Collegiate Times

When Virginia Tech seniors graduate this May, they'll have more than career fairs and Monster.com to help find them the perfect job.

An environmental news Web site called Grist.org recently launched a job postings board that advertises environmentally friendly jobs and employers.

Priding itself on "green journalism," Grist started in 1999 and focuses on providing news on environmental issues in the form of articles, book reviews, consumer tips and opinion pieces. It features news on everything ecological -- including current legislation, green living, climate issues and environmental justice. It even provides a "How green is your candidate?" fact sheet to determine how your favorite presidential candidate measures up on environmental policy.

The job board, however, may be the most interesting part of the site for college students. It allows organizations to post "green" job advertisements in hopes of attracting the environmentally conscious audience that frequents Grist.

"It was just launched in November 2007, but so far we're really happy with how readers and employers are taking to it," said Linda Ingersoll, director of business development for Grist.

In order for a job advertisement to be posted on Grist, it must be from either a nonprofit environmental organization or a job in the environmental department of a corporation.

Ingersoll is in charge of approving or denying the job ads before they're posted on the site.

"We just want to make sure the jobs are appropriate for our audience," Ingersoll said. "But so far I haven't been faced with the question of whether or not to approve one."

Job advertisements range from a staff attorney for Earthjustice to a "green genius" for Planet Smoothie.

Although the site has only 50 or 60 jobs listed currently, new jobs are added each day.

Catherine Copeland, assistant director for assessment at Virginia Tech Career Services, said this is an example of the many Internet resources.

"I think a lot of Web sites like this target college students because most of them are typically looking for jobs upon graduation," Copeland said.

Copeland said there are Web sites similar to www.grist.com everywhere, catering to students' specific interests.

Angie De Soto, a senior environmental policy and planning major and officer of the Environmental Coalition at Tech, said the job board on Grist is a great source for college students because of the direction society is heading in dealing with environmental issues.

"Younger people are moving into decision-making careers, and Web sites like this are opening doors that haven't been opened before," De Soto said. "Especially as our society is moving to live in harmony with the planet rather than against it."