NEWSJOB HUNT STRATEGY

Holidays can be tough if you're a job seeker. Whether you've been looking for months or are just starting your search, it's tempting to think that you might as well stop, pick up a large glass of eggnog, and just relax for a while.

Unfortunately, while you might gain a few pounds from the eggnog, you won't be gaining a job. December and January are peak mingling times, and January is a peak hiring time. Most companies have the same amount of positions open in January as they do the rest of the year, but they have less applicants. Here's a couple stress-free tips to help you use the holidays (or, at least what's left of them) to connect with people that will help connect you to jobs.

On the 8th Day of Christmas

Scheduling your job search is important, especially when you'd rather be doing other things. Make a list of all the people you need to contact or follow up with over the next few weeks, and record how your interactions go when you have them. Set aside an area of your house where you'll be doing your job searching, and pick a regular time that you'll be committing an hour or two to your job search every day. Discipline is key.

Stay Positive

It's easy to get overwhelmed on a job search and having twenty friends and family members who want an update on your life doesn't help. What you need to do here as see conversations as an opportunity, not a hassle. Use friends and family as sounding boards, as they often have connections that you might not be aware of.

All I Want for Christmas is YOU

Yes, it is still about who you know. People lead you to jobs, whether that's through sending you a job opening or introducing you to the right people. As hard as it might be, try to be open to job advice and don't be shy about asking for it. People like being asked if you can "pick their brain," and during the holidays is the perfect time to hit people up since everyone is happy and generous.

'Tis the Season

Holiday parties are a great time to connect with old and new friends. Attend as many as you can, and throw your own. Check your local blogs and newspapers for open happy hours and other events that involve the type of crowd that you want to be working with. Bring some business cards, but make it your goal to ask people about themselves and connect with them before handing one over to them.

Holiday Cheer

At parties, be sure to write down leads and notes from your conversation on the back of their business cards when you get them. This will help you follow up later in a way that makes you stand out from all the other people they've been meeting over the past few weeks. Be casual in conversation and make sure that you're upbeat -even if you're not. People can tell when you're down and out, and while your friends will want to comfort you, strangers will back off from extending help with a job search.

Seasons Greetings

This is a great opportunity to send out holiday cards to connect with former employers, coworkers, etc. Usually people know they should reach out to these types of people in their job searches, but they are wary about contacting them out of the blue after months (sometimes years) of no contact. During the holidays, that's completely off the table - in fact, you're expected to give a life update. Be upbeat in your card too, and make sure to include faster contact info than a return address (like your cell and email).

Good luck!

(this blog was cross posted at www.neworganizing.com/blog)

One of the most popular and among my favorite listservs for jobs is Jobs That Are Left. I think it is a great list with a ton of smart, connected people on it. Many good jobs are posted there every day. But read this quick note that went out this morning to the list:

"I cannot express my excitement!  I am thrilled to announce that our little community has reached 10,000 direct members!"

10,000!!!

So that is good in sense that a lot of people will be posting jobs. But it is much worse in the sense that you are competing with potentially thousands of others applying for one, single, great job.

My advice, as it always is, is to supplement great lists like this one through networking and growing your contacts list. This way you can get the big picture of the jobs out that there are being offered from your favorite lists while building and maintaining critical relationships that get you in the door.

This article that you are about to consume is what in the biz is know as a “listicle”. This term is a conflation of the words “list” and “article”. Basically it is a cheap way for a write to get you to click on an article or blog post because you think it will be an easy read and will contain information that you will readily be able to put to use.

Unfortunately, since it is I who am writing this listicle, you will find absolutely nothing of use and you might as well stop reading now if you haven’t already. If not, prepare for some listing!

Number 5

The job-seeker will fixate one campaign at a time, and then if he doesn’t get that campaign, moves on to the next prospect. This is problematic because it wastes time, time that could be spent applying for other campaigns simultaneously. My advice is to pick up to 3 campaigns at a time that you really want to work on and hit them all at once. This way you won’t fall behind others who are applying to other campaigns that you might also want to work on.

Number 4

The job-seeker will use geography as a primary reason to work or not work on a campaign. Remember: always choose the race over the place. Picking a good race, that is good for your career and has a good chance of winning is much more important that spending a summer on the coast in a safe district.

Number 3

The job-seeker doesn’t utilize his network and only passively uses job lists to apply. Job lists are important but you need to work your network for leads and connections as well as keep an eye on your job sites and list-serves. You need to cover all of your based to get a good race in a reasonable timeframe.

Number 2

Campaign worker wannabes look past the great races in their own area because they are hell-bent on moving elsewhere. Don’t! Though many races will require you to make a move, just because one happens to be local doesn’t make it a great opportunity for you.

