Finding a Job, Networking, and Diversifying

The solar industry is evolving, and so are the opportunities within it. This session features experienced hiring managers discussing how to identify where jobs are right now, leverage transferable skills across related fields, and network effectively in today’s market.  Hear proven strategies from women who have successfully navigated industry changes and come out stronger.

Panelists
Janet Gomez is a recruiting leader with 15 years of experience in talent acquisition, including 8 years specializing in the residential solar industry. Her work focuses on developing comprehensive recruiting strategies that drive sustainable company growth , from sourcing, hiring, onboarding, and retention. Janet is deeply passionate about advancing diversity and equity in the workforce and has built strong partnerships with trade schools, colleges, nonprofits, and community organizations to build teams that reflect the communities our company and industry serves.

Erika Symmonds (she/her), has been spent most of her career engaged in efforts intersecting youth development, green skills training, and workforce development, all grounded in creating equitable access to economic and personal growth opportunities. She is an advocate for incorporating experiential, service, and work-based learning into education and workforce development programming. She is forever grateful for her two years of AmeriCorps with Habitat for Humanity where she built a her foundation of construction skills, and got introduced to green building, including solar installation! Erika studied at Wellesley College, and serves on the boards of Green City Force and RE-volv, and the advisory committees of Solar for Women and Business Leaders United. A neuro-divergent child of Caribbean immigrants, she was born and raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY and currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her wife and daughter.

Kate Collardson has served in many roles during career in the solar industry, including installer, designer, permit technician, trainer, program manager, technical support agent, and product manager. Currently, Kate is a Co-Founder of Solar Service of Colorado, an O&M company. After years of lamenting the lack of recycling options for solar equipment, Kate became an advocate for PV recycling, leading to the formation of SolarRecycle.org. She holds a NABCEP PV Installation Professional credential. Kate has a B.A. in German from Colorado College and an MBA, with a Certificate in Sustainable Technology and Management, from Arizona State University.

This session was originally a live webinar hosted by Solar for Women.