Green Career Connections

The intent of the USGBC Maine Chapter Career Connections program is to provide a resource to those interested in starting or switching into a “green building” career. This is accomplished by establishing a network of professionals who would enjoy being contacted by these information seekers and discussing their professional and educational backgrounds, as well as any other insights that might be helpful. This is NOT an internship program, nor are the information seekers interviewing for employment. These meetings are purely information gathering purposes.

Some tips for the interviewers:

• Above all, do NOT ask for a job.
• Come prepared. Conduct as much due diligence as you can on the person you intend to meet. There is a wealth of information out there on the web. Use LinkedIn, as well as company websites. The information that you find in the public domain will likely shape your lines of questioning for the person you intend to meet.
• Be prompt. The professionals that you intend to contact are busy with their jobs, and it’s just plain rude to be late.
• If you meet for coffee or lunch, offer to pay.

Some sample questions you might ask:

• What is your educational background and how did it prepare you for your career? If you could go back and gain more formal training, what would it be?
• What are the most important skills that your industry looks for?
• What are the emerging trends that a young professional in my position should look to capitalize on?  Conversely, what trends or sub-sectors are dying?

Ask the person you’ve met for a business card, and follow up with a written thank-you note. This is important.

If it seems appropriate, ask the person if they know of any additional contacts in your area of interest.

Finally, stay in touch with your contacts via email. People are usually happy to help and interested to see where your career path takes you.

The following professionals have indicated that they would enjoy sharing the story of their green building career with emerging professionals:

Vamshi Gooje, Fore Solutions, 207.347.5066, vamshi@fore-solutions.com

Andrew Calise, The Energy Collaborative, andrew@energy-collaborative.com

Tom Brudzinski, ToME, LLC, 410.446.1609, doc@tome-place.com

Jim Cram, Porter Panel & Truss, 207.518.6521, jcram@porterpanels.com

Jennifer Hatch, ReVision Energy, 207.221.6342, jen@revisionenergy.com

Deirdre Wadsworth, Hardypond Construction, 207.797.6066, deirdre@hardypond.com

Nathaniel Cram, Scott Simons Architects, 207.772.3454, nathaniel@simonsarchitects.com

Phil Kaplan, Kaplan Thompson Architects, 207.842.2888, phil@kaplanthompson.com

Steve Konstantino, Maine Green Building Supply, 207.780.1500, steve@mainegreenbuilding.com

James Beaulieu, Energy Wise, LLC, 207.650.8492, saveenergy@maine.rr.com

Francoise Paradis, FE Paradis Enterprises, 207.227.3678, feparadis48@yahoo.com

Diane Milliken, Horizon Residential Energy, 207.650.8126, diane@horizonmaine.com

Cynthia Loebenstein, Architect, 207.712.6554, cloebenstein@yahoo.com

Jennifer Defilipp, Townsend Real Estate, 207.272.6581, jend@townsendre.com

Mike Pulaski, Fore Solutions, 207.347.5066, mike@fore-solutions.com

John Charette, Port City Architecture, 207.761.9000, john@portcityarch.com