High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Work-Life Balance, Interviewing, and Starting a Business

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 5 Tips for Managing a Healthy Work-Life Balance
"What can you do for yourself to manage a good work-life balance and not go crazy?"

2. 3 Tips for Job-Seeking Boomers Hoping to Combat Age Discrimination 
"As Boomers, you've developed a larger network over the years than any other generation. Use this to your advantage."

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos 

3. Stand Out in Your Interview
"You can never invest enough in terms of preparation. You should find out as much as possible about the company."

4. How to Stay on the Hunt After Landing a Good Job
"Keep up with the trends and build your network at the same time by joining a professional association. Your new employer may even offer to pay for your membership, if they see the return on their investment."

5. 5 Tips for Starting Your Own Business 
"Whether your motivation is that you're miserable at work or if it's because you anticipate a layoff, you may be better off marketing yourself as a consultant or starting a business instead of looking for another traditional job."

Part of Your Job Is Customer Service

No matter what job you have currently or pursue in the future, your job responsibilities will include customer service. Whether you’re interacting directly with the customer or working behind the scenes, your actions affect customers’experiences. With the advent of social media, customer word-of-mouth marketing has taken on new meaning.Social media makes it easy for customers to share experiences on the Internet, with a vast number of people. So, it is no surprise that employers look for and keep employees who can positively impact customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately increasing their bottom line. 

Below are a few tips to help you deliver good customer service. 

Make a good first impression: The first impression a customer has with you and your company may determine whether there is a next impression. If that first experience is negative, the customer may not come back. So, whether you are on the front line or in the background, have a customer-centric focus. 

Be Professional and Friendly: Be professional, friendly, and approachable with every customer you encounter. Treat each with respect and let your actions, directly and indirectly, demonstrate that you appreciate their business. 

Be Responsive and Timely: A customer expects a company’s employees to be responsive to his/her needs and address these needs promptly. Better yet, try anticipating customers’ needs before they even ask. At some point, you may have to handle customer complaints. Do so respectfully, listening carefully to their concerns. Acknowledge any mistakes you or your company have made, followed by a sincere apology. Then work together toward a solution. 

Communicate and Manage Expectations: If possible, use customer interaction time to communicate beneficial information about your company’s products or services.Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver, and always set realistic expectations for your customers.

Career Change Tips for Military Transitioners

I often work with people transitioning out of the military who have no desire to continue along their same career path in the private sector. I once had an Air Force aviation mechanic tell me he never wanted to touch an airplane again unless it was flying him on vacation! What does a military veteran do when all the training, experience and knowledge they possess is in a career field they no longer want? Try this step by step approach.

Step 1 - Determine what you DO want to do
You know what you don't want. However, until you figure out what career you want to pursue, it is nearly impossible to define your transferable skills. You can start by making a comprehensive list of your skills and examining which skills you enjoy using the most. In this previous blog post, I offer some additional resources.

Step 2 - Research your target career field
Use resources such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, O*Net Online, and www.acinet.org to define what skills, qualifications, education, and certifications are required in your career field. This research process will help you focus your resume and remove any irrelevant information. Military members have so many varied responsibilities. If you try to tell a potential employer everything, you will overwhelm them into believing you are unqualified.

Step 3 - Look at your experience in a new light
If you look at your military experience too literally, you will automatically dismiss yourself as unqualified. However, try stepping outside your comfort zone and examining how similar your skill sets are to what the employer is seeking.

For example, an electronics specialist who has been fixing aircraft for the last 10 years may automatically consider themselves unqualified for a contract administrator position. However, this person can present themselves as a project manager - every time they fixed an aircraft they managed a project. Project management requires communication, planning, scheduling, budgeting, inventory management, documentation management, problem solving, and customer service. All of these skills are needed as a contract manager.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Stop Multitasking!

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video, author Gina Trapani suggests that some types of multitasking costs us more time than we save and when switching tasks our "work suffers" and "it takes longer".

Watch the video below for more:

Five Questions to Make Your Relationship with Your Boss Stronger

It goes without saying that relationships at work are important, but - arguably - the most important relationship you will have is that with your supervisor. Studies have found that a positive relationship with your supervisor can decrease work exhaustion and increase satisfaction. Further, a Gallup poll found that one of the biggest factors leading to someone quitting a position is the relationship with his/her supervisor. 