Number 1

The job seeker won’t make sacrifices to work on a campaign. You must be prepared to make reasonable sacrifices to work on a race. Some of these include: buying a car, breaking your lease, moving away from home and missing your mom. (Hi mom!)

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!

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

Many young professionals that are looking for jobs right now in the nonprofit sector often complain, "If only I knew someone, I could get my foot in the door." Most of the time, this sentiment is not entirely accurate. When people say this, it is not because they really don't know anyone, it's because they haven't yet taken full advantage of the network they already have.

When I first came to DC as a recent college grad, I was desperately seeking a nonprofit job that paid enough so I didn't have to live with a roommate. I sent emails to my family, friends, and professors asking them to help me if they could. In the process, I found out that one of my cousins worked for one of the largest nonprofit associations in the city (and just happened to have an Executive Assistant opening) and that one of my professors had a contact at the United Way, one of the places I wanted to work. You may find that you have dozens of "hidden" connections like this within your own "inner circle" of people that you know. The point is to open the doors of opportunity for yourself by letting people know you need help. Especially if they already know you and what an amazing person you are, they will be more than happy to assist you in your job search if they are able.

The key is to stop thinking of your network as people who already have a job in the field in which you want to work. Your professional network actually includes your family, classmates, your alumni association, and even all of your parent's friends. Your mom's hairdresser may be a volunteer troop leader for the Girl Scouts and can introduce you to the CEO of the local council. Who knows? Once you expand your horizons, a ton of connections may come into your path.

How have YOU used your "inner circle" to help you finds leads to nonprofit jobs?

Photo credit

I get this question all the time. The more cautious side of me would say: “no, don’t go. It’s too much of a risk.” But, you would never make it anywhere in life without a taking a few of those.

My advice is going to be yes.

If you really want to go to DC and try to find a job then do it. The good news is that Washington, DC tied for first with Seattle, WA are the best places now for young people to find jobs.

But you must be prepared for a long search. My friend was a year older than me and hot off the 2004 campaign and decided to move to DC (along with hundreds of other people in the same boat as he). His goal was to work on Capitol Hill.

He did sort of. He ended up being a Capitol tour guide. FOR A YEAR. The ones with the red coats that lead the chubby tourists around the public areas of the US Capitol.

A year is how long it took for him to get a real job. If you don’t want to want to end up in a red suit I recommend the following:

• Network and set up informational interviews with people in the places you want to be;
• Read this brilliant guide to getting a job with the Obama Administration. It will change your life;
• Don’t just focus on the Hill and non-profits. Check out consulting firms too; and
• Make sure you know these 5 people.

You: a brilliant, energetic young professional who wants to make a difference in the world. What you're looking for: a nonprofit job that can turn into a fulfilling career with a salary that doesn't put you into the poorhouse. If you're reading this blog, chances are you already know where to find a nonprofit job: Jobs for Change, Idealist.org, and Opportunity Knocks, just to name a few. The problem is that you may not know what to look for once you apply for the job and start the process of determining whether you want to take the job or not. And salary is only one factor. While you may be offered a great salary, you may end up with crappy benefits or a toxic workplace. You may find a job you're really excited about, but the end of the day, no matter what the mission, or how much you may like your co-workers, you have to make sure the job will be beneficial to your long-term career goals and personal wellbeing. If you dive in headfirst without thinking it through, you could end up hating your nonprofit job. Here are ten things (beyond salary) that you should look for in a nonprofit job. Try to negotiate them into your offer before you agree to take a position.

• Generous vacation time: meaning at least four weeks off a year. Your work will, at times, be very difficult and you will need a break. A long one. More than just two weeks once a year. Make sure you have enough time allocated so that you can enjoy your time off. If you're offered just two weeks, ask for four as part of a counter offer, especially if the salary is not ideal.
• Fully paid health benefits: meaning health, dental, vision covered by the organization. You don't want to worry about how your doctor bills are going to get paid. I once met a young woman who worked in an arts organization that refused to provide her with even basic coverage. She was broke, miserable, and resented her job every time she got sick and had to come out of pocket. It was a lose/lose situation for everyone.
• Flexible scheduling: offers the option to switch up your hours when you need to, work from home periodically, or hold a slash career (part-time job to supplement your salary or learn new skills). What if you need to leave at 3pm to pick up your sick kid? You don't want to work in a place that frowns upon work/life balance, even if that means you need to come into work on Tuesdays at 10am because you have a personal trainer or do yoga those mornings
• 403b retirement account: an employer plan set-up to allow you to save for retirement. It's best if the organization offers some kind of match in addition to your contributions. It makes your money grow faster! And knowing that your nonprofit cares about your long-term financial future will only make you more loyal to the organization.
• Professional development opportunities: a set amount in the budget for staff to attend conferences or workshops to hone their skills. In these tough economic times, many nonprofits will tell you they've cut their professional development budgets. But if there's an annual conference you really want to attend (like one hosted by your state's nonprofit association), work the cost into your salary negotiations. Or offer to come back to the office and train all the other staff on what you learned at a particular workshop session.

