furthermore should this even be a consideration?

Maybe the fact that there are those even considering extracting Moon minerals is a wake up call that it's high time we should be considering other more sustainable energy sources where possible. All food for thought I suppose and I imagine it's probably a long way off yet. Then again maybe not so far off? Moon mining prototypes, including specially designed drills, are set for testing this year in Hawaii.

On a lighter note if we did one day mine the moon.........I sure as hell am looking forward to the site visits!

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Hello! I’m Sarah. I’d like to introduce myself to you all as the newest addition to Eco Recruitment. I am very excited to be on board! I will be working as a recruitment consultant in the field of sustainability, climate change and carbon. 

I’m passionate about the field, and have a background in sales, so this is a great way for me to connect the two. I will be focusing hard on exploring and discovering new opportunities, meeting with people and business within the sector and looking forward to the satisfaction of being a part of a global movement towards a more sustainable future.

Bringing any tasty tidbits of information and news from the sector will be just one way to share and converse with the online sustainability community.

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Earlier this week ACCIONA announced the Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm in south west Victoria has received final approval from the Victorian government. Brett Wickham, ACCIONA Energy’s Director Generation, said, “We are very pleased to announce that ACCIONA’s Development Plan for the Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm has been endorsed by the Department of Planning and Community Development enabling the project to now proceed to construction.” A planning permit was granted by the Minister for Planning in 2006 following assessment by an independent panel for the wind farm at a site 25 kilometres east of Colac.

“This final approval enables ACCIONA to proceed to construction of the Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm. “The Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm will bring significant economic activity and benefits to the Colac region as well as providing a new source of clean, renewable energy.” The Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm will have the capacity to produce 189 megawatts of clean, renewable energy each year and is expected to meet the energy needs of approximately 88,000 Victorian households annually.

 Construction of the project will commence by 15 March, 2012; the full construction timeline for completion has not yet been determined. ACCIONA Energy is committed to engaging with the landowners, neighbours and the broader community to build effective relationships and ensure the success of the Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm.

 ACCIONA Energy operates the Waubra Wind Farm in Victoria and the Gunning Wind Farm in New South Wales, and is a joint venture partner for the Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm in South Australia.

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Source: Rachel Rose, June 2000 © Copyright Seek Communications

Recruitment consultants are an integral part of the recruitment process. They don’t live simply to frustrate your job search ambitions.

You've just seen your dream job advertised. You've got the skills, you've got the experience, you've got the burning ambition. All you need is a shot at an interview to convince the boss you'd be perfect.

Between you and that interview… is a recruitment consultant.

Recruiters add a whole new dimension to your job search strategy. Understand what makes a recruiter tick and you can dramatically improve your chances.

Understand their position

Recruiters take assignments from companies to find suitable staff. They earn a living from matching candidates to jobs but they work for the hiring company, not the job seeker.

For temporary assignments, recruiters will place a candidate with the skills to immediately fill a temporary vacancy. For permanent assignments, recruiters will likely be briefed to deliver a shortlist of three or four candidates, all with the skills to do a particular job. If the employer chooses one of those candidates for the job, the recruiter earns a fee — a percentage of the annual salary of the new employee. For highly paid positions, a single placement can earn a recruiter thousands of dollars.

It's not easy money, however. A consultant may be recruiting for a number of positions at any one time. Roles for graduates or those that have a big advertising budget may mean a recruiter is answering 100 calls from candidates in a single day. It's a stressful, deadline-driven environment.

So why do companies hire recruitment firms? Typically, recruiters say that their clients recognise that recruitment is not their core competency and that their time is more valuably spent elsewhere. "The general manager doesn't necessarily know or care how his computer system works. He just wants to hire someone who will make sure it works," comments Daniel Lehrer from Network Recruitment.

Recruiters also say they can usually find suitable people faster, can attract more applications for a position and can reach suitable people through their candidate databases. And besides, their fees are tax deductible.

Different rules

To boost your chances of success, understand the differences between approaching a recruiter about a job, compared to someone in the hiring company's human resources department or a line manager. The most obvious difference: you won't know who the client is. Don't count on finding out either, until the recruiter thinks you're a contender for the position. While a lot of candidates tend to get their backs up about not knowing who the position is with, confidentiality is often very important to clients.

You won't develop unrealistic expectations if you remember that you're not the client: the hiring organisation is.

Secondly, brace yourself for an upfront question about your salary expectations early on in the relationship. "A candidate can be very blunt about money," says Daniel Lehrer. "An employer may be insulted if you ask about money right upfront, but it's almost the other way around with a recruiter. If a job is not in someone's league, in either direction, let's not waste each other's time."

Rebecca Jarvis, from sales and marketing recruiters Bladen Taylor, agrees. "Everyone's shy about money and doesn't want to talk about it until it's too late. But if a company's saying 'I can't pay more than $35K and a car' and the candidate is looking for a job that pays $50K, I don't want to waste my time and the candidate's time pursuing that role."