Given the importance of the supervisor/supervisee dynamic, what can workers do to strengthen this relationship? Simply letting it unfold without any direction, intervention, or intentionality is not a good idea: creative opportunities can be missed, communication styles can be misinterpreted, expectations can be misaligned, and both parties can fail to feel valued by the other.

Take the initiative to design a strong relationship with your supervisor. When you first start in a position, set up a meeting and delve into these five important questions:

How do you prefer to communicate? Some supervisors are upfront, some supervisors are more indirect. Learning about and understanding how your supervisor communicates can significantly strengthen  your relationship as it can lead to a better level of understanding between the two of you. You can further expand this question to learn how your supervisor likes to have information delivered: phone, email, or quick stop-ins in his/her office.

What are our work priorities right now? This question may seem apparent, but - rest assured - misaligned priorities occur frequently in the workplace. Use this question to get clear on where to focus your time and what your deliverables should be.

What feedback do you have for me? Keeping feedback as a constant agenda item every time you meet will create an expectation that you want to know how you are doing and that your supervisor's feedback is important to you. 

What aspects of office/department culture should I be aware of? Asking this question will clue you in to things such as busy times of the year, how to work with other departments, insights about creating relationships with coworkers, and other important components that will affect your job satisfaction and how you work.

How can I help right now? The thrust of this question is immediacy, demonstrating initiative and focus. Ask this, and then deliver to the best of your ability.

There are more questions than are listed here, but this is a concise start. Do not take for granted your relationship with your supervisor; be proactive and direct it productively and with purpose.

Self-Advocating and Selling Your Ideas

Whether you currently have a job or you’re job hunting, when it comes to your career you’ll do well to get comfortable with self-advocating—in other words, promoting yourself. If talking about yourself seems in poor taste or if you are an introvert, being your own advocate may seem difficult at first. However, it’s an important step in furthering your career, landing a job or promotion, or even just selling ideas to management or clients. 

The best way to get comfortable with self-advocating is through preparation and practice. For example, if you’re interviewing for a job, research the job and company to understand how your skills and experience match the job requirements.  Practice delivering your elevator pitch and get comfortable sharing examples of your achievements, such as how you solved a problem that resulted in a savings for an employer. 

When promoting your ideas, know your audience and what is important to them professionally.  State your purpose up front, and be succinct and specific in sharing key points and benefits.  Use logic to appeal to your audience and frame things in terms of “what’s in it for them.”  Additionally, anticipate and identify ways to productively counter your audience’s objections, if necessary. 

In addition to promoting yourself, the following are also good rules of thumb to follow for a successful career:

• Maintain a professional reputation for being dependable and trustworthy
• Establish and continue to grow your professional network
• Seek opportunities for professional development and learning
• Actively participate at meetings
• Be a team player

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Job-Hunting, Gen-Y, and Success

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 8 Commandments for Every Job Hunter
"Here are eight of my favorite rules to organize your (job) search while maintaining your sanity."

2. Solving Gen-Y's Passion Problem 
"This simple phrase, 'follow your passion,' turns out to be surprisingly pernicious. It's hard to argue, of course, against the general idea that you should aim for a fulfilling working life."

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos 

3. Don't Stop With Just One Contact at Your Target Companies!
"Even at small companies, it’s generally a good idea to build relationships with multiple people to ensure you’re someone that comes to mind when an appropriate opportunity arises."

4. 3 Qualities to Drive Your Success
"Possessing the deep down desire to achieve a particular goal or set of goals will provide the motivation to do what it takes to succeed."

5. 5 Tips to Return to a Company Where You'd Previously Quit  
"Well, just remember, a burnt bridge does not preclude building a new bridge to get back across to the other side."

Green Job Series: Careers in Recycling—Material Recovery Facility Managers

Keeping a constant flow of recyclables collected, sorted, processed, and sold requires a proficient staff of sorters, drivers, mechanics, technicians, machinery maintenance workers—and experienced material recovery facility (MRF) managers to supervise it. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series describes the job of MRF managers.

Material Recovery Facility Managers

Job Duties

MRF managers keep the recycling facilities working efficiently and safely. They have a broad range of responsibilities, including overseeing site improvements, submitting budgets, and developing long-term goals for the facility. MRF managers might also work with the sales team to identify new clients who might be interested in purchasing recyclables. When it is necessary to deal with the public or press, MRF managers are the face of the recycling operation.

