Recently I spoke with Eric Nyman, Sales Manager with Sun Light & Power, of Berkeley, CA
Eric Nyman of Solar Light & Power
The solar industry has continued to grow, though it’s certainly been turbulent for the last 12 months. What we have seen however, with the downturn in the economy is that a lot of good, talented people have come over to the solar industry. We’ve been able to broaden our team and bring in some quality folks with some very important skills.
The competition for solar jobs depends on what part of the industry we’re talking about. It is hard to find qualified installation folks. Sun Light & Power is very thorough; we bring an engineering and robust construction philosophy to the systems that we build. Most of the training programs that we pull people out of are rudimentary at best, therefore we provide new employees with a lot of in-house training. We’re very selective in who we hire. We’re looking for a certain candidate that fits within our culture. We really try to hire people who are committed to renewable energy and to environmental issues. It’s one thing to go to work and do your job everyday; It is important for you to live what you are talking about and ‘Walk the talk.’
We’re looking for people with a construction and/or electrical background and they do not necessarily have to be NABCEP certified. We also do solar thermal (not many others are currently active here) so we’re looking for people with plumbing experience. For other positions we’re looking for people who live the lifestyle, which meshes with what we’re trying to present. We even go beyond that as well. We really want people who have a bit of a ‘what’s next’ attitude, not just come in for 8 hours, do your job and go home but come in with creative ideas. What can they add to the organization, make things more efficient and run a little smoother?
We are also a B-Corporation. There are only two B-Corporation solar companies in the country. The bottom line is that we take a percentage of our profits and put that money back into our community, which is very important to us. So for new hires, we’re really looking for that holistic package in an individual, who brings not only the skills that we require, but also brings commitment and passion for sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint on our planet. We believe what we are working in! Ours is a great group of people because that commitment gets translated into the projects that we’re working on.
My advice to those seeking a career in solar is that training is very important, but you should diversify your skill set. If you want to be a PV installer, learn a little about the solar thermal side as well, because ultimately it is also renewable energy. Try to diversify your skill set while learning about the industry and global energy issues.
It’s all about preparation. When you go to a job interview, know about the company, know about the industry and make a good presentation on yourself.
A lot of our job postings are on our website and we advertise positions in various locations. We also hire through workforce development programs, both in Richmond, San Francisco and Oakland, as a part of our B-Corporation philosophy. A lot of our people come from a program called Solar Richmond. We also sometimes have training programs of our own. A lot of these folks from the workforce development programs are coming from disadvantaged communities, so we give them any training that they lack. To be able to bring them into an organization where they can really develop and shine is extraordinary and it makes us happy.
Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com
PS: My blog pick this week is gold for those looking for Green Jobs in California: Occupational Outlook Study for Green Jobs.
