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When you think about the most important piece of paper in your job search, you are probably thinking about your resume. And you might be right. However, it is important not to underestimate the power of the cover letter.
If you any bit as lazy as I am, you probably have some form cover letter on file that you make small changes to for each job you apply for. You might even have been using the same cover letter for the past 10 years. (Yes, guilty as charged).
Why is this so tempting? Well for starters, your cover letter is about you, and since you (and your attributes) don't change all that much from day to day, you keep the same information in your cover letter.
It wouldn't be such a bad plan if your cover letter was supposed to be about you. In their weekly blog and newspaper column, employment experts JT & Dale mused about the most effective cover letters that they have received as hiring managers over the years.
The one common theme? All the cover letters focused on the job (not the applicant) and why the applicant wanted to work for their organization. The key here is that applicants (whether they realized it or not!) were showing Dale & J.D. that they had done their homework on the company, understood its mission and vision, and really wanted to work for their organization in particular.
What's the lesson here? Don't wait your one sheet of paper on talking about yourself (your resume already does that). Instead, prove to the hiring manager why you want to work for them over the next guy.
Photo Attribution: Askehbl Files
There is NO shortage of advice for job seekers with books, blogs, and experts at every corner. I am a proponent of information and obviously, a supporter of career advice (good career advice). Here are my top 10 tips:
We are all know how important meeting new people and staying connected to those we already know are critical to the job search process. But how many out there put the time and effort into their networks to make them bear fruit? The answer: not a whole lot. Which is good for you!
Join me tomorrow, November 16th, at 3pm ET with the New Organizing Institute to learn how to get the edge over your peers and competitors by more effectively engaging your network in your job search.
All the information you need to sign up for the FREE class is right here.
There will also be a question and answer period after the presentation. Hope to see you there!
In one of the old episodes of The Office, Ryan The Temp laments developing an office reputation:
I don't want to be like, a guy here. You know? Like, Stanley is the crossword puzzle guy. And Angela has cats. I don't wanna have a thing, here. You know, I don't want to be the "something" guy.
Ryan is a guy who doesn't want to make his mark. (Ironically, he becomes infamous for several things, including starting a fire, defrauding the company, and of course, being a temp).
You don't what to be like Ryan. You want to make your mark. But what does that really mean?
People who make their mark are known and well-respected in both their personal and professional circles. A person who has made their mark is the one that gets a call about a job opening before it's been posted. Making your mark means being memorable to someone you only met once or being the go-to person in your office.
So how do you make your mark? It's not just doing one thing once, but instead creating daily habits that connect you with people and ensure you are in the know about opportunities in your field. There are a lot of ways to foster this, but here are just a few:
Making your mark is about creating your professional identity. What do you want to be know for?
Photo Attribution: Irritated Tulsan
When you work in politics and on campaigns you have to realize that you are ALWAYS “on the clock” and always being watched. If you slip up, all it takes is one email forward to make you, your candidate, or your organization look really foolish.
Don’t let this happen to you!
To help prove my point, here are my favorite all-time political staffer FAILs.
Elizabeth “Don’t call me Liz” Becton
I know, I know: old news. But you have to admit this has got to be among the best. For those of you who don’t know the story, my Congressman, Jim McDermott, has a craaaazy office manager named Elizabeth Becton. How do I know she is crazy, you ask? In the first in a series of emails with a secretary at a lobby firm, Elizabeth was referred to once by the secretary as “Liz”. What ensued was a good five emails explaining how she is never to be called “Liz” and hinted that there is a conspiracy among some on the Hill to mono-syllabize her name. Politico has the story.
Hillary Clinton Cardboard Boob Grope
OK I will be the first to admit it: I like groping cardboard as much as the next red-blooded 26-year-old American male. But when that card board is shaped like a person and that person-shape is a lady-shape and that cardboard-lady-shape has a photo of Hillary Clinton printed on it – well, sir, I respectfully draw the line.
Unfortunately, this Obama staffer does not draw that same line.
Peer-to-Peer-to-job loss
The most recent of my favorites are brought to you by a junior staffer working for the Ethics Committee. While working from home, a document containing the records of 30 ethics investigations found its way on to a peer-to-peer network where anyone could download and view it. Oops. Needless to say this young staffer promptly lost his job.