In my nonprofit career, I've learned that everything is negotiable, especially if you have the kind of exceptional talent that the organization needs to succeed. If you can sell yourself really well, the door will be open to getting the best benefits to accompany your salary. In the end, it's all about what's important to YOU/ What are some other factors you've used in choosing the ideal nonprofit job?

Photo credit: Woman's Day

Want a free hour of nonprofit career advice? Next week, use your lunch break to enhance your job search during a live chat with me and other nonprofit leaders from Idealist.org!

Breaking Into a Career in the Nonprofit World

Thursday, October 8, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

An intensely competitive job market is making it harder than ever for recent graduates and established business professionals to break into careers in the nonprofit world.

People who seek nonprofit jobs today are confronting a tight market and competition from many worthy competitors.

What can you do to stand out from the crowd? What can you do to be sure you are an attractive candidate for a great new role when conditions improve? And if you do land a position, what should you do to make the most of your opportunity?

Join us on Tuesday, October 8, when we assemble a panel of career experts to take these and other questions about breaking into a career in the nonprofit world.

Related Articles

• A Few Charities Buck Layoff Trends by Hiring Workers, Creating Jobs (10/1/2009)
• Young Nonprofit Workers Encouraged to Embrace New Opportunities (5/7/2009)

The Guests

Meg Busse is director of high school and college transitions at Idealist.org, in Portland, Ore., and is other of The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers. As part of her role, she works to connect students with career opportunities in the nonprofit world.

Rosetta Thurman is a leadership development consultant and the director of development and special programs at the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington. Ms. Thurman is also author of the popular blogs Perspectives from the Pipeline and Jobs for Change.

Steven Joiner is director of the Mid-Career Transitions program at Idealist.org in Portland, Ore. In that role, Mr. Joiner provides online resources for professionals who seek to move from the for-profit world into nonprofit work.

Click here to submit a question in advance.

Photo credit: Communications of the ACM

There is always a wonderfully rewarding feeling in giving your time and talents to a worthy cause. Feeding the homeless, tutoring children, or playing games with senior citizens can all give you a sense of community as well as help you grow as a person in the process. But many young professionals just stop at the warm fuzzy feeling they get from giving back instead of going the extra step taking on leadership roles as volunteers. I call this volunteering for free. Why? Because most of you are overlooking all of the other opportunities in volunteering that can help you in your career. It's like being a waiter that just leaves the tip on the table. Especially if you're actively seeking a new nonprofit job, it's important that you use every chance you get to further your job search process. If you're going to volunteer, try to choose opportunities that allow you to build your resume, make new contacts, or learn a new skill.

Build Your Resume
If you choose a volunteer position that allows you to lead in some capacity, it looks a lot better on your resume than simply "volunteered to clean the local dog park." If your goal is to obtain a job in the environmental field, for instance, you want to show that you can play a leadership role in the organization if they decide to hire you. If you want to go ahead and clean up the dog park or the river, step up and be the one to be the organizer or rally other volunteers so you can state your accomplishments on your resume as "recruited 100 volunteers to clean the dog park, the largest turnout ever." Much more impressive, no?

Make New Contacts
True story. I once volunteered to staff the registration table at an event just so I could meet the organization's CEO and mingle with the staff so I could have a better chance of getting a job there. It was a great way to build relationships with the right people so that when my resume crossed their desk, they already would know who I was.  You have the choice of volunteering at thousands of different nonprofits, but why not make it a win/win by helping out with one of the ones you may want to work for in the future?

Learn a New Skill
No offense, but everyone knows how to ladle soup into a bowl to feed the homeless. It's a worthy activity, but it won't do much for your career as a skill if a six-year old could do it. If you're a nonprofit jobseeker, try your hand at helping out with something you don't already know how to do. If there's an organization that needs help putting up flyers for a new program or campaign, volunteer to be the one to design them even if you have no design experience whatsoever. It could force you to learn a new software like Photoshop or Dreamweaver very quickly and you'll be able to add it to your resume in case your new job requires you to know something about design or print marketing.

Now don't get it twisted. I'm not telling you to stop volunteering. I'm just saying to use your volunteer time wisely. If you're going to give back, use your experience to kill two birds with one stone: help your community and help your career at the same time.

Photo credit: NYE Senior Services