Growing Opportunities for Minorities and Women in the Energy Sector

by Alex A. Kecskes

Opportunities for minorities and women in energy and utility companies have come a long way. Baby boomer workers at all levels--from linemen to senior management--are retiring. In addition, opportunities abound in not only traditional energy enclaves like oil and coal but in emerging green energy areas like wind and solar.

These sectors are hungry for technical talent. If you know your stuff, doors will open. There's a crying need for specialized maintenance services and diagnostics techs, thermal performance engineers who monitor and measure plant performance, and individual specialists representing chemistry, logistics and finance. Companies are increasingly looking at minority candidates to fill these positions.

Once viewed as less sexy than other industries, utilities have taken on an attractive patina thanks to new technologies like wind farms and alternative energy. Con Ed, for example, is actively recruiting women via job fairs and career advancement programs at colleges, high schools and even middle schools.

The best way for women to break into male-dominated energy companies is to enter the interview process armed with superior knowledge about the science, technology and economics of the industry. Both minorities and women should position themselves as individuals who understand the industry and the specific business problems faced by the particular company. They should also be passionate about the energy business, and show a sincere commitment to the employer’s location, work hours, and business mission.

Some diversity minded companies include:

For an added perspective, check out this video:

For more information on Utilities jobs, check out http://www.utilitiesjobs.com/