The phone call is an interview

If you're applying for a government position, it's fine to ring up the administrative assistant and ask for a job description. That's not going to get you anywhere with a recruitment consultant. The first approach to the recruiter is a sales call and you're the product. "Your call is like a radio commercial," warns David Hume from HR Network. "You've got 15 or 30 seconds for your opening line. Be interesting, compelling, cooperative. 'This is my name. I'm interested in this position. This is my background, these are my skills. When can I come and see you?'. That way, you're making a positive statement, forcing someone to respond."

All the recruiters who spoke to SEEK emphasised the basics. Your manner is important. Be friendly, polite and open. Don't make it sound like you're hiding something. And try to put past experiences behind you. "Sometimes people call up, they've already got it in their head 'oh it's an agency, I hate dealing with agencies'. We come up against that all the time," says Rebecca Jarvis. "The candidate's got a mindset built up from previous bad experiences. Anyone who truly wants a job needs to get over that. This is a new person, a fresh opportunity."

If you've already fired off your resume, you've got to be organised. Expect a call from the recruiter and you need to remember what you've applied for.

Be upfront if you can't talk when the recruiter calls. "Don't have other distractions in the background," warns Daniel Lehrer. "There's no negativity about saying 'can I call you back in five minutes', because the conversation is not private. Don't sound all vague and whispery. If the situation isn't right for the conversation, tell us."
When you're one of dozens or more phone conversations a recruiter will have in a day, it's vital that you listen to what you're being asked for. "People need to listen and they need to be succinct," says Rebecca Jarvis. "I tend to ask people 'give me a run down, start with what you're doing at the moment'. I want a presentation. I'm trying to work out how effectively this person communicates."

Depending on the seniority of the role, the amount of competition in your industry and the way an individual recruiter likes to work, you may be asked to send in your resume or to come in for an interview straight away.

Don't be afraid to ask what the recruiter prefers. Would they like your resume emailed or faxed? Is a particular file format OK? Does the recruiter want a cover letter with your resume? If you're attending an interview, what information should you bring with you?

There's different schools of thought about how to prepare resumes, acknowledges Joe Chadwick, managing director of IT recruiters Interquest. "But it's important that a candidate's last few years of work are fully documented. We're interested not just in what they've done, but what they've achieved."
If you've sent in your resume, make sure you understand what the next step will be. Because of the size of the response, recruiters may put the responsibility on you to keep in touch. "I tell people that if they've been shortlisted, they'll hear from me by the end of a certain day. Then, if you haven't heard from me by this particular date, give me a call," explains Rebecca Jarvis.

Meet the recruiter

Generally, if you're asked in for an interview, you've cleared the first hurdle. Take the recruitment agency seriously. "You need to prepare for the interview, starting with dressing appropriately for the position. People might think 'oh, they're only the agency' — but we're the people who make the decision. If you're asked for two copies of your resume and copies of certificates and contact numbers for your referees, then bring that information. It shows you're committed and organised.

It depends on the type of role you're looking for and whether you're applying for permanent or temporary work, but you may be required to run through some tests administered by the agency. For administrative and customer service roles, these may be basic literacy and numeracy tests. For managerial or sales roles, you may be presented with psychometric assessment tools. You should expect to have forms and tests clearly explained to you and to understand their purpose. You should receive feedback from someone properly qualified to do so if you complete psychometric assessment — but this may not be until after an appointment has been finalised.

If the interview is going well, the recruiter is likely to make a decision on the spot to tell you who the client is. At this point it's important to confirm whether you're interested or not — or whether you need more time to think about it. There might be a range of reasons why you wouldn't want to work for a particular company. If you'd rather chew glass than work there, tactfully count yourself out now. That way you won't jeopardise your chances of the recruiter considering you for other positions.

Based on the interviews, the consultant will compile a shortlist of potential candidates who are willing to be presented to the client. This list goes to the client who will usually decide to personally interview all or some of the shortlisted candidates. "We put forward a shortlist of people who have got the goods, they're all quite capable of doing the job," says Rebecca Jarvis. "We can go some way toward delivering a 'cultural fit' between the organisation and the candidate, but the client takes final responsibility for that."

Once you've been scheduled for an interview with the client you can expect a measure of support from your consultant. They've put in many hours of work to get to this stage. They want the client to be happy with the shortlisted candidates and for a placement to occur quickly. Recruiters will tell the candidate about the job and the company, warts and all. You will then have a good understanding of the job you are going for. Candidates are so much better prepared for an interview if they go through an agency. Your consultant may ask you to call them immediately after the interview. They don't want any surprises at this stage. If something went wrong — or if the interview went very well — they'll want to know right away.