I have to make a confession.
When I first finished my term of service in AmeriCorps*NCCC, I applied for, interviewed for, and accepted another position with AmeriCorps as a Volunteer Coordinator with Volunteer Maryland right outside Washington, DC.
Only a few weeks before I was supposed to start, I got cold feet and left them high and dry.
It was painful, but I realized at the last minute the position really wasn't for me and it would be a big mistake ( and both unfair to me and the organization) if I took the position. Unfortunately for Volunteer Maryland, it was too late to recruit a new member. Unfortunately for me, I was out another opportunity to serve in AmeriCorps.
My mistake? I didn't interview in person.
When I was applying for the position, I was in California on my way home to the East Coast from my position with AmeriCorps*NCCC. The only option was to interview on the phone, and then plan to visit the site just a few weeks before I would start.
It seemed like a seamless plan, but what I didn't realize that there are elements to an in-person interview that you just can't get over the phone. When all the pros and cons have been weighed, I ultimately make decision with my gut, and that gut-reaction can only come to me in person.
It would have been best for everyone involved--both the organization and myself--if I had interview in person to start with. It may have taken some extra cash and time, but the investment would have been well worth it.
Photo Attribution: Personnel Strategies
I am a long-time admirer and follower of Pulitzer Prize winner and columnist, Ellen Goodman. I've admired her writing for as long as I can remember, and appreciate her perspective on so many important issues that are personal and political to me. In fact, if given the choice, she would top the "if you could have dinner with anyone, who would you choose?" list. I've heard her speak on a few occasions, but wish I could have been up front last week when she was a keynote speaker at the Civic Ventures, 2009 Purpose Prize Summit.
At the Summit, 10 Purpose Prize Winners were announced - 10 social innovators, tackling tough social problems in their encore careers and winning awards between $50,000 and $100,000. Where did they find work? In the nonprofit sector - education, job training, climate change, addiction and homelessness. You can read about their work and contributions here, along with watching moving video.
And what did Ellen Goodman have to say about the encore career? As it turns out, she's about to embark on the next phase of her life, "headed straight for the semicolon, that pause between her long career as a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist - and whatever comes next" as she plans the end of her column this year. She told the crowd gathered to honor encore careerists, "I love the phrase ‘encore careers,' and Life is a stage. We are all, always, only in a stage of life. The words are full of showmanship and applause."
If you are trying to figure out your encore career or considering switching sectors, read Encore David Banks, blog post and retelling of Ellen's preparation for the next stage of her life. She's looking forward to it and anxious to see where she'll make a difference. I am not ready for my encore career, but I work with and personally know many people struggling to find their "next" place. The nonprofit sector is a welcoming place with endless opportunities. We won't all win a prize, but each of us can contribute in small (or big) ways to make a difference.
(Photo Credit: www.ellengoodman.com)
In addition to working with job seekers, I spend a lot of time interviewing candidates for jobs and of course, have interviewed a few times over the years. In fact, I just told a friend to interview for a job because it is "a good learning experience". After applying for the job, she decided she wasn't interested any longer. Of course, I said "you were interested enough to apply, and should definitely hear what they have to say." As it turns out, she is going to interview tomorrow (good luck!). If she is offered the job, she can always turn it down or if she accepts it and loves it (this is what I am betting on), she'll be glad she took my advice.
A recent article posted online at US News and World Report points out how much there is to learn during a job interview. Blogger and writer, Alison Green does a great job of reminding readers that a job interview is all about kicking the tires to see if it's a good fit for you too. You can read her 6 things here and following this, think carefully during your next interview process.
An interview can tell a lot about an organization especially how important decisions are made (does it take 2 months for turn around?) or how employees are treated. Take a close look to gauge the energy level of staff members - do they look tired or disgruntled? If so, it's not a good sign. What about clarity? Have they told you about the process or detailed what the hiring process entails? Or do you feel like they are trying to up-sell you something? Think about all these things and trust your instincts. Bottom line: It is all about wooing potential employees during the interviewing process, and if an agency or organization isn't on their best behavior with company over (company = you, the candidate), it may only get worse.
(photo credit: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com/images/Interview-2.jpg)
Advocacy is as much of a science as it is an art. If you are going in to a new job or even a job interview you would do well to keep these 3 rules in mind to help keep you on track and ensure that you are using your time and energy most efficiently.