MRF managers are also responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training employees. They evaluate employees' performances and offer feedback to senior managers on how to reward and compensate employees. Finally, because heavy machinery and large vehicles at an MRF can pose a risk to employees, a substantial part of MRF managers' jobs concerns workplace safety, such as providing employees with regular safety briefings and reviewing technicians' inspection and maintenance reports.

Education and Training

Positions for MRF managers may require education beyond a bachelor's degree. Many MRF managers have earned a master's degree in business administration (MBA) or a master's degree in industrial engineering. Management experience, especially in the waste industry, can sometimes be substituted for education. A combination of a graduate degree and several years of experience is ideal.

Earnings

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have data specifically for MRF managers; however, these workers are included in the occupation general and operations managers. The median annual wage for general and operations managers in the remediation and other waste management services industry group was $90,790 in May 2010. The wage is the median annual wage for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

For more detailed information on MRF managers in the recycling industry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week’s recycling industry series installment: Route Managers

The Benefits of Joining a Job Search Networking Group

As a resume writer, I volunteer several times a year for a local networking group. This is a very organized and structured group of people in the Phoenix Metro area that are dedicated to connecting job seekers with the resources they need to succeed. As I sat in the group earlier this week, I wondered why ALL job seekers don't participate in these organizations.

There are so many different ways a job seeker - or someone looking to further their career - can benefit from joining one or more of these types of groups. Here are just a few highlights.

Solid Job Leads and Referrals
The best job seeker networking groups will put you into contact at every single meeting with employers and recruiters. At the very least, you will meet people who are either in a similar industry or know someone that can serve as a source of referrals. In a job seeker networking group, everyone in the room generally understands the value of networking and is there to exchange information and leads. You simply have to remember to clearly state how the group can help you meet your needs. Take full advantage of the situation!

Finding a "Partner in Crime"
A job search can be very lonely and isolating, especially if all you do is sit at your computer and look online for job postings all day. Get out of the house, meet people in the same situation as yourself, trade tips, and find someone who you can talk to when the going gets rough. Don't look for someone that will whine and complain with you. Instead, look for someone who can serve as a positive influence and motivator when you get frustrated or down.

Access to Experts
Networking groups are free. The exchange of information, ideas, and resources is free of charge. This week, for free, I took my job search expertise and advised a number of people on how to better target and focus their search. If they had not attended this event, they would never have received this information that hopefully improved the efficiency of their job search.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Importance of Mentors

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video, career coach Caroline Dowd-Higgins suggests the development of a "personal board of directors." This is a support system and group of mentors that can help you navigate the various stages of your career.  

Watch the video below for more:

Three Ways to Get the Important Work Done

This morning I was very productive. I got up early and threw a load of laundry in the washer. While my clothes were washing I set up the ironing board to iron out the wrinkles in my work shirts, taking a quick break to move the load from the washer to the dryer. My shirts ironed, I put the ironing board and iron away and folded my now-dry clothes. I then went downstairs to do some dishes from the previous night's dinner, recycle the accumulated junk mail on the kitchen island, and file important papers. A quick trip to the gym and the grocery store after that, I was back at home by 11am, surfing the web.

I thought I was being productive…except I wasn't.

The invoices for my business that I have been intending to get done for days hadn't been sent out, I did not update my LinkedIn profile like I had intended to, and I still need to write copy for my business website.

Welcome to the realm of productive procrastination. We tend to justify and rationalize the important things we put off by doing other "important" things that, really, are distractions.

What are you putting off to better your career? Perhaps it's completing your resume, talking with your supervisor about your future with the company, enrolling in that class that will provide the education to advance your career, or any other thing that will get you closer to where you want to be personally and professionally.

Distractions do not help. Yes, the laundry has to get done and you have to file. But not at the expense of your dreams. Here are three methods to make your time not just productive, but meaningful.

1. Jump In: Close your eyes and do it. Shut out the noises in your mind that are holding you back, focus on your breathing, and simply start what you have been putting off. You will probably find that it isn't as bad as you thought it would be; in fact, it is much, much easier.

2. Dwell on the benefits: Instead of dwelling on the pain associated with that important activity, think about the pleasure: what will you get out of it? What kind of future are you creating for yourself by doing this? How good would it feel to have it completed? Get yourself to a place of resonance, where you future is shining bright and you are excited about what you are to do, then act.

3. Get to know your saboteur: ah, the saboteur…the voice in your head that tries to protect you, tries to keep you the same and gets louder when you get closer to what you want. Spend some time getting to know your saboteur and its tells to know how to best combat it.