Temporary positions

The process is a little different for temporary or contract roles. Recruiters who place temporary staff will often advertise for candidates to register with them. It's important to be specific about what you're looking for, says Daniel Lehrer. "When someone says 'I'm interested in registering', the first question I ask is 'registering for what? A resume may reflect what the person has done but not what the person wants to do. Make it very clear in the covering letter — let us know what you want to do, where you're willing to travel and be very blunt about money."

When it comes to placing temporary staff, reliability is of key concern to the recruiter and his or her client. There's two types of temp assignments, says Daniel Lehrer. "Some are one-off: the receptionist is sick, the client needs a replacement for that day. Some are longer contracts that don't really have an end date. Those positions may become permanent. But unless the job is advertised as 'temp-to-perm' don't ask at the interview about whether the job will turn permanent. You'll scare people off."

Daniel Lehrer says he wants to hear good reasons why someone is willing to leave a permanent role to take up a temporary position. "There's a certain amount of security you leave behind."

When you understand what drives a recruitment consultant, you can work out how to make their life easier. At the same time, you're doing yourself a big favour.

Practice your pitch

Read the ad thoroughly. Understand what kind of candidate they want. Write out your pitch in point form, suggests David Hume from HR Network. "Say to yourself, 'these guys have got a tough job. What could I say to make myself interesting to these people, to put myself above all the competition?'"

Respond fast

Recruiters told SEEK over and over: if the ad was first published on Saturday and you don't apply until Thursday, you're already too late. By the fourth or fifth day, the client may already be interviewing the shortlisted candidates. (The exception would be for senior roles; these usually take longer to fill). Have your resume ready to go. Yes, ideally you should adapt your resume to every application. But recruiters want your resume now. So don't mail it.

Understand the process

Find out what happens next and what you're required to do. Find out the consultant's preferences for format and delivery of your CV.

Be readily contactable

"I'll try three times to ring a candidate," says one recruiter. "After that, their CV goes to the bottom of the pile. I might get to it again — maybe. If the candidate hasn't got an answering machine, they're in trouble. There's no point in giving phone numbers if you can't be contacted."

Call back when arranged

"Take responsibility for your application," counsels Rebecca Jarvis of Bladen Taylor. "Chase the opportunity — but do listen to what I'm telling you! Call me when I ask you to. Entrench the relationship you have with me, make sure I remember you."

Don't approach the client

The recruiter already has a business relationship with the client. The client is paying the recruiter a lot of money because they either don't have time to handle recruitment in-house or they trust the recruiter's judgement and expertise. Who's the client going to trust more?. When people contact the client directly they think they're doing themselves a favour by demonstrating enthusiasm and initiative, but they're not. The client is using a recruitment firm for a reason and the candidate will be referred back to the recruiter. The candidate is jeopardising their chances.

Don't be unrealistic

Know what you're looking for. Be realistic about what you're prepared to do with regard to travel times and salary. "Generally candidates lie about being prepared to earn less," says one recruiter bluntly. "They'll say 'oh I'm earning $50K now, but I'd be prepared to consider $40K.' My first question is, have you budgeted for this? Do you know how much less a week you'll earn? And they haven't."

Be positive

"Unemployed people often say 'Oh I don't really care, I just want a job'. I know that's not exactly what they mean, but they're got to read the ad and understand what is required of the job," says one source. "Sound positive."

Creating a relationship

You won't develop unrealistic expectations if you remember that you're not the client: the hiring organisation is. However, your experiences with recruitment consultants may range from bloody awful to fantastic — most job seekers have got a story or two. It helps to know what's reasonable to expect.

There's no sure-fire way of identifying a great recruitment firm. And often, it's not so much about the recruitment firm as the individual consultant you work with. Recruiters agreed on this point: word of mouth is the very best way to find a good recruiter. "Talk to your peers about their dealings with particular companies. If you know hiring managers, ask which companies they have had pleasant experiences with," suggests Joe Chadwick of Interquest.

The size of the recruitment firm isn't necessarily important. "You've got to hit it off with the consultant. Size is irrelevant," says Rebecca Jarvis. David Hume — who recruits recruiters themselves — says that within specialist markets (for instance, IT or accounting), there are clear market leaders. "Look at the calibre of jobs that recruiters have," he adds.

As important as other people's recommendations is your own instinct. You can walk into an organisation and have a good feeling about it — you have to go by your gut feel. "Are you treated with respect? Were you asked questions about yourself and what you wanted?" Rebecca Jarvis agrees about the importance of basic courtesy. "We don't keep candidates waiting."

Once you've found a great consultant, it can be the start of a beautiful — or at least mutually beneficial — relationship. "I placed one candidate five times within about 10 years," recalls David Hume. "The industry has come a long way. It's more ethical, more reputable and far more commercially aware."

