This spring I embarked on the dreaded job search process. I had done so once before, the year after I moved back from Spain.
I like to think I did everything right at that point – I set up informational meetings with a number of family friends; I attended a variety of resume and job search seminars; I told everyone I knew about my search; I took on temp work through a local agency; and, perhaps most importantly, I applied applied applied. I had a number of phone interviews that didn’t lead to more, one in-person interview that was also fruitless, and a temp-to-permanent offer through the temp agency that, after much hand-wringing, I decided wasn’t right for me at that time. One of the challenges in this search was that I had no applicable real-world work experience and I was unsure exactly what I wanted to do. Ultimately, I ended up in the uniquely millennial position of creating two part-time roles for myself in two different start-up nonprofit organizations.
While that year of searching was frustrating and felt a lot like running in place, I realize now that I was laying the groundwork for future searches. These conversations and relationship-building exercises built the foundation of my professional life and career.
This time around, as a result of that first search, I already knew:
- How to write a strong cover letter
- How to write and format an exceptional resume
- That people are generally willing and eager to offer their professional expertise and assistance
- How to start and have conversations with contacts about my job search and career aspirations
Based on the few last years of career experience, I also now knew:
- That I wanted to work in a mission-driven setting, preferably in a mid-level role with a larger organization (instead of the highest level role in a small organization, as I’d been doing)
- That ideally the mission-driven setting would involve youth development, education and/or sports
- That I wanted to work hard and enjoy my work, but also to be compensated an amount that made me feel like my work and skill were valued (and also an amount that didn’t add extra penny-pinching stress to my personal life)
- That my strengths are in management, operations, fundraising, and marketing, so far within a nonprofit setting
- What I looked for, as well as what put me off, about job applications based on my hiring experiences within my other organizations
- That I thrive in a collaborative, creative and energetic work environment
Armed with this information, a much more comprehensive list of LinkedIn contacts, and a bookmarked folder within my web browser entitled “future cool organizations to work for” that I’d been building since the last search, I dove in once again. (It’s important to note that I was still working while I began this search, knowing that I’d be leaving my current executive director role at the end of the fiscal year in June.)
Now that I had a stronger idea of the type of role I was looking for, it didn’t necessarily make the search easier, but gave me more direction and allowed me to focus on and feel more confident about the roles and organizations that did intrigue me. I spent more time crafting each resume and cover letter, and I did everything I could to find a connection to the organization. Upon finding that connection, I reached out to get more information, to ask for advice, to seek input on my application, and to perhaps request a referral.
With the way online job applications work these days, it’s crucial that applicants have a way of getting their resume and cover letter read – a personal or professional connections ensures a set of eyes (and of course the applicant’s experience and interview skills will have to take it from there). As a result of this revelation, I think my most important takeaway from this process would be just how invaluable relationships and personal connections are. It’s important to maintain relationships, but even more than that, it’s important to be kind and respectful to everyone you interact with throughout the entirety of your life. While this behavior is first and foremost common human decency, you also never know whose help you will need farther down the road.
After applying to seven jobs (with personal contacts at five of them) over the course of three months, I was rejected by one, never heard anything from three, and began the interview process with three more. One rejected me at that point, but ultimately I was offered one of the roles I was most interested in for the salary I made clear that I needed from the initial phone screen!
With the above stats, the fact that I landed the job I wanted seems pretty miraculous, I know. What the above stats do not show, though, are the hours and hours spent researching job opportunities, companies, and my connections. While I applied to seven jobs that I felt confident about, I had dozens more in my research spreadsheet that didn’t make the cut. While yes, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, you are always more likely to make the shot you’ve prepared for.
Happy job hunting!