Just because you are doing something doesn't mean that you are doing something. Devote your time to those pursuits that will benefit your career long-term.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Networking, Resumes, and Over-working

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 10 Lies We Tell Ourselves About Networking
"Take a minute to think about the successful people you know and what makes them successful. Chances are they are masterful networkers and they did this by finding their own way to build mutually beneficial relationships."

2. 10 Career Facts You'll Learn After College 
"Despite what you'd like to believe, many employers won't care where you went to school, or even what you earned your degree in. They'll focus instead on your skills."

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos 

3. What to Do When You Have to Work with Someone You Don't Like
"(W)orking with people you don't like becomes a lot more interesting. Because getting to know them better, and accepting the parts of them you don't like, is actually getting to know yourselfbetter and accepting the parts of yourself you don't like."

4. How to Take Your Resume From "Blah" to "Wow"
"You are likely rivaling candidates whose qualifications are similar to your own. So, you must be the red balloon in the field of yellow ones if you want to get noticed."

5. Why Working More Than 8 Hours a Day Can Kill You  
"A combination of stress, raised blood pressure and unhealthy diets stemming from long working hours may be the cause of thousands of workers’ serious health problems."

Upcoming Election: Job Seekers Stay the Course

With the November presidential election around the corner, you may be wondering how the election impacts the efforts of those looking for new or different jobs. The answer lies in generalities. But before exploring these, remember, other predominant factors drive hiring decisions—election year or not. Some of these factors include each organization’s business goals and needs, performance measures, market demands, and other market and industry factors.

Considering the uncertain political landscape and the country’s slow recovery from the current recession, you can see how the job market has undoubtedly been affected. With a sluggish economy, unemployment lingering around eight percent, and marginal job creation, many businesses, like the public, are watchful and waiting to see what will develop after Election Day, as voters elect a new President.

Large and small companies and industry in general are eager to see what role the newly elected President and Cabinet play in the economy. Many are wondering about the effects that changes to taxes, policies, and regulations will have on their business and, ultimately, the bottom line. So many of these factors influence the decisions business and industry make regarding whether to grow and invest in their business sectors, move into new markets, and of course, whether to hire new employees.

Although the upcoming election may prompt a wait-and-watch approach for many companies, job seekers and those changing careers should remain diligent in their job searches and stay the course. No matter what the outcome of the November election, your career goals and personal or family needs should be the driving force behind your job search.

Green Job Series: Careers in Recycling—Mechanics, Technicians, and Machinery Maintenance Workers

Recycling operations rely on various kinds of mechanics, technicians, and machinery maintenance workers to inspect and repair the automated equipment in MRFs (Materials Recovery Facility) and to maintain recycling trucks. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series describes the jobs of mechanics, technicians, and machinery maintenance workers.

Mechanics, Technicians, and Machinery Maintenance Workers

Getting recyclables from waste bins to manufacturers requires different types of workers. Drivers collect the recyclables and transport them to a MRF, at which mechanics, technicians, and machinery maintenance workers work.

Job Duties

Mechanics and technicians monitor and operate the machines in MRFs, including balers (compactors) that shape the recyclables into a form to simplify shipping to and use by manufacturers. They also regularly inspect the machinery and diagnose and repair any problems with the electrical or hydraulic systems of the compactors. They record their work in detailed logs.

Other mechanics, technicians, and maintenance workers are needed to repair and maintain the recycling trucks. They run inspections and diagnostic tests and perform preventative maintenance and vehicular repairs. Truck technicians also document vehicular part usage and repair times. They may be required to make emergency roadside calls if recycling trucks experience problems while out on collection.

Education and Training

Whether they work on machinery or recycling trucks, mechanics and technicians should have at least a high school education or a G.E.D. They should also have at least a year of formal education and experience performing repairs on machines or vehicles. Workers can learn these technical skills through vocational training programs or apprenticeships. While mechanics used to specialize in one area, many now have knowledge of multiple disciplines, including electricity, electronics, hydraulics, and computer programming. Machinery maintenance workers usually receive on-the-job training that lasts for a few months or a year.

Mechanics and technicians are required to pass drug tests and background checks. They should have clean driving records and need to be able to move equipment that weighs up to 50 pounds.

