Turn One Piece of Paper Into a New Job Offer

by Meghan Oakley

categories: Tips for Alum, Tips for Applicants, AmeriCorps

Posted to AmeriCorps November 19, 2009 @ 11:45AM PT

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

10 Tips for Building A Nonprofit Career

by Erin O'Connor Jones

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

Posted to Sector Switchers November 16, 2009 @ 08:29PM PT

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:

1. Update your resume. Your resume must be up-to-date at all times as you never know when your dream job will present itself or an employer will request it. If you don't have time to update it, invest time with a resume professional.
2. Network: Build your personal and professional networks.
3. Track your accomplishments. Can you point to your top five achievements such as where you've displayed leadership, impacted change or contributed to the bottom line?
4. Set realistic goals - professional and personal. If you are over committed, you'll never achieve your goals. Be realistic about what you can achieve and how long it'll take you to get there.
5. Establish your online brand. Learn all you can about social media, and how to use it in your job search advantage.
6. Join a nonprofit Board, volunteer and find your passion.
7. Find a mentor (just don't forget to ask them if they are willing to adopt you!).
8. Take the time to reflect and ask important questions such as; is this the right time for a change, what is your motivation, or what are your transferrable skills?
9. Practice patience and have a back-up plan.
10. Do a good job at your current position - you'll need good references to launch your nonprofit career!

Join my FREE Webinar Tomorrow: Connecting and Networking

by Zach Knowling

categories: Campaign Jobs, Job Hunt Strategy, Nonprofit Jobs, The Search Process, Political & Advocacy Jobs

Posted to Political & Advocacy Jobs November 16, 2009 @ 07:57PM PT

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!

How to Make Your Mark

by Meghan Oakley

categories: Tips for Alum, Tips for Applicants, AmeriCorps

Posted to AmeriCorps November 16, 2009 @ 02:16PM PT

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:

• Be an open communicator with people in your office and outside it
• Consider how you handle difficult situations and try to be cool under pressure
• Help out your co-workers around the office... even if you don't have to
• Be a resource for people... connect them with information they need
• Be open you are to new experiences and meeting new people

Making your mark is about creating your professional identity. What do you want to be know for?

Photo Attribution: Irritated Tulsan

Don’t Call Me Liz and Other Political Staff FAIL

by Zach Knowling

categories: Campaign Jobs, HowTo, Nonprofit Jobs, Political & Advocacy Jobs

Posted to Political & Advocacy Jobs November 13, 2009 @ 02:13PM PT

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.

Do Everyone A Favor: Interview in Person

by Meghan Oakley

categories: Tips for Applicants, AmeriCorps

Posted to AmeriCorps November 12, 2009 @ 04:15PM PT

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

Life is a Stage - Join Prize Winners for an Encore!

by Erin O'Connor Jones

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

Posted to Sector Switchers November 11, 2009 @ 10:08PM PT

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)