Rule Number 1
Recruit outside validators of your issues. You can talk about how important food safety is until you are blue in the face but until you have some farmers, elementary school cafeteria workers and super market managers (for example) on your side you do not have enough legitimacy to make your claim. Because of course a food safety nonprofit is going to have that position – it’s there job! You need unconventional people to deliver your message.
Rule Number 2
Develop relationships. Your goal is to get the word out about the great services you provide and convince people to support your efforts. Whether you are providing a service or advocating for a policy you need people to help you on your way. Make sure that you know every key reporter in your area, have friends in elected positions and keep good relations with your constituency of supporters. You will need all of these people to succeed.
Rule Number 3
Raise lots of money. Forget what you heard. The best things in life aren’t free. In fact, most free stuff sucks. You need to pay for the things you really want. That includes an office, materials, staff, advertisements, lobbyists, etc. You will need an innovative and dynamic development program and a sharp person in charge of it to raise the funds needed to sustain a successful advocacy organization.
One question that I get a lot from people interested in applying for AmeriCorps is: "If I find a better job, can I leave early?" Technically, yes. Would I recommend it? No. Of course, there are plenty of situations that would require someone to "honorably" leave their service early. Which ones are which? Read on.
Before I go into the good reasons and the bad reasons to leave your service early, I would like to note exactly how AmeriCorps is different from many full-time jobs in this regard. Specifically, it is a different kind of commitment:
Photo Attribution: eHow.
There are reports out there that jobs exist, but no qualified candidates especially in health care and social services. Do you believe this? If you are a job seeker with no leads, it may be that you are applying for the wrong job or need a better, more powerful, targeted resume. According to CNN Money's Jessica Dickler, "despite millions of unemployed job seekers desperate for work, many open positions are languishing unfilled. The reason? Not enough candidates."
Industry leaders are reporting that there are jobs, but not enough qualified candidates. As a nonprofit recruiter, it's painful to sift through over 300 applications to only find 5 or 6 qualified candidates that actually meet the minimum qualifications. It's also time consuming for an employer or recruiter to search for relevant information in a resume or cover letter In an effort to ease every one's pain, consider the following two things when writing your next cover letter:
if you are unsure, have someone else look at the position and/or your resume. Also, read this recent article from CNN Money to learn more about industry trends and don't forget to network, set yourself apart and keep moving forward.
(Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/howardlake/)
Dated reference I know but still a good lead-in. Campaigners (notice I am switching back to my normal spelling because the Word spell check thing drives me crazy) toil in obscurity. It is your job to make your candidate look their best and ultimately win their election.
A good campaigner is never known to anyone but their volunteers and other behind the scenes types who they work with,
A bad campaigner (who you will learn more about in a near future post) go for the glory and want to be quoted in the press, want to speak at events and want to get on TV.
That is your candidate’s job!
Your job is to set all of those things up, prepare your candidate, and get supporters to do their part to make him or her look their best.
One of the things you have to get used to, being a staffer, is working really hard with out some of the daily glory that comes with being on TV and at the center of attention. Your reward, and the glory, comes at the end of the campaign when you have done everything you can possibly do and win the day.
If you are feeling frustrated, disengaged or depressed about your job search, you'll want to learn about the new job seeker boot camp! I am going to co-lead the series with Laura Gassner Otting, author of "Change Your Career: Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector" and founder and President of the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group. This Boot Camp promises to be out of the ordinary, engaging and filled with timely and lively discussions to help your job search! Here are the details:
NPAG's "Boot Camp for Nonprofit Job Seekers," four-part series will begin on Thursday, November 18, 2009 at 12 noon (EST). You'll learn the subtleties of nonprofit sector, the best way to craft a winning resume and cover letter, new and improved strategies for networking and a session dedicated to answering your job search questions. Best of all, participants will receive NPAG's nonprofit job seeker workbook, designed with checklists, resources and tools to complete a successful job search.
Boot Camp dates and topics include:
We are accepting only a limited number of registrants to make this Boot Camp as personal and interactive as possible. Given this, register now for the entire series or just the topic that interests you the most! Don't miss this chance to engage and reinvigorate your job search! Email me (erin@change.org) if you have any questions - I want to hear from you! (Don't let the picture scare you, there won't be any push-ups.)