Earnings

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have data specific to mechanics, technicians, and machinery maintenance workers at MRFs. However, these workers are included in the occupations industrial mechanics; maintenance workers, machinery; and bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists. The table below shows wages for these occupations in the remediation and other waste management services industry group. The wage is the median annual wage for the entire United States. Wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Industrial machinery mechanics	$47,280
Maintenance workers, machinery	$41,870
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	$38,780

For more detailed information on mechanics, technicians, and machinery maintenance workers in the recycling industry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week’s recycling industry series installment: Material Recovery Facility Managers

Is it Time for a Career Reinvention?

I heard a talk show host talking today about the necessity of reinventing yourself while growing and changing with the evolving economy, market and technology. He was talking in terms of the United States and its need to continue to evolve in order to stay competitive in the global market. However, it made me think about how the same is true about professionals.

If we are resistant to change and growth and we are unwilling to accommodate and adapt ourselves to changing markets and technologies, then we will soon become stagnant. The very essence of our life is change, as we began changing, growing and evolving the day we were born.

Quite simply, we can not have growth without change. Here are some quick and easy ways to help you grow and adapt in our ever-changing job market.

• Evolve the way you connect with the world. I meet so many people who are resistant to social networking. However, I recently spoke with a recruiter that said more than 80% of his candidates come through his research on LinkedIn. With this kind of evidence, today's job seeker can't afford to omit social media from their tool box.
• Commit to constant education to keep your skills and knowledge current. This does not necessarily always mean formal education. However, subscribe to blogs of respected leaders in your industry, follow these same people on Twitter, read new books and take advantage of educational seminars and conferences in your industry.
• Expand your network of contacts. Never count a contact out as being unable to help you just because they are in a different industry. You never know who can make that connection for you until you reach out to them. Simply opening yourself up to new people, new networking opportunities and new contacts can have a major impact on your career.

Four Ways to Earn Workplace Respect...and Career Happiness

Aretha Franklin may have been on to more than she realized when she belted out a soulful tune in 1965 asking for a little respect.

It should come as no surprise that respect is important to professionals, but a recent study by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley indicates that they key to career happiness and social well-being at work isn't money: it's the respect one feels from one's peers.

How does you cultivate respect at work? Follow these four best practices to earn the admiration of your peers and make your work-life more satisfying:

1. Stay true to your word: One of the most significant ways to earn respect is through integrity. Sticking to your word speaks volumes about your character, shows reliability, and lets people know what they can expect from you. Resolve to more closely correlate what you say with what you do.
   
2. Practice courteousness: People are emotional creatures, and how you treat them conveys a lot about you. Regardless of how you feel about others, treating them with esteem and graciousness will not only help you cultivate a relationship with them, but show those around you how aptly you are able to handle your relationships.
   
3. Stop gossiping: Nothing can kill respect more than gossiping about others. Not only are you creating a negative atmosphere at work, others will wonder what you say about them when they aren't around. If your coworkers start gossiping, refuse to contribute or - better yet - excuse yourself from the conversation.
   
4. Show initiative: Creating a reputation as one who completes projects well is a great thing to do, but anticipating business needs and acting on them will reward you with a reputation for taking initiative, a much sought-after quality of professional character. What business needs are not being met, and how can you help?

Through simple changes to your workplace habits and behaviors, you can create an immeasurable amount of respect from your colleagues...and increase your workplace satisfaction while you're at it.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. Tools for Branding Yourself in the Job Market
"Your use of these tools is just another way of demonstrating current technology skills, subject matter, interest, and/or expertise and a bit of creativity."

2. Want a Better Job? Find a Mentor 
"You are never too old or too important to be mentored, and a good mentoring relationship can pay off for both parties."

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos 

3. What You Should Never Compromise On While Building Your Career
"Sacrificing your health and well-being demonstrates your lack of prioritizing yourself as important, failing to understand that you must care for yourself – and yes, put yourself first — before you can be of true service to anyone else, your organization, your family or your employer."

4. Lessons from a Career, Interrupted
"Despite the challenges of pursuing an unconventional and hybrid career, it's these kinds of journeys that are the most personally rewarding but are also the most valuable to employers, even if they don't know it at first."

5. 4 Lessons from the Best Bosses I Ever Had  
"(E)verything flows from trust — learning, credibility, accountability, a sense of purpose and a mission that makes 'work' bigger than oneself."

Green Job Series: Careers in Recycling—Sorters

Collected recyclables are taken to an MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) to be sorted and processed. At MRFs, workers unload the recycling trucks, and dump the recyclables onto slow moving conveyor belts. As the recyclables move down the conveyor belt, they are sorted into different groups by their material. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series describes the job of a sorter.