Warning signs

There are some signs that should set off alarm bells. Job seekers tend to be particularly bitter about the illegal practice of "blue-sky" advertising: publishing ads for fantastic sounding jobs that don't actually exist. Sources say the practice is about generating new leads — new names and contacts to add into the firm's database. Said one consultant: "We have about 22,000 names on our database — anyone who's ever registered with us. That's a fabulous number to quote to a client. Of that, about 200 at any one time are usable. Agencies might tell their clients that they have a massive database, but it's nonsense."

If a blue-sky ad is written well, it's hard to be certain that the job's a fake. But be cautious if the recruiter sounds vague and can't tell you anything about the industry or location and is keen to tell you all about other opportunities. (Note there's a difference between a blue-sky ad and one that invites candidates to register because the firm has a range of assignments — the latter is an entirely legitimate way of attracting new registrations).

Beware the agency that will take your resume, doesn't interview you, promises to call you and never does.

Your informed consent is also very important. "It doesn't happen a lot — but you should never allow an agency to forward your details to a client without your permission and without knowing about the company and the role," says Joe Chadwick.

If you're not happy? One avenue of recourse is to the Recruiting and Consulting Services Association (RCSA), the peak body for recruitment professionals in Australia and New Zealand. Their members are bound by a code of conduct and the RSCA will investigate complaints. "If a candidate feels an agency has been unethical, it's very important that they discuss that with the RSCA," says Joe Chadwick. "It frustrates me as the manager of an agency. We might see unethical behaviour [in the industry], but the only way that agency will be censured is if the candidate is willing to raise it with the peak body."

David Hume's been in the recruiting game for 26 years. "There are some very fine recruitment consultants. They do a very good job for their client. They also do a good job representing the candidate. The industry has come a long way. It's more ethical, more reputable and far more commercially aware."

Reproduced from SEEK Communications (www.seek.com.au)

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The $147 million Gunning wind farm is located 15km north-east of Gunning in the Upper Lachlan Shire, 70 kilometres north-east of Canberra. It consists of 31 ACCIONA Windpower 1.5 MW wind turbines and is expected to meet the energy needs of approximately 23,250 New South Wales households each year.

There are positive signs that the Renewable Energy Certficate surplus that developed prior to the separation of the large and small scale Renewable Energy Targets (RETs), is almost behind us. “This will provide the impetus for the industry to build further projects that will take Australia closer to achieving the Renewable Energy Target.” Mr Wickham concluded, “ACCIONA aims to continue to build out its portfolio of renewable energy projects throughout Australia.”

Eco Recruitment have been working with Acciona since 2008. We continue to seek experienced and talented renewable energy professionals and encourage you to register your details with us if you would like to be involved in similar renewable energy projects. 

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From Philip Hopkins of The Sydney Morning Herald.

AUSTRALIA'S valuers have confirmed the hype - going ''green'' definitely increases the value of an office building.

The buildings worth the most are those that have the best energy rating, the Australian Property Institute found in a report it said was the first rigorous assessment of green office buildings in the nation. Buildings with low energy ratings lost value. Read More...

Eco Recruitment says: If you're working as an environmental manager in Australia and looking to up-skill, we'd strongly recommend getting some experience and accreditation in the NABERS rating scheme. More info here.

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Alinta Energy is seriously exploring the idea of converting its Port Augusta power stations into solar thermal facilities.

Solar thermal was first proposed by renewable energy advocates, Beyond Zero Emissions and has already gained strong support by Port Augusta locals and leaders.

The idea has now been embraced by Alinta Energy, who is exploring replacement options if Playford is closed as part of the federal government’s buyout of dirty power stations, in which the company put up its hand to participate in.

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From Eco Recruitment: "Here's hoping more of this sort project can now get off the ground and continue to provide growth for Eco-related jobs. Watch this space."

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Photo courtesy of Carbon Expo 2011

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A decade after it was first seriously discussed in Australian politics, and on its fourth attempt to make its way through a hostile parliament, Australian is now poised to finally implement a carbon pricing regime.

The passage of 19 bills through the House of Representative on Wednesday, propelled and finally approved by two country independents and a single Greens member, means that the passing into law of Clean Energy Future package is now a mere formality, as the government and the Greens have the numbers in the Senate.

There is no doubt that this signals the start of one of the greatest transformations of the Australian economy, ranking alongside the floating of the currency, the introduction of the GST and other major policy initiatives. But will this transformation be sudden and dramatic, or will it be a slow burn? Climate Spectator asked leading business people, advisors, politicians and lobbyists for their take. Click here to read what they said on the Climate Spectator website.

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On Tuesday October 25th (tomorrow), Eco Recruitment, in conjunction with the EJN, will be presenting a practical seminar on how to advance your career in the environmental sector. This seminar is aimed at:

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