We are all guilty of it. You get into an job interview and you're so nervous that you'll flub the answers to the questions they ask you that you forget to ask them questions in return.
Asking questions during a job interview can show that you are serious about the position, are interested in organization as a whole, and that you are playing attention. (Interviewers never remember to tell you all the things that you need to know, so asking clarifying questions will help you catch something that they have missed.)
For people applying for AmeriCorps positions, asking questions in an interview is even more important. First of all, AmeriCorps positions have a lot of moving parts that are unique to AmeriCorps and unique to individual programs. It's important use the interview to make sure that you have all the information about the position that you aren't able to get in advance.
Second, and most importantly, when you are interviewing with an AmeriCorps program, you are interviewing the program as much as the program is interviewing you. There are a lot of great AmeriCorps positions out there, but only so many highly qualified people. In a lost of cases, the program is working as hard to sell themselves to you as you are working to sell yourself to the program.
With this in mind, here are a few questions that you should ask during an AmeriCorps interview:
1). How does the benefits package work? How much is the living allowance and education award?
2). What is your management style and how do you communicate your expectations?
3). How will my performance be evaluated?
4). What have former AmeriCorps members from your program gone on to do?
5). What professional development opportunities do you provide your AmeriCorps members?
6). What other support do you provide for your AmeriCorps members?
Photo Attribution: BlogCDN
Tired of looking for a job? Here's some pump up music to keep you going :) Happy Friday!
In no particular order...
Millions have been tuning in each week for the new ABC hit show, Flash Forward. It's a fascinating drama that makes everyone think about the future. The main premise of the show is that:
A mysterious event causes everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 137 seconds, during which people see what appear to be visions of their lives approximately six months in the future - a global "flashforward". A team of Los Angeles FBI agents, led by Stanford Wedeck (Vance) and spearheaded by Mark Benford (Fiennes), begin the process of determining what happened, why, and whether it will happen again.
Watching the show, you can't help but wonder what your own life will be like in six months. Where will you be financially, romantically, health-wise, career-wise? So let's play along with the drama for a moment. What do you want your nonprofit career to look like in six months? Visualizing what you want is the first step to making it happen. Otherwise, you can be stuck in the same pattern you're in right now. You may even end up feeling bruised and bloody like the photo of Flash Forward's main character above if you don't do something about your career right here, right now. What do you see for yourself in six months?
For more ideas, check out this list of 44 ways to advance your nonprofit career. Now get busy! There is a lot you can do for your nonprofit career in six months.
Photo credit: Sci-Fi Scoop
If you've been thinking about a career change to the nonprofit sector, you may want to consider a "green" job. Many experts believe that we are just at the beginning of job growth in this area. In fact, according to the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society, the number of U.S. jobs directly or indirectly related to energy efficiency and conservation will reach 40 million by 2030.
So, what are these jobs? Work is or will be available in a number of areas (some nonprofit and some not) including air quality, emissions, clean water and clean energy. What does this mean for a would-be green employee? Do your research to determine where your skills are in the highest demand and then, follow the money. NYC (among many others) is taking advantage of federal stimulus dollars to retool, retrain and support organizations in the green sector through 30 new initiative's. According to a recent press release from the Mayor's office, the initiatives - which build upon PlaNYC, the City's comprehensive sustainability plan - will support the creation of 13,000 new jobs, doubling the City's green sector workforce.
The best way to do all this "tracking" is to stay up-to-date through online research and networking. Let Google Alerts do some of the work for you and don't forget to track new funding trends. You can find this information by listening for federal grant announcements, charitable giving initiatives by private foundations or news about newly, launched nonprofit programs.
A recent CNN article provides a lot of useful information especially about WHERE you'll find all this work. If you are "unencumbered" and willing to relocate, there are a number of projected jobs in various places across the country. Think outside the box if you're able to, and pursue a new "green" job in a new place - The grass may be greener after all!
(Photo Credit: http://www.greenernews.com/blogspot.com )
October brings apple cider, chilly air, fall leaves and, for many, celebrations of ghosts and goblins with costumed children yelling "Trick or Treat" around the neighborhood. Yet, if you are one of the many staring down a hole in your resume, you might worry that your own professional tale is the spookiest things going this Halloween.