Sorters

In single-stream recycling systems, many different kinds of recyclables are collected together. Sorters separate the various types of recyclables so they can be processed.

Job Duties

Sorters work along conveyer belts in MRFs. As waste materials come down the conveyer belt, sorters pull out any items that cannot be recycled and should be disposed of. They sometimes work as quality control inspectors and remove unwanted materials from a single stream. For example, they might remove paper products from a stream of plastic containers.

At older MRFs, sorters are also responsible for separating all the different types of recyclables by material type. MRFs are increasingly relying on automated equipment as a faster way to sort recyclables. Even in these plants, however, sorters are necessary to ensure that no stray recyclables fall into the wrong group. Sorters also monitor the waste stream before it reaches the automated equipment to pull items that could damage the machinery, such as garden hoses, from the conveyer belt.

Education and Training

There are no specific education requirements for sorters. Many companies conduct drug tests and background checks on prospective employees. Sorters need to be physically capable of working on their feet for the entire day. They also need strong backs to handle repeatedly bending over to pick items off the conveyor belts. Sorters must have excellent vision to spot items as they come down the conveyer belt.

Earnings

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have data specifically for recycling sorters at MRFs; however, these workers are included in the occupation laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand. The median annual wage for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in the remediation and other waste management services industry group was $23,570 in May 2010. The wage is the median annual wage for the entire United States. Wages vary by employer and location.

For more detailed information on sorters in the recycling industry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week’s recycling industry series installment: Mechanics, Technicians, and Machinery Maintenance Workers

Green Job Series: Careers in Recycling—Drivers

Getting recyclables from waste bins to manufacturers requires different types of workers. Drivers collect the recyclables and transport them to a MRF, at which sorters, plant managers, and technicians and mechanics work. Skilled personnel in support roles, such as sales and logistics, are also essential to the recycling industry. Larger recycling firms also employ workers in many other occupations, including management and human resources, but these occupations are not covered in this report. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series describes the job of a driver.

Drivers

Recycling companies or local governments offering home pickup services employ drivers, also called recyclable material collectors, to pick up and transport recyclables to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

Job Duties

Several drivers usually work together as a team to collect recyclables. One drives the truck, stopping alongside each recycling bin, while the other workers ride inside the cabin or hold onto the side of the truck. At each stop, at least one worker exits the vehicle, grabs the curbside recycling bin, and empties it into the bed of the truck. When the truck finishes its assigned route, the workers return to the MRF where the recyclables are unloaded.

Depending on the type of truck used, workers might have to lift and empty the recyclables from the bin themselves. Other vehicles have hydraulic lifting mechanisms—in either the rear or front of the truck—that can be used to empty the bins automatically. To protect themselves from accidents around the trucks and lift systems, drivers follow detailed safety procedures.

Drivers are required to collect recyclables year-round and in all weather conditions. And, in order to pick up recyclables along long routes, some workers begin shifts as early as 5 or 6 a.m.

Recycling companies that offer services to construction firms pick up recyclable materials from construction sites. Because of the high volume and large size of construction waste, these workers might drive roll-off trucks, which can haul the large dumpsters used on construction sites back to special construction and demolition debris facilities.

Drivers are responsible for inspecting their vehicles at both the beginning and end of every workday. They inspect the tire pressure, fluid levels, safety equipment, and all gauges and controls.

Education and Training

Drivers should have at least a high school education or a G.E.D. To be certified to handle large recycling trucks, drivers must have a Class A or B Commercial Driver's License with airbrake endorsement. Recycling companies prefer drivers who have several years of experience with large commercial trucks.

Drivers need to pass drug screening and background checks. They should have clean driving records. Drivers must also be physically capable of lifting, pushing, and pulling full recycling bins repeatedly throughout the day.

Earnings

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS does not have data specifically for drivers of recycling trucks; however, these workers are included in the occupation refuse and recyclable material collectors. The median annual wage for refuse and recyclable material collectors in the remediation and other waste management services industry group was $29,610 in May 2010. The wage is the median annual wage for the entire United States. Wages vary by employer and location.

For more detailed information on drivers in the recycling industry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Tomorrow’s recycling industry series installment: Sorters

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Nigel Marsh on Work-Life Balance

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this TED video author Nigel Marsh discusses the importance of work-life balance. Marsh notes, "There are thousands and thousands of people out there leading lives of quiet, screaming desperation, where they work long, hard hours at jobs they hate to enable them to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like." 

Watch the video below for more: