The Wrong Reason (and the Right Ones) to Leave AmeriCorps Early

by Meghan Oakley

categories: Tips for Applicants, AmeriCorps

Posted to AmeriCorps November 05, 2009 @ 03:35PM PT

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:

• When you join AmeriCorps, you commitment to 10 months to 2 years of service, and AmeriCorps commits to you. Although you technically can leave early, you take an oath that you won't.

• People and communities are hurt when you leave early. Why? Chances are that a nonprofit has jumped through a lot of hoops to get you to their organization (trust me, I make the hoops). If you leave, they might not be able to get someone to replace you, and the service will go undone.

Photo Attribution: eHow.

Is It True? Great Jobs:No Candidates

by Erin O'Connor Jones

categories: Job Seekers, Random, Resources, Resumes, Search Strategy, Sector Switcher Stories, Sector Switchers

Posted to Sector Switchers November 04, 2009 @ 05:11PM PT

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: 

1. Read the job description in full, including the part that talks about  "minimum or required" qualifications. Chances are pretty good that if you've applied for over 20 jobs in the last 2 weeks, you are blindly submitting applications that you aren't fully qualified for (unless you are a telemarketer or seeking seasonal, retail work!). If the employer is looking for two years of experience, they want a minimum of two years experience, not 6 months.  If you find yourself struggling to locate something that fits in the requirements, it's not a good match. 
2. Make an effort to highlight the skills and qualifications that set you apart from other candidates. For example, if you are highly specialized or skilled, put this information at the top of your resume.  Your potential employer spent a lot of time writing and preparing job descriptions and wants to know right away that you "speak the same language".  Many employers are willing to step outside the box to look at nontraditional candidates, but many positions require a demonstrated knowledge of specialized software, training credentials or licensure.  If you don't have these skills, knowledge or license, you're probably not their ideal candidate. 

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/)

It's Official: Register NOW for Nonprofit Boot Camp!

by Erin O'Connor Jones

categories: Cover Letters, Interviewing, Job Seekers, Resources, Resumes, Search Strategy, Sector Switcher Stories, Sector Switchers

Posted to Sector Switchers November 02, 2009 @ 06:37PM PT

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:

• Working in the Nonprofit Sector, November 18, 2009 12 noon (EST)  You'll get a look inside the nonprofit sector to determine if it's the right place for you. Laura and I will lead participants through the sector, talk about the culture and address the many myths and misconceptions about work in the nonprofit sector.
• Craft Your Winning Resume and Cover Letter, December 2, 2009 12 noon (EST) This session will look closely at resume and cover letter design and format. You'll see the good, the bad and the ugly through the eyes of recruiters, and take away important, new knowledge about presenting your best self.
• Improved Job Search Strategies, December 9, 2009 12 noon (EST) Do you feel like you've exhausted all your resources? Or are you losing or lost your motivation? Let us help with your job search strategy with new techniques and sources along with our favorite, best-kept job search secrets!
• Live Question and Answer, December 16, 2009 12 noon (EST) This is the final session where all your questions will be answered. If you can't join the others, take advantage of this lively and informative Q&A session. Questions will be accepted in advance, and you'll definitely want to listen to hear and learn from fellow job seekers.

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.)

Must-Ask Interview Questions

by Meghan Oakley

categories: Tips for Applicants, AmeriCorps

Posted to AmeriCorps November 01, 2009 @ 06:26PM PT

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

Music To Motivate

by Anne Marie Ashburn

categories: Job Hunt Strategy, NOI, Political & Advocacy Jobs

Posted to Political & Advocacy Jobs October 30, 2009 @ 01:57PM PT

Tired of looking for a job? Here's some pump up music to keep you going :) Happy Friday!

In no particular order...

• Unstoppable, Santigold
• Pump The Jam, Technotronic
• Danger Zone, Kenny Loggins
• Empire State of Mind, Jay-Z Featuring Alicia Keys
• So What, P!nk
• Don't Stop, Fleetwood Mac
• I've Gotta Feeling, Black Eyed Peas
• Vertigo, U2
• You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, Bachman Turner Overdrive
• Paper Planes, M.I.A.
• Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand
• Pump It, Black Eyed Peas
• Suddenly I See, KT Turnstall
• Stronger, Kanye West
• The Rockafeller Skank, Fatboy Slim
• Chariots of Fire, Vangelis
• Dragostea Din Tei, O-Zone
• Survivor, Eye of the Tiger
• And, of course, the Rocky Theme Song

Flash Forward Your Nonprofit Career

by Rosetta Thurman

categories: Professional Development, Young Professionals

Posted to Young Professionals October 30, 2009 @ 06:14AM PT

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?

• More responsibility? Get promoted.
• Better pay? Ask for a raise. Or, consider a slash career.
• Greater leadership experience? Join a nonprofit board of directors.
• Improved management skills? Get some professional development or learn from your peers.
• Bigger network of colleagues? Join the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network chapter in your city.
• More benefits? Negotiate these five additions.

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

Green Job Growth - Is the Grass Really Greener?

by Erin O'Connor Jones

categories: Job Seekers, Resources, Search Strategy, Sector Switcher Stories, Sector Switchers

Posted to Sector Switchers October 28, 2009 @ 07:44PM PT

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 )