Whether or not we’re really going through a green revolution is up for debate, but I can assure you that Marketing departments across the world are taking advantage of the public’s appetite for “green” products. Unfortunately, “green” doesn’t really mean anything. To you it might mean one thing, and to me it might mean another. We assume that something that is labeled or advertised as green will be better for the environment, but how do we really know? That’s where Green Seal comes in. They are Washington, DC based “independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and service.” They do this by certifying products that meet their Green Seal standards. By having an independent third party set standards, consumers can actually make informed choices about the products they buy (as long as they’re Green Seal certified, of course).

Are You Green Seal Certified?

There’s a lot that goes into the certification process, and there are plenty of other organizations and businesses that work in the green certification field. The reason that Green Seal is different is that their “standard-setting process is open, collaborative, fair, and completely transparent.” There are no trade secrets. That means that even the most environmentally conscious customers will be able to know if Green Seal meets their personal standards. If Green Seal meets your personal standards, you may want to think about a job with them. I couldn’t find a Jobs page on their website, but they do post open positions on Idealist. Right now they have two opportunities that appear to be suitable for new grads: Environmental Scientist and Environmental Engineer. The jobs sound pretty similar, and they require a strong science background, so check out the full job descriptions and see if you’re the right fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• GreenSeal.org
• Jobs at Green Seal (Idealist)
• About Green Seal
• What Green Seal Does
• Green Seal’s FAQ
• Green Seals Standards and Certification
• Green Seal in the News

Do you try to buy certified products? Which certifications?

I love writing these holiday posts. It’s always fun to think of holiday related jobs, and since today is President’s Day, I had a lot of options. I could have looked at car dealerships or retailers that celebrate with a President’s Day sale, but I wanted to feature some jobs that honor our past presidents. Since Washington and Lincoln are all over our money, we’re going to check out jobs with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re responsible for printing all of our paper money, but that’s not all that they do. The BEP is also the country’s largest producer of security documents, which includes “U.S. passports, materials for Homeland Security, military identification cards, and Immigration and Naturalization Certificates.” They don’t produce our coinage – that’s the United States Mint, but they do have the coolest domain name in the government – MoneyFactory.gov – even though it kind of sounds like a get rich quick scheme’s web site. And last but not least, they must be pretty busy because the current low interest rates mean that the government is printing a lot of new money.

Jobs in the Money

If you don’t believe the saying that “money can’t make you happy,” then you might be well suited for a job with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. You’re probably not going to get rich with a job in the Federal government, but you’ll certainly be surrounded by cold, hard cash. The BEP looks like a fascinating place to work, and they have quite a few job offerings that might interest new college grads. They have two locations – Washington, DC and Fort Worth, TX – but they only have job openings in DC right now. The BEP’s job listings are some of the most confusing that I’ve ever read, so it’s really hard to tell what the experience requirements are for each job. With that said, I think that you might want to check out jobs like Quality Assurance Specialist, Human Resources Specialist (Employee & Labor Relations), Management Assistant, Chemist, Picture Engraver (Banknote) Apprentice, and Research Chemist. It’s hard to say whether all of these jobs are entry level, but give them a good look if you’re intrigued by the titles. You should also note that the BEP has some Special Hiring Programs. These include the Outstanding Scholar Program, which “exempts qualified applicants from normal competitive hiring procedures who have obtained Superior Academic Achievement,” and a Merit Promotions Program. The application instructions for jobs with the BEP are at the end of each job posting, and they’re onerous to say the least, but if you want to be surrounded by money, there’s no better option.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• MoneyFactory.gov
• Jobs at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
• About the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
• The Bureau’s Strategic Plan
• The Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s FAQ
• History of the BEP
• The BEP’s Organizational Chart

What’s your favorite bill produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing?

When I was in college, the only studying of proteins that I did was in a class called Intro to Meat Science. Don’t believe me? Here’s the course listing. Learning how meat proteins react to salt or heat is extremely useful (and delicious) but not at all relevant to the non-profit organization that we’re featuring today (or if it is, I’ll be shocked). Unfortunately, I know absolutely nothing about biomedical research or cell biophysics, so all I can do is tell you a little bit about the New York Structural Biology Center and the entry-level jobs that they’re offering for new grads.

I Love Membrane Proteins Structure

If you own a t-shirt with the above saying, then the New York Structural Biology Center should be a great fit for you. The Center’s research goals are based around “understanding of the role that proteins play in disease pathways” and “[carrying] out advanced biomedical research in a number of areas including the new fields of structural genomics.” The NYSBC is the core facility of the New York Consortium on Membrane Proteins Structure, which consists of laboratories in and around New York City that are working together to “determine the structures of integral membrane proteins using high throughput methodologies.” The NYSBC is governed by a Board of representatives from the ten institutional members: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, City University of New York, Columbia University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York University, The Rockefeller University, Wadsworth Center of the Department of Health, the Joan and Sanford Weill Medical College of Cornell University (Go Big Red!), and the State University of New York. It appears that the NYSBC is making significant progress, and the successes seem to be enabling them to expand by hiring new people and beginning new projects.

Entry-Level Is a Broad Term

We have a love-hate relationship with the term “entry-level.” It’s the only way to consistently identify job opportunities for new college grads, but the definition is way too broad to actually be useful. The jobs that the New York Structural Biology Center are listed as entry-level, and they are definitely directed at new college grads, but there is no way that most college kids would qualify. The job title is Technician, and there are 2 openings. Applicants are expected to have majored in Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Previous experience in a laboratory research setting will also be a major advantage, although it’s not required. Tasks that NYSBC Technicians are expected to work on include: preparation of buffers and bacteriological media, growth and harvesting of bacteria cultures, basic molecular biology, and routine laboratory maintenance. You can apply by sending your cover letter and resume to Brian Kloss, Ph.D. at bkloss@nysbc.org.

Sorry for all the quotes today, but I’m going to stick with my steak cooking skills. This stuff is way over my head, but if it’s in your realm, please share any insight that you have in the comments. Hopefully we gave you enough to get you started on your own research of jobs at the New York Structural Biology Center.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• The New York Structural Biology Center
• Jobs at the NYSBC
• Papers Published by NYSBC Staff
• The NYSBC’s Facilities

See those 3 big buttons on the top of the web page? Yeah, scroll up! When you click those, you directly boost our egos. Go do it. Now.

It always seems like you never have Chapstik – er, lip balm – when you really need it. Even Napoleon Dynamite was plagued by that little tube’s ability to disappear from his pocket and end up sitting on his desk at home. Some will argue that they never use lip balm because it just makes the problem of chapped lips worse, but I know for a fact that those people give in as soon as their “lips hurt real bad.” As life saving as lip balm can be at the right time, you’d still never expect it to allow a guy who lived in a turkey coop to be the face of a billion dollar business. Yes, Burt’s Bees was sold last year to Clorox for just shy of a billion dollars.

From Rags to… Rags

Apparently the whole story is quite contentious, as Burt of Burt’s Bees was bought out for just a few hundred thousand dollars by his then lover and business partner. She eventually sold the business for a much larger sum. Burt now has about $4 million to his name, but still chooses to live in a turkey coop with no electricity or running water; however, he has expanded the coop. The whole story is worth a read, and can be found at the NY Times. So, how did this cottage enterprise in Maine turn into a billion dollar business located in Durham, NC? Organic and all-natural products got hot. People will pay more for their lip balm (or cream, or shampoo, or soap) if it’s produced in an environmentally sound way with ingredients that are organic or all-natural. This is what Burt’s Bees is all about, although it stands to be determined whether consumers will still trust the authenticity of the company, now that it’s owned and operated by a bleach company.

Organic Chemistry (Not the Kind That Breaks Pre-Meds)

Although most of the jobs at Burt’s Bees require a moderate amount of experience, there are a couple that might be good fits for a college chemist. Burt’s Bees is looking for an Industrial Chemist and a Junior Quality Control Chemist. The first position appears to be more entry-level than the second, but both are worth a look. Although our chemistry knowledge is limited, we can imagine that spending a few years as a chemist with an all-natural / organic products company will open the doors for many future opportunities. The market for such products is only going to grow, and having a background in working with natural ingredients seems be something that you’ll be able to leverage quite nicely down the road.

Burt’s Bees’ Careers page is really simple, and the job descriptions are really clear about what they’re looking for. We love that! We also like their Working at Burt’s Bees page, although they’ve overlooked the fact that they should probably link to it from the Careers page. We can’t speak to whether the culture at Burt’s has changed since the company was acquired, but we imagine that it’s in Clorox’s best interest to do whatever it takes to maintain the brand’s authenticity. That should start with treating their people the same way they were treated when it was just Burt’s Bees.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• Burt’s Bees
• Jobs at Burt’s Bees
• Working at Burt’s Bees
• About Burt’s Bees
• The History of Burt’s Bees (No mention of Clorox…)
• The Culture of Burt’s Bees
• Burt’s Bees’ Leadership Team
• Research & Development at Burt’s Bees

Now where’s my lip balm…