DIY Career Coaching
On Monday, I blocked time on my calendar to watch the eclipse with my family. We weren’t in the path of totality, but it was still a cool event that made us pause for a moment and observe. I know that the job search can feel like you are on a hamster wheel but if you can find a minute to pause and look at your search from another angle, who knows what you might find. For example, you might see some gaps in your tactics or areas where you can improve.
This week I want to talk about ways to set yourself up for success as you look for that role that is going to make the impact you want to make. I know that a lot of you don’t have money to throw at a career coach right now but there are a few things you can do to get another perspective and set yourself up for success.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR
DIY CAREER COACHING:
Set a goal for LinkedIn followers.
I usually recommend at least 500 but if you are just starting out, maybe you set a lower goal. Look at your networks and then connect with people who you want to know. Write a short and sweet intro note when submitting a connection request like: “Hi! I see that we are both connected with X. I worked with X at X (org). I’m impressed with the work (be specific here) your team is doing at X (their org) and I’d love to stay connected. I’m looking for my next role and one of my priorities is to be a part of a team making X impact. I hope we can stay in touch.”
Look in the right places.
Sometimes we have a hard time finding any jobs that match our interests and skills. Here’s a couple of lists that might help. Set a schedule and calendar reminders to keep you on track. If you haven’t already, sign up for the NRG Talent Network. We’ll send out job announcements that match your interests and salary requirements as soon as they are live.
Create a tailored resume geared towards the work you want to be doing.
Highlight the skills and experience that align with the work you want to do instead of highlighting the work you have done in the past. If you are applying for a political job, make sure that your experiences show you are passionate about politics. If you are a teacher applying for partnership roles at nonprofits, highlight all the ways you have built relationships with other schools and businesses to support your students.
Have someone not in your industry read your resume.
I’ve talked about this before. Your resume needs to make sense to multiple people. Don’t rely on jargon.
This is especially important if you are making a career change to a new industry. Do not use insider-only words from your current industry when you are trying to move into a new one that doesn’t use that same language. Throughout the process, you may have a lot of people reading your resume: recruiters, HR staff, and Operations staff may not be experts in your field but they are experts in the must have qualities and skills for this role. Make sure you are clearly communicating your accomplishments and that they match the role you are applying for.
Never search alone.
Find a friend who is also looking for their position or join a Job Search Council through Never Search Alone. It’s free and a great way to connect with peers looking for similar jobs to connect, trade tips, and support one another.
Set deadlines and announce goals publicly.
How many new networking conversations will you have before Memorial Day? How many jobs will you have applied to before Memorial Day? Tell family or friends your goals. Ask them to hold you accountable. You can also name me as your accountability partner and tell me your goals and use Memorial Day as your deadline.
UPCOMING EVENT
SESSION 1: REVISE YOUR RESUME
APRIL 24 | 2PM-3PM ET
Cost: $75.00
We’ll spend 15 minutes giving an overview of key points to consider when compiling your resume. Then, we’ll take a look at some real life examples and give feedback in the larger group. Then, you’ll be able to ask questions specific to your resume. You’ll come away with a clear idea of where to spend your time to make your resume one that highlights your attributes and potential.
Hot tip: For those of you who have done career coaching and love it–maybe you support a friend and buy them a session. It’s $75 and would be a gift that keeps giving since your resume is an important part of the job search. Buy a gift today.
On to the jobs! Check out all of NRG’s searches here. Sixteen of those positions are remote.
Opportunities NRG is hiring for:
VP, People and Culture at National Domestic Workers Alliance; $150,000-$170,000; Remote (preference for NY/DC areas)
Director of Development at Atmos; $135,000-$150,000; Remote
VP, Administration at Freedom Forum; $190,000-$195,000; Washington, DC. At least 80% of time onsite in Washington, DC or Laurel, MD
Executive Director at Trans Lifeline; $127,000-$150,000; Remote
National Groups Manager at Women Count & Electing Women Alliance; $75,000 to $90,000; Remote
Senior Program Associate, Field Innovation at Growald Climate Fund; $70,000-$80,000; Brookline, MA with flex hours and opportunity to work from home two days / week
Organizing Director at Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance; $75,000-$85,000; Hybrid role in the Philadelphia, PA metro area, (30% in office/70% remote)
Voter Registration Director at Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance; $60,000-$80,000; Remote position within the Philadelphia, PA metro area
Democracy Takes Work Initiative Director at the Democracy Alliance; $150,000-$170,000; Remote
Policy Director at National Black Worker Center; $75,000-$90,000; Remote
HR and Operations Director at National Black Worker Center; $75,000-$90,000; Remote
President & CEO at States’ 4-H International Exchange Programs; $125,000-$170,000; Remote
Senior Grant Writer at UTEC; $75,000; Lowell, MA
Senior Director of Learning at UTEC; $90,000-$110,000; Lowell, MA
Senior Organizer, Colorado at Mothers Out Front; $70,000-$75,000; Remote in Denver, CO
Senior Organizer, Northern California at Mothers Out Front; $70,000-$75,000; Remote in northern CA
Senior Manager of Major Giving at Mothers Out Front; $78,000-$88,000; Remote
Grassroots Giving and Events Manager at Mothers Out Front; $78,000-$88,000; Remote
Canvass Director, Multiple Locations at Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE); $60,000-$72,000; Milwaukee County (WI), Mecklenburg County (NC)
Wisconsin Field Director at Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE); $80,000-$90,000; Milwaukee Metro Areas
Head of Civic Engagement and Field Organizing at Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE); $150,000-$170,000; Remote
Texas State Organizing Director at Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE); $80,000-$90,000; Remote, Houston metro area
Executive Director at CT Students for a Dream; $85,000-$93,000; Bridgeport, CT
Opportunities NRG is hiring for in education:
Teaching Roles for 2024-2025 School Year at Shore Educational Collaborative; $$56,965-$114,700; Chelsea, MA
Multilingual Learner Specialist at Shore Educational Collaborative; $$56,965-$114,700; Chelsea, MA
Alternative High School Teacher at Shore Educational Collaborative; $$56,965-$114,700; Chelsea, MA
Middle School Teacher at Shore Educational Collaborative; $$56,965-$114,700; Chelsea, MA
Principal at Collegiate Charter High School of Los Angeles; $115,000-$140,000; Los Angeles, CA
Academic Educator at UTEC; $55,000-$61,000; Lowell, MA
join the nrg talent network
If you aren’t currently a member of the NRG Talent Network, consider joining. The survey takes 3 minutes to complete and then we’ll send you job announcements when your criteria (salary, location, etc.) matches the position.
Follow NRG on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all of the roles we are hiring for.
Let’s move,
Naomi
P.S. If you’d like a thought partner to think through your networking strategy or just want some external feedback on your resume and interview chops, sign up right now for 15 minutes with Kristin Saybe to learn how NRG’s coaching programs can help you.
If you find this newsletter helpful, forward it to your friends and help us build our network! If you received this from a friend, sign up here to receive future “Get Hired'' newsletters.