Are you Green Experienced?

By Ryan Sparks

Obtaining certifications and/or credentials can be addictive. For some, it’s the thrill of passing the exam. For others, it’s the ego boost they get from seeing the acronyms after their name that take up two lines on their business card. Others just like to wallpaper their office with certificates. Regardless of the reason, if you are a Green Associate, the next credential to shoot for is becoming a LEED AP. The only problem is that GBCI requires you demonstrate experience on a LEED project in order to qualify for the exam.

But what about all the sales professionals that want to become LEED APs to establish credibility with their green clients? Or all the attorneys that want to establish a niche in green building law? How are they supposed to qualify for the exam?

So maybe sales professionals and attorneys do not garner a lot of sympathy from the general public, or maybe architects and engineers like this obstacle because they feel it keeps their credential more prestigious. The fact of the matter is that unless you are working in a firm with LEED projects, your chances of getting LEED experience is limited to the following:

• Volunteering – Non-profits like Habitat for Humanity and Enterprise Green Communities (http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/) provide volunteer options to work on LEED affordable housing projects.
  
  
• Interning – This is not an option for a working professional, but students or recent grads can try to obtain unpaid positions with firms that work on LEED projects.
  
  
• Buying the Experience – Many LEED exam prep sites are now selling project experience that is limited to participation in weekly web conferences at a cost starting around $400.
  

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many professionals that are already LEED APs are also clamoring to work on LEED projects to build up their experience and resume. So until there is real boom in LEED construction, Green Associates are going to have to look for creative ways to get their name listed on a LEED project.