Don't worry, you are not alone. More than half of all employees will, at some point in their lives, get fired. It's a haunting statistic, and one that doesn't even include the many that choose to exit on their own terms before they're officially handed their pink slips. And, while getting fired might very well be the most frightening thing that's ever happened to you, it could, in fact, turn out to be the best thing that's ever happened to you if you muster your authenticity, creativity, courage, and energy to land an even better position.
Ask any person who's been fired for advice, and they usually talk about the danger of being too reactive or not proactive enough in their next job search. The first step, then, is to take a breath and figure out what happened. The sooner you're able to understand why you were fired, laid off, or reduced in staff and then plan for recovery, the faster you'll land your next job. What are some other strategies to consider? Here is a quick list (here's the full article):
You may feel like you'll never land a new job, but you will. It make take some time and no question, it's a scary time. If you want more advice, read the Boo! in its entirety. Happy Halloween and don't forget the candy corn! (don't you love the pumpkin carving?!)
(Photo Credit: http://www.donotcolorme.blogspot.com)
Nothing matters more in campaigning than winning.
I could end this blog post there I guess but I wouldn’t meet my word quota mandated by my blog-slave drivers (I kid, boss. Please don’t hit me- again). So I will elaborate.
A lot of people go into politics because they want to make a difference. That is great. However, the people who succeed in politics are the ones who want to win.
Think about it this way. If you are hiring a person for a campaign do you want to hire the super excited person who gushes with liberal love, guilt and aspires to live in a commune…
OR
…do you want to hire the person who essentially believes in the Democratic Party and doesn’t squabble on the issues but instead wants to get in the trenches and cut down some war-mongering-dinosaur-denying-Earth-created-1,000-years-ago-believing-richie-yuppie-middle-class-hating-white-bread-WASPy-crustless-cucumber-sandwich-eating-chamber-of-commerce-serving-mouth-breathing-Republican?
I would take option number two any day.
You see that both basically believe in the same thing but number two has the type of personality and attitude that channels their beliefs into something useful: an utter disgust for the opponent that leads to their inability to tolerate anything less than victory.
Do not romanticize politics or campaigns. At the end of the day the only thing that anyone cares about is winning.
If that upsets you or you think it is too simplistic then think of it this way: none of the hippie gushy liberal ideals that we all care about will get anywhere unless there are true campaigners – like you are striving to become – that can get out there and get the people elected to make that shit happen.
Anyway, that’s my pep-talk for the day.
The key to building a great reputation is to make sure people know who you are in the first place. If you can sell yourself as someone nonprofits would want to hire, it becomes easier not only to get hired, but also to find out about jobs that may never even be advertised in the first place. You know by now how important networking is to a job search, but if no one ever remembers meeting you, all those happy hours and business card exchanges may all be in vain.
Case in point. Last night I attended the DC Young Nonprofit Professionals Network's anniversary reception hosted at the White House. Buffy Wicks, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement opened her remarks by asking a few folks in the audience to share the names of some of the nonprofits they worked for. I remember one young African American man that said he was with a nonprofit called Dreaming Out Loud. I remembered the confidence and pride in his voice and I ended up running into him at the happy hour afterwards. It turned out that the young man's name was Chris Bradshaw and he was the Founder and Executive Director of the organization. The passion he displayed in talking about his work with youth was quite moving and I ended up looking up the nonprofit on Google when I got home that night to see how I could get involved.
I remembered Chris Bradshaw, even hours after I had met him. And being memorable can do wonders for your reputation. People will go to bat for you later on if you can stamp a good first impression in their minds. As Naomi Christine Leapheart of Philadelphia Young Nonprofit Leaders recently advised:
Invite yourself to everything (like free nonprofit events and conferences) and make a valuable contribution when you get there. Ask a compelling question or make a comment during Q & A portion of the event.
Speaking up at events and sharing your passion for nonprofit work can definitely enhance your presence at networking events. So the next time you head out to a nonprofit event, think about how you can convey your knowledge and enthusiasm for nonprofit work while you're there. Because simply showing up at a happy hour isn't enough if you don't do or say anything that people will remember.
Photo credit: Customers